Win Without War Applauds Reintroduction of Neighbors Not Enemies Act, Opposes Trump Executive Order to Invoke Law

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Last Updated on January 28, 2025.

Washington – Win Without War released the following statement in response to Representative Omar and Senator Hirono reintroducing the Neighbors Not Enemies Act:

“Today, Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Mazie Hirono reintroduced the Neighbors Not Enemies Act, vital legislation to repeal the Alien Enemies Act. Originally enacted in 1798 as part of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act has enabled the targeting of immigrant communities based solely on their ancestry rather than any threat they pose to the United States.

“This outdated and shameful law was weaponized during World War II to justify the internment of 31,000 Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants — a horrific chapter in our nation’s history that has been widely condemned as rooted in prejudice and fear, not our security. 

“Alarmingly, the Trump administration is seeking to bring us back to those dark days, directing his incoming cabinet officials to prepare to implement the law as part of a day-one executive order. To do so, he and his lawyers will undertake a series of breathtaking legal gymnastics to argue that immigration is an “invasion”. And he’ll use the law to sweep up all manner of people in a mass internment and deportation campaign – devastating families, tearing apart communities, and sowing chaos across an already overstretched immigration system.

“Representative Omar and Senator Hirono’s bill is exactly the response we need, and an example for other members of Congress to follow. Repealing the Alien Enemies Act is not just a step toward correcting historical wrongs — it’s a necessary safeguard to preventing current injustices and upholding the principles of equality and fairness that should define our nation.”

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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.



January 22, 2025