Legal News for Thurs 7/17 - TPS for Venezuelans, Maurene Comey Fired from DOJ, FEMA Grant Cuts Challenged in Court and More US Citizens Jailed in Immigration Raids
This Day in Legal History: Second Confiscation Act
On July 17, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Second Confiscation Act into law, dramatically expanding federal wartime powers during the Civil War. Building on a more limited first version passed in 1861, the new act authorized the seizure of property—particularly land and slaves—from individuals engaged in or supporting the rebellion. It declared that any Confederate supporter who did not surrender within sixty days would have their property “forfeited and seized” by the United States government. Crucially, the law applied even to…
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