Answer:
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a set of four laws passed by the United States Congress in 1798, in anticipation of a war with France. They made it more difficult for someone to become a US citizen, legalized the president imprisoning and deporting non-citizens who were considered dangerous or from a hostile country, and criminalized making false statements against the federal government. The federalists claimed that these laws would protect the country during a de facto war against France.
The acts, made quickly in the wake of the XYZ Affair, put limits on foreigners and stifled press criticism of the government. These targeted the French and Irish immigrants, increasing the waiting period to obtain naturalization from five to fourteen years and authorizing the expulsion of foreigners who were considered dangerous.
Although the Alien and Sedition Acts were adverse to Thomas Jefferson and others, they helped push Jefferson into the presidency. Some were repealed and others expired in 1802.
