The Alien and Sedition Acts were highly controversial at the time. John Adams and the Federalist majority in Congress passed the bill against strong opposition from Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. Jefferson and Madison actually oversaw the passage of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, which decreed that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. As President, Jefferson pushed for its repeal, and pardoned the people convicted under Adams, but not before prosecuting a few of his critics.

The Federalists insisted that the laws would give the President constitutional and necessary powers to defend the nation. Keep in mind that the US's ability to defend itself was not a guarantee at this time. It was a lucrative and vulnerable target, and engaged with France in naval warfare.

However, many people argued that the legislation was really intended to suppress immigrant voters because the Democratic-Republicans had a strong influence amongst immigrants. This theory is generally accepted amongst historians as the primary purpose of the legislation, but there is room for debate about how sincere Adams was about national security.