The Trump administration is using some unusual — and unusually old — laws to justify its farthest-reaching policy goals.
Elements of Trump’s agenda — determining whether thousands of undocumented migrants can stay in the country, or whether women have access to abortion drugs via mail — could hinge on the interpretation of laws that date back to the earliest days of the US when judges wore wigs and court decisions were written by hand.
Left-leaning activists have challenged the administration’s actions in court, saying its interpretation of these old statutes doesn’t match the intention or the letter of the laws. ...