The Alien and Sedition Acts, framed as national security measures, constrained immigration and stifled dissent, igniting significant backlash from those who deemed them unconstitutional.
The Sedition Act criminalized the dissemination of any material deemed 'false, scandalous, or malicious' about the government, leading to numerous arrests of critics.
The Alien Friends Act empowered the president to deport non-citizens identified as security threats, a controversial move that intensified fears around immigration.
The acts were a response to the XYZ Affair, with the Federalist Party focusing on an influx of perceived disloyal immigrants amid rising tensions with France.
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