In a turn of events that will shock nobody who has ever read a history book, Donald Trump‘s draconian immigration crackdown is already targeting innocent people.
As per Reuters, on Jan 23 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents raided a business in Newark, New Jersey, detaining both undocumented migrants and fully-fledged American citizens. They entered the premises without a warrant and rounded up numerous workers, in a move described by Newark mayor Ras Baraka as violating the constitutional rights of those detained. He added that “Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized.”
The business raided by ICE agents has yet to be named by either the organization or Baraka, but the politician did confirm that one of the detainees was a “U.S military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”
ICE agents are known for their ferocious cruelty, racism, and general disregard for America’s laws, so this haphazard and legally dubious approach to finding illegal migrants is no big surprise. The agency’s worst tendencies have undoubtedly been drawn out by the recent election of sexual assaulter Donald Trump, who upon taking office signed an ungodly number of executive orders aimed at curtailing immigration. His rhetoric has also long been inflammatory.
ICE released a generic statement that claimed its agents sometimes “encounter U.S. citizens while conducting fieldwork,” adding that this would come alongside requiring people to prove their identity. A spokesperson also divulged that the organization was investigating the incident. The White House added their two cents to the controversy, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt using X to post that 538 “illegal immigrant criminals” had been arrested on Thursday. She claimed that some of this number were people convicted of sex crimes, which means they have something in common with her boss in the Oval Office.
There was no mention of the veteran who had to undergo a traumatic experience, nor the dozens of others innocents who were undoubtedly affected by the raids. Newark is a so-called “sanctuary city,” which means that local officials either limit or refuse cooperation with the federal government when it comes to enforcing immigration laws. These cities are often a target for right-wing ire, and it appears that Trump and ICE’s approach is to run raids in them specifically to make a political point as well as a legal one.
Many social media users have been quick to jump on this disrespect to a person who served in the military. There is a strong body of evidence to suggest that failed casino owner Trump used his wealth to dodge the draft, via a paid for and bogus diagnosis of bone spurs.
The fact of the matter is, crackdowns like these will often target and victimize innocent people. Those who truly believe in the constitution and the high-minded founding principles of America should see this as an aberration that needs to be removed. The Republicans, however, seem desperate to trample on the rights of citizens, and as cruelly as possible. And it will only get worse over the next four years.
Published: Jan 26, 2025 04:40 am