The Trump administration's vision of Article II authority puts him beyond the reach of the courts - which would allow him to "disappear" people at will.
The first step in making Martin Niemoller's famous "First they came..." poem a reality under the Project 2025 autocracy. First they came for the immigrants and I did not speak out because I was not an immigrant... Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act is serving as his preliminary catalyst to defy the courts authority. If he is successful in this violation, he is sure to expand it to apply to all those whom he refers to as the 'radical left lunatics'. His psychotic vengeance and fragile ego know no bounds.
Oh dear, Asha. You definitely understand how badly we are
you-know-what if this is allowed to stand. Thank you for taking the time to keep us informed after your observations of the animal kingdom—which has order at least.
The devil is in the details. Here the Administration will argue that the Executive is allowed to circumvent the Court by claiming the Court has no jurisdiction here. Of course, as pointed out, I didn’t know Congress declared war against Argentina or and particular gang. Details.
We’re starting to get into “enforced disappearance” and crimes against humanity territory if I understand things correctly. I’m at a loss as to how to respond to this. Outside having an absolute shoulder to shoulder crushing sea of humanity surrounding the White House campus, the Treasury building, and the Naval Observatory demanding an end to this it looks like the public is cheerfully accepting it.
I bet he also intends to categorize Americans who criticized him as "enemies" and either imprison or send them to Venezuela or wherever too? Especially since he's already said that Jan 6 Committee members and some journalists are "enemies".
Why the judge give the DOJ attorney the option to respond to questions as opposed to jailing him on the spot? This is all theater and we are now all bit players in Trumps fascist autocracy.
Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller was a theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime and for his quote "First they came for the socialists." Niemoller was sent to the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1938 to 1945 for his alignment with the Confessor Church that was a movement within German Protestantism in Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to unify all Protestant churches into a single pro-Nazi German Evangelical Church.
Initially, Niemoller was also a national conservative and an antiisemite who supported Adolf Hitler.
His famous poem follows:
"First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
We now have identified who America's first traunch of scapegoats are. Over 200 individuals who have been alleged to be both Venezuelans and criminals have been sent to what is a effectively a concentration camp in El Salvador without either proof of crime or affiliation, charges or due process.
Alleging that Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang is the invading force, Trump claimed authority to do this under The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which is only a wartime authority that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation. Invoking it in peacetime to bypass conventional immigration law is a staggering abuse of a law, which is only applicable to foreign state actors attacking the United States.
So, who is next?
Please, fill in the blanks and finish this poem for yourself.
First, they came for the Venezuelans, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Venezuelan.
Then they came for the _________, and I did not speak out—because I was not a _________.
Then they will come for me—and there will be no one left to speak for me.
This, along with the arrest and detention of Green Card holder Mahmoud Kahlil in the absence of criminal charges apparently for speech Trump doesn't like, is just another play taken out of the authoritarian playbook. Trump is testing the courts with cases involving perhaps less-than-sympathetic people to many Americans to try to set precedent for him to violate constitutional rights and go after anyone who opposes or speaks out against him as threats to national security or supporters of terrorists.
One thing I still do not understand is Republicans who seem to think that they and their families and loved ones are immune from man-child Trump's wrath. The minute they refuse to bend to his will, they will become enemies subject to the same abuse as his current enemies. Is this really the world they want themselves and their children to live in?
Has there been any explanation from this administration as to why these people were taken to El Salvador and not sent to Venezuela? Have there been any court filings from the families of those deported? I've read that some are American citizens, not remotely linked to TdA, or are landed immigrants / green card holders that are also not linked to any gang?
The key is that El Salvador will imprison anyone that Trump sends to them, and gets paid for it. Venezuela doesn't want these people back, and won't take them.
Thanks. I guess that is the obvious answer but doesn't satisfy that these are neither extraditions nor deportations. It becomes human trafficking at this point. Appreciate the reply.
What isn’t ….what in his hands is safe?
The first step in making Martin Niemoller's famous "First they came..." poem a reality under the Project 2025 autocracy. First they came for the immigrants and I did not speak out because I was not an immigrant... Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act is serving as his preliminary catalyst to defy the courts authority. If he is successful in this violation, he is sure to expand it to apply to all those whom he refers to as the 'radical left lunatics'. His psychotic vengeance and fragile ego know no bounds.
Wondering if it is about oil and Venezuelan natural resources instead of gangs? Based on his greed for Ukraine’s resources, he is pure greed.
Oh dear, Asha. You definitely understand how badly we are
you-know-what if this is allowed to stand. Thank you for taking the time to keep us informed after your observations of the animal kingdom—which has order at least.
The devil is in the details. Here the Administration will argue that the Executive is allowed to circumvent the Court by claiming the Court has no jurisdiction here. Of course, as pointed out, I didn’t know Congress declared war against Argentina or and particular gang. Details.
We’re starting to get into “enforced disappearance” and crimes against humanity territory if I understand things correctly. I’m at a loss as to how to respond to this. Outside having an absolute shoulder to shoulder crushing sea of humanity surrounding the White House campus, the Treasury building, and the Naval Observatory demanding an end to this it looks like the public is cheerfully accepting it.
I bet he also intends to categorize Americans who criticized him as "enemies" and either imprison or send them to Venezuela or wherever too? Especially since he's already said that Jan 6 Committee members and some journalists are "enemies".
Excellent piece Asha, thanks for sharing!!
Great article, thank you 🙏
Why the judge give the DOJ attorney the option to respond to questions as opposed to jailing him on the spot? This is all theater and we are now all bit players in Trumps fascist autocracy.
That must be why the felon started a war with Houthi terrorist group now
Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller was a theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime and for his quote "First they came for the socialists." Niemoller was sent to the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1938 to 1945 for his alignment with the Confessor Church that was a movement within German Protestantism in Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to unify all Protestant churches into a single pro-Nazi German Evangelical Church.
Initially, Niemoller was also a national conservative and an antiisemite who supported Adolf Hitler.
His famous poem follows:
"First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
We now have identified who America's first traunch of scapegoats are. Over 200 individuals who have been alleged to be both Venezuelans and criminals have been sent to what is a effectively a concentration camp in El Salvador without either proof of crime or affiliation, charges or due process.
Alleging that Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang is the invading force, Trump claimed authority to do this under The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which is only a wartime authority that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation. Invoking it in peacetime to bypass conventional immigration law is a staggering abuse of a law, which is only applicable to foreign state actors attacking the United States.
So, who is next?
Please, fill in the blanks and finish this poem for yourself.
First, they came for the Venezuelans, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Venezuelan.
Then they came for the _________, and I did not speak out—because I was not a _________.
Then they will come for me—and there will be no one left to speak for me.
This, along with the arrest and detention of Green Card holder Mahmoud Kahlil in the absence of criminal charges apparently for speech Trump doesn't like, is just another play taken out of the authoritarian playbook. Trump is testing the courts with cases involving perhaps less-than-sympathetic people to many Americans to try to set precedent for him to violate constitutional rights and go after anyone who opposes or speaks out against him as threats to national security or supporters of terrorists.
One thing I still do not understand is Republicans who seem to think that they and their families and loved ones are immune from man-child Trump's wrath. The minute they refuse to bend to his will, they will become enemies subject to the same abuse as his current enemies. Is this really the world they want themselves and their children to live in?
and there may come a day where citizens of a country targeted for economic warfare are also seen as aliens?
Has there been any explanation from this administration as to why these people were taken to El Salvador and not sent to Venezuela? Have there been any court filings from the families of those deported? I've read that some are American citizens, not remotely linked to TdA, or are landed immigrants / green card holders that are also not linked to any gang?
The key is that El Salvador will imprison anyone that Trump sends to them, and gets paid for it. Venezuela doesn't want these people back, and won't take them.
Thanks. I guess that is the obvious answer but doesn't satisfy that these are neither extraditions nor deportations. It becomes human trafficking at this point. Appreciate the reply.
We need to elevate the discourse about Public Interest.