Trump Administration Enforces Long-Dormant World War II-Era Alien Registration Act

The Trump administration has reactivated the Alien Registration Act, a World War II-era law that requires all non-citizens in the U.S. to register with the government and provide fingerprints. This law has been inactive for the past 75 years.

What Happened: The enforcement of the Alien Registration Act commenced in April. Law enforcement agencies in Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Montana, Texas, and the District of Columbia have charged individuals with “failure to register” under the act, a charge unfamiliar to many federal public defenders.

As per the report by Politico, the majority of those charged were already in jail and undergoing deportation proceedings.

The law, established in 1940, was a response to public concerns about the loyalty of immigrants to the U.S. Non-compliance with the registration requirement is a “petty offense” attracting a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment or a $1,000 fine.

The revival of this law by the Trump administration could place undocumented immigrants in a precarious situation. If they register, they are required to provide detailed information to the federal government, including their method and time of entry into the country.

However, knowingly refusing to register is also a crime, punishable by arrest or prosecution.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that one objective of the registration regime is to encourage undocumented immigrants to voluntarily leave the country, a strategy it refers to as “mass self-deportation”.

This action, coupled with the administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and a more aggressive approach to immigration raids, is part of a broader campaign promise to implement the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

The DHS estimates that up to 3.2 million immigrants are currently unregistered and affected by the new enforcement regime.

The administration has introduced a new seven-page form for non-citizens to use for registration. Since the enforcement of the registration requirement began in April, 47,000 undocumented immigrants have registered using the new form.

Why It Matters: The enforcement of this dormant law marks a significant shift in the Trump administration’s approach to immigration.

It underscores the administration’s commitment to its campaign promise of implementing the largest deportation program in U.S. history. The impact of this move on the lives of millions of undocumented immigrants remains to be seen.

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