The Irony of Irish Catholic Trump Supporters and the Alien Enemies Act

A Historical Echo

Donald Trump's invocation of the 227-year-old Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members sparked a poignant connection to history. This very law, originally passed to combat perceived foreign threats to the nascent United States, targeted groups including Irish Catholics – a group now often found among Trump's supporters.

This ironic twist begs the question: Have these supporters forgotten their own history? The Alien Enemies Act, enacted in 1798, stemmed from Federalist fears of French revolutionaries and their Irish Catholic allies, both seen as enemies of the American experiment and potential supporters of the then-opposition Democratic-Republican Party. It represents an early form of the Great Replacement Theory, echoing fears of demographic and political shifts.

A Legacy of Prejudice

The rhetoric surrounding the Act was particularly harsh towards the Irish. Federalist Representative Harrison Grey Otis famously declared in Congress, “[I do] not wish to invite hoards of wild Irishmen, nor the turbulent and disorderly of all parts of the world, to come here…” This prejudice, combined with political anxieties, fueled the Act’s passage.

Following the Act's passage, Irish Americans suspected of sympathizing with the Irish Rebellion of 1798 faced harassment and roundups. The historical use of this Act, limited to wartime periods such as the War of 1812 and World Wars I and II, further underscores the impropriety of Trump's invocation.

The Great Hunger: A Lesson in Capitalist Cruelty

Irish Catholics should also remember the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór), a tragic period exacerbated by capitalist ideology and cruelty inflicted upon the Irish poor. Historian Padraic X. Scanlan's book, Rot, further illuminates this period, highlighting how British leaders viewed the famine as divine retribution for the perceived laziness of the Irish, using it as a justification to impose market discipline.

This historical context underscores the longstanding tension between working people and the wealthy elite – a theme that resonates even today.

A Call to Remember

The story of Irish Catholics in America, from targeted "alien enemies" to a community often aligned with those who promote similar exclusionary ideologies, presents a stark irony. This historical reflection serves as a reminder to consider the implications of political choices and the importance of understanding one's own history.