WASHINGTON (September 4, 2025) – A federal court ruled this week that President Donald Trump unlawfully invoked a centuries-old wartime law to swiftly deport migrants from the United States. The divided three-judge panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit rejected Trump’s use of the 1789 Alien Enemies Act, likely teeing up a legal battle to end up before the Supreme Court.
For more context on the matter, please consider Laura A. Dickinson, the Lyle T. Alverson Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. Dickinson is an expert on national security, human rights, the law of armed conflict, and foreign affairs privatization. She is an accomplished author(Outsourcing War and Peace) with a distinguished record of government service; as it relates to this issue she addresses problems at the intersection of foreign policy and both international and domestic law.
If you wish to speak with Professor Laura Dickinson, please contact Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell at shannon [dot] mitchell
gwu [dot] edu (shannon[dot]mitchell[at]gwu[dot]edu).
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