Trump administration officials directed law enforcement nationwide to pursue suspected gang members into their homes, in some cases without any sort of warrant, according to a copy of the directive exclusively obtained by USA TODAY.
The directive, issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi March 14, provides the first public view of the specific implementation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act invoked to deport migrants accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Legal experts examined the document that reveals the following:
It provides directives to front-line officers apprehending suspected Tren de Aragua members, suggesting officers obtain a warrant of apprehension and removal “as much as practicable.” Those administrative warrants are signed by immigration officers, not judges like criminal warrants.
Due to a “dynamic nature of law enforcement procedures” officers are free to “apprehend aliens” based on their “reasonable belief” they meet the definitions, at their discretion and without any kind of warrant, the memo states.
It grants authority for police to enter a suspected “Alien Enemy’s residence” without a warrant if “circumstances render it impracticable” to first obtain a warrant.
Here’s a copy of the DOJ order giving the Feds authority to break into and search houses without a warrant on simple suspicion that an ‘alien enemy’ might be there.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25915967-doj-march-14-memo-alien-enemies-act/
AC