1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing today to express my absolute outrage and frustration with the total lack of action from you and your colleagues in Congress regarding the administration's blatant and flagrant defiance of federal court orders. Recently, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law that hasn’t been used since World War II, granting himself the power to deport people tied to a Venezuelan gang without the basic right to appear before a judge. What did the courts do? A federal judge, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, put a stop to those deportations, as the law was being misused in peacetime under absurdly flimsy reasoning. So what did the Trump administration do? They immediately appealed, and, shockingly, there was no sign of any accountability from the legislative branch. Let me remind you of something: this is the same Alien Enemies Act that was part of the legal justification for interning Japanese Americans during World War II, a shameful chapter in our history that has never been truly corrected. But now, under this administration, a law that grants sweeping powers to the President to target individuals in a time of war is being used to deport people in peacetime. This is beyond an abuse of power; it’s a constitutional crisis in the making. And what is Congress doing about it? Absolutely nothing. Here’s the thing: courts may be stopping these actions for now, but how long will that last when the executive branch can simply thumb its nose at the judiciary? This isn’t just about the misapplication of a 1798 law—it’s about the fundamental checks and balances that are supposed to keep our government in line. Courts issue rulings for a reason. The legislative branch was designed to be a counterbalance to the overreach of the executive, but here you are, sitting idly by while this administration tramples over those very checks with impunity. The American people are watching. We are furious. We are tired of seeing the executive branch run roughshod over judicial orders because there’s no pushback from you. We’re tired of seeing Congress—the body that is supposed to represent us—sitting on its hands while this circus unfolds. If Congress won’t do its job and hold the executive accountable, then what is the point of having a legislature at all? This is the kind of inaction that contributes to the erosion of the rule of law, and we all know where that leads. I’m calling on you, as my representative, to stop pretending like this isn’t your problem. Speak up. Demand accountability. The executive branch is not above the law, and you need to make that crystal clear. If you continue to sit in silence while this administration ignores judicial orders, you will be complicit in the collapse of our constitutional checks and balances. That’s not what our country is supposed to stand for. Do something!