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San Francisco supervisors unanimously condemn federal use of Alien Enemies Act and call for repeal
Summary
The Board of Supervisors adopted an amended resolution condemning President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, calling on Congress to repeal the statute and citing historical abuses; the measure drew extensive public comment from immigrant-rights advocates and Japanese American community members.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on April 8 adopted an amended resolution condemning President Trump’s recent invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and urging Congress to repeal the law.
The resolution, introduced by Supervisor Melgar, says the statute has a painful history and has been misused to authorize mass detention and deportation; Melgar cited World War II-era abuses and asked the board to call on federal lawmakers to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act (HR 630 / S.193) to remove the power from the presidency. The board adopted a clarifying amendment to the resolution by unanimous consent and then approved the amended measure without objection.
The item drew sustained public comment. Speakers included advocates from the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, the Asian Law Caucus and community members who described family histories of detention under wartime authority. Jenna from the Public Defender’s Office said the invocation of the act “makes us all unsafe” and noted the U.S. Supreme Court had recently lifted a restraining order related to the AEA, allowing continued federal action under court-declared limits. Carl Takei of the Asian Law Caucus and others recounted family experiences from World War II to argue the law’s invocation replicates an historical pattern of racialized abuse.
Supporters urged the board to use the resolution to pressure congressional leaders to strip the law’s wartime powers from the executive branch. Supervisor Melgar thanked community leaders and said the measure was intended both to condemn the federal action and to ask the city’s congressional delegation to pursue legislative repeal.
The resolution’s passage was met with applause from the chamber. The board recorded the item as adopted after a unanimous affirmative vote.
What’s next: The resolution requests that San Francisco’s elected federal representatives pursue statutory repeal; it is a city statement of policy and does not alter federal law.
