This month saw President Donald Trump invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law which allows for the detention and removal of those who are citizens of countries which are at war with the United States.

That move was welcomed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently highlighted the arrest of an accused gang member under the legislation. 

State officers collaborated with federal agents

According to Orland's News 6, DeSantis put up an X post touting the role which members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) had played in the operation.

"FDLE and Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, in participation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Homeland Security Task Force Orlando, today arrested a known Tren de Aragua gang member—the first arrest conducted in the nation under the Alien Enemies Act according to HSI," the governor wrote.

FDLE and Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, in participation with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Homeland Security Task Force Orlando, today arrested a known Tren de Aragua gang member—the first arrest conducted in the nation under the Alien Enemies Act according to HSI.… pic.twitter.com/1uEhj5BGgJ

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 20, 2025

"This individual is wanted as a human trafficker and smuggler," DeSantis continued before adding, "Once again, Florida leads the way."

Proclamation designates gang as a terrorist organization

An FDLE Facebook post identified the arrested individual as Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, an alleged human trafficker who "is also part of an ongoing investigation."

It further thanked DeSantis "for ensuring Florida’s law enforcement has the power to take down foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua."

For his part, Trump justified using the Alien Enemies Act by designating Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organization.

He did this in a proclamation which accused the gang of "conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States" in conjunction with Venezuela's hostile government.

Alien Enemies Act has been used three times before

NPR reported that the Alien Enemies Act has been used at three other times in American history, with the first coming in 1812 when the United States was at war with the United Kingdom.

The second instance was during World War I when President Woodrow Wilson invoked the legislation to place German citizens and other foreign nationals in internment camps.

President Franklin President Roosevelt also used the Alien Enemies Act to intern Japanese, German, and Italian citizens. What's more, the president signed an executive order which allowed for the internment of Japanese Americans.