Author: Marleen Wallingford

On March 15th, 2025, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, specifically targeting foreign nationals from Venezuela who are alleged members of the Trend de Aragua criminal organization. The Alien Enemies Act was last used to intern 31,000 Japanese, German, and Italian nationals during WWII. As the Japanese American community knows, the scope was expanded to include United States citizens through Executive Order 9066 leading to the incarceration of over 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry. We fear that the Venezuelan immigrant community is now being similarly targeted through the unlawful use and expansion of the Alien Enemies Act.

This is the fourth invocation of the Alien Enemies Act in the history of the United States, however, this is the only time outside of wartime. Under the newly signed EO “Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua”, any Venezuelan national over the age of 14, who is alleged to have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang is subject to be arrested, detained, and deported regardless of their immigration status. Not only is this an unlawful use of the Alien Enemies Act, outside the scope of wartime, but is overly broad and can be used to target individuals with no proven connection to Tren de Agua except through their Venezuelan citizenship.

The Federal District Court immediately intervened and issued a temporary restraining order to block the deportation of any individuals under the authority of this executive order and called for a plane carrying deportees to immediately return to the United States. In what would be especially egregious behavior, the Trump administration may have blatantly ignored the judge’s orders and carried out deportations on Saturday under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act.

The Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act is unconstitutional and continues the deeply racist and xenophobic legacy of Japanese American incarceration during WWII. The danger of the Alien Enemies Acts is the power granted to the President to circumvent the constitutional rights to due process for immigrants under the guise of national security. As it was revealed after the war, Japanese Americans posed no security threat, and many Japanese Americans served with distinction to defeat the Axis powers, even as their families remained imprisoned behind barbed wire in American concentration camps. 

We call for the administration to comply fully with the temporary restraining order and halt any deportations under the proposed authority of the Alien Enemies Act. The alleged blatant disregard for Judge Boasberg’s orders to turn the plane carrying deportees around cannot be tolerated in a nation of laws. The Alien Enemies Act cannot be invoked without a declaration of war, an act that only Congress can take. Congress can and should pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act to ensure that the President cannot abuse the law and further desecrate our Constitution.

Washington, DC —  Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) — on behalf of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) — sued Elon Musk and his so-called U.S. DOGE Service (DOGE) for acting beyond their power to slash federal funding, dismantle federal agencies and fire federal employees. 

Decisions regarding how the federal government spends its money lie with Congress. Elon Musk’s unchecked power throughout the federal government is a lawless threat to our democracy. 

Neither Elon Musk nor DOGE have the lawful authority to exercise the sweeping power that they currently wield in the federal government. However, since President Trump created DOGE and placed Elon Musk at its helm, Musk has exercised significant unconstitutional authority and taken control over our agencies and our funding systems. This illegal and reckless control over the federal government has upended the lives of countless individuals, both within the United States and abroad. 

“Our system of checks and balances does not permit the president or an unelected megadonor to unilaterally control the federal budget. Americans must be protected from destructive, illegal and unconstitutional DOGE actions,” said Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center. “Elon Musk, the president’s biggest political donor, is recklessly interfering with the work of the federal government, threatening our safety and our well-being. For the sake of our clients and preserving democracy, we call for an immediate end to this unconstitutional power grab.”

“JACL joins this lawsuit to stop DOGE from making reckless cuts that will directly impact national historic sites under the National Park Service that are among those where over 125,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during WWII. These sites honor those who were incarcerated and serve as a legacy to our children so that future generations of Americans will understand the unfortunate and preventable capacity for our government to act maliciously against a group of people such as ours,” stated JACL Executive Director, David Inoue. “We invest in our future through our children, and elimination and endangerment of education programs will directly impact many of our own members. Japanese Americans are especially fond of a saying in Japanese, ‘Kodomo no tame ni’ which means ‘For the sake of the children.’ This is why we join this action today.”

“The reckless budget cuts at the Department of Education are a direct assault on Pell Grant recipients, student organizations, and AANAPISI institutions that are vital to advancing educational equity,” said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Education is the gateway to opportunity — the heart of the American Dream — and these cuts threaten to block that path for countless students. Instead of opening doors for students, DOGE’s action at the ED are slamming them shut, and putting the future of countless young people at risk.”

“American families are already feeling the effects of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s careless and illegal cuts to our federal workforce. Firefighters and forest management staff have been dismissed as families remain on edge from the threats wildfires pose. Families wanting to enjoy our national parks, forests and monuments are being welcomed with closed signs, long lines, and unmaintained trails — before the parks’ busiest season has yet to begin. Without the workers to staff and support our public lands, communities will face more dangerous and deadly fires, park visitors will face unsafe conditions, and local economies that rely on national parks will struggle. Only Trump and Musk would try to threaten America’s best idea. We are taking DOGE to court to defend Americans’ ability to safely and freely access the landscapes that unite us,” said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club.

“When the rule of law is compromised and science is sidelined by an unelected billionaire donor, people get hurt. DOGE’s actions have interfered with life-saving research and scientific collaboration on cancer, vaccines, extreme weather and more,” said Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “They have pulled funding for job-boosting clean technology initiatives and fired civil servants who enforce laws that protect us from air, water and climate pollution. They have compromised websites and other communications channels, obstructing access to data that the U.S. public has paid for and depends on.”

Americans did not elect Elon Musk, and an unelected megadonor should not be able to pick and choose which critical agencies can continue to serve the public or which policy priorities Congress should fund. The courts must move to hold Musk and DOGE accountable. Elon Musk’s activities as DOGE’s head are illegal and a threat to the constitutionally mandated separation of powers. 

Keep up with Campaign Legal Center’s latest legal actions on DOGE here.

On October 11th, 2024, Former President and current Presidential Candidate Donald Trump told a host of people at his rally in Aurora, Colorado, that if he were to win the 2024 Presidential race he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to enforce country-wide mass deportations of so-called migrant criminal networks which he has dubbed “Operation Aurora”. In the days following, Former President Trump repeated these statements at rallies in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and Coachella, California. The JACL strongly condemns the words of Former President Trump and renews its call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act (H.R. 3610/S.1747) introduced by Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Mazie Hirono, which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. 

As the only remaining component of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act grants the president with the power to authorize the arrest, detention, and deportation of citizens of an “enemy nation” during wartime. While detained, foreign nationals of enemy nations would be treated as prisoners of war and could even be detained after hostilities with an enemy nation ceased. This controversial act was first used by President Roosevelt in 1941 to arrest and detain citizens of Japan, Germany, and Italy without due process. In 1942 President Roosevelt expanded the scope of his wartime powers to issue Executive Order 9066 which led to the mass incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. The Alien Enemies Act was also referenced by Former President Trump in 2016 when he issued Executive Order 13769 also known as the “Muslim Ban” that prohibited individuals from predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States, under the false guise of national security. 

The utilization of the Alien Enemies Act as a broad immigration enforcement tool is a gross misapplication of a centuries-old law meant specifically for use in wartime. The suggestion that migrant communities originate from enemy nations and that the United States is at war with migrants is poisonous rhetoric that only seeks to divide the American people, distance the United States from neighboring countries and dehumanize migrant families and communities seeking a better life in the United States.

JACL Executive Director, David Inoue stated “Former President Trump has peddled a false narrative of immigrants as a broad threat to our country. While there are many in this country who face challenges in an economy that has benefited a wealthy minority and any potential for violence can strike fear in any community, the source of these difficulties is not from immigrants who actually bring economic growth and vibrancy to the communities in which they reside. Spreading lies that incite escalating fear will lead to dire consequences such as the Japanese American community experienced during WWII.”

We at the JACL renew our commitment to protecting the rights of all people, regardless of their citizenship status or nation of origin. We urge the public and our partners to stand with us and call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act before the Alien Enemies Act can once again be used to violate the due process and equal protection rights of people residing in the United States. Additionally, we call on the public and our leaders of good conscience to stand against increasing xenophobic rhetoric and condemn Former President Trump’s continuing attacks on immigrant communities.

A Call for President Biden to Sign an Executive Order to Establish a Reparations Commission Before Leaving Office

Join us in calling President Biden to sign an executive order establishing a commission to study reparations for African Americans before leaving office. This action will also honor the legacy of the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who passionately advocated for HR 40 and its pursuit of justice and equality. We call upon citizens, elected officials, organization leaders, and faith leaders to stand united with us by signing our letter to make this crucial step toward racial healing a reality. Rev. Redeem Robinson, All Souls Movement – Los Angeles, CA

Sign the Petition Here

Last month at its 54th National Convention, the JACL National Council adopted R-1, a resolution addressing the humanitarian crisis in Palestine and opposing domestic hate crimes and bias against Palestinian, Arab, and Jewish Americans. The resolution outlines several actions that JACL National and JACL chapters partake in. These include the release of several statements, of which this is one, announcing the adoption of the resolution. In accordance with the resolution, we call for the United States government to continue to work with our allies in the region to pressure the Israeli government and Hamas to release all hostages, negotiate a ceasefire, and establish an enduring peace agreement. We denounce and call for an end of the U.S. government’s funding of the Israeli military where it is in violation of international humanitarian laws or the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and call for the increase and assurance of the free flow of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza. JACL condemns all forms of hate and bias that occur in the United States, especially those targeting Muslim, Arab, and Jewish Americans. The related documents and additional information will be sent to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Blinken, and Congressional leadership.During WWII the Japanese American community was falsely associated and accused of being in collaboration with the hostile actions of the Japanese government. We are acutely aware of the challenges faced by members of the Jewish and Palestinian communities here in the United States today who face similar stigma today due to what is happening in the Middle East. Earlier this month, many Japanese Americans joined in services to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, joining in a call for peace, and in solidarity with the country of our ancestry in a way we could not 80 years ago. In this spirit of calling for world peace, we recognize the desire for Jewish Americans and Palestinian Americans for their affiliated places and people of ancestry to live in peace and with the right of self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians alike.If you would like to read the adopted resolution in full, it can be found on the JACL National website HERE

Asian Americans are facing increasingly dire safety conditions in the greater Portland area and throughout Oregon. Recently, a 73-year-old Asian man was brutally attacked and seriously injured while fishing near Waterfront Park. Shockingly, the perpetrator remains at large.

In an effort to demonstrate our collective strength and unity, we urge members of our Chinese and Asian community to peacefully gather at Waterfront Park on April 6 at 2pm. This is not a protest; rather, it is an opportunity for our community to come together in this beautiful park, enjoying the warmth of spring and the blossoming cherry trees. Most importantly, it is a declaration that we are stakeholders in this city, and our safety demands the utmost attention and respect.

Yours faithfully,

Chinese Friendship Association of Portland+14 other organizations

March 9-12, 2025 in Washington, DC

Established by JACL in 1984, the four-day annual leadership summit program introduces community leaders from across the nation to the national policy-making arena. Co-convened with OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates since 1994, the JACL/OCA Washington, D.C. Leadership Conference is structured to provide a broad overview of the decision-making process at the federal level, including meetings and briefings by public officials, key policymakers who serve in Congress, the White House, federal agencies, advocacy organizations, and the media. Participants also will be briefed on legislative issues affecting AAPI communities and will examine the role Asian Pacific American civil rights organizations, such as JACL and OCA, play in affecting public policy and pursuing civil rights legislation in the nation’s capital!

Last Thursday evening, a man destroyed several windows of the Wing Luke Museum in the historic Chinatown International District (CID) of Seattle, Washington. At the time of the attack, several members of the Japanese American community, including Seattle JACL chapter co-president Stan Shikuma were attending a meeting at the museum for our partner organization Tsuru for Solidarity. Attendees rushed outside to find the perpetrator outside sledgehammer still in hand spewing anti-Chinese and anti-Asian rhetoric. 

This attack is deeply saddening and symptomatic of the anti-Asian hate that is still ongoing nationwide. More troubling was the inadequate response from the Seattle Police Department. Stan Shikuma was quoted by the Seattle Times on the attack and in the Seattle JACL chapter’s statement on the incident that the police refused to respond initially despite calls from multiple witnesses. It took nearly an hour for police to arrive, and the responses some callers received from emergency dispatchers seemed to imply indifference or annoyance. 

This also comes on the heels of further criticism surrounding the Seattle Police Department. Earlier this year, an Indian student was struck and killed by a police vehicle while crossing the street. One of the responding officers to the accident is overheard on bodycam footage stating the student, Jaahnavi Kandula, had little value. Our community is hearing that message loud and clear, that we are of little value.

We expect the attack on the Wing Luke Museum to be given the priority that a high profile crime such as this deserves and is prosecuted for the clear intent that it had to intimidate and directly attack the Asian American community. We also call upon the Seattle Police and 911 response to recognize the impact their disregard for our community has not only in eroding our faith in the ability and willingness of law enforcement to adequately serve and protect us, but the role it may play in perpetuating the devaluation of our community that can lead to further prejudice and anti-Asian hate incidents.

The safest communities are those that have the most resources, not the most police presence. The Wing Luke Museum is one such community resource that is vital to providing education and community engagement to combat anti-Asian hate. We look forward to the restoration of the museum so that it might continue its mission of serving the Seattle community in teaching about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander experiences to advance racial and social equity.

Monday, August 28, 2023, will mark the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin and featured Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. On Saturday, August 26, JACL will join the National Action Network who will be leading the anniversary march, with the theme titled, “Not a Commemoration, A Continuation”. This theme is an acknowledgment that the fight for civil rights today, as it was 60 years ago, is unabating, tenacious, and uninterrupted. From the Supreme Court’s dismantling of Affirmative Action to the book and curriculum erasure happening around the country, it is clear that there is still work to be done and the forces of White Supremacy continue to flourish and exert their hatred and bigotry. 

In 1963, JACL leaders and members marched in solidarity, in recognition that the racism they faced was no different from that which formed the basis of segregation laws targeting African Americans. They wanted to ensure that the injustices that led to the mass incarceration of 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry in the United States never befell any other marginalized community. They also wanted to demonstrate that the Japanese American community also had a place in the growing civil rights movement. Engagement in the 1963 march would pave the way for JACL to take a leading role in issues such as the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case, and ultimately, empowering our community to achieve redress for WWII incarceration 35 years ago.

In this year’s coming march, we are honored to take part again and to share our voice and our community’s voice. While JACL was the only Asian American organization to formally join the 1963 march, this year we look forward to being joined by hundreds more of our partner Asian American organizations. JACL Executive Director, David Inoue will be one of several other Asian American voices speaking out on Saturday morning where he will highlight the unfinished work to achieve social and economic justice for all in this country.

We acknowledge, just as we did then, that there is much to be done. This Saturday is just one further step we take to ensure the dreams of 60 years ago become a reality.