In response to an issue raised by Rethuglicans and their flatulent leader, Ben-Cheeto Mussolini:
Some like to parrot the ridiculous canard that the millions protesting Trump’s economic and immigration policies in all 50 states are “illegals, communists, and professional disruptors.” Of course, no evidence to support these charges is ever presented. This nonsense has been repeated over and over since the civil rights and Vietnam War protests in the 1960s when the insult du jour was “radical outside agitators.” In 2025, it may be a different choir, but they’re singing the same old song.
On the subjects of ICE and law and order:
It’s probably a lost cause trying to explain this to MAGA “legal scholars” who apparently received their law degrees from fake Trump University, but here goes.
Tom Homan (aka the Border Czar) stated unequivocally that ICE does not need probable cause to make an arrest, but simply “reasonable suspicion.” That standard, according to the Czar, could be met by a suspect’s location, occupation, physical appearance, speaking with a foreign accent, or in a language other than English; not necessarily by a reasonable suspicion that any crime had been committed. That’s not how the law works in a functioning democracy.
ICE storm troopers wear masks, are armed to the teeth, and refuse to provide identification. If they produce arrest warrants at all, they are issued by ICE itself and not by a judge. This limits the scope of their authority, yet they have recklessly and illegally made a mockery of those limits. The actions of Homan and ICE are clear violations of the 4th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution regarding racial profiling as well as the 5th and 14th Amendments regarding due process and habeas corpus.
That said, lectures on law and order from a 34X convicted felon and those given by his fawning enablers are not only less than informative, they’re dangerous. They’re nothing more than meek acceptances of a headlong slide into fascism.
First they came for day laborers at Home Depot parking lots
Then they came for farm workers in strawberry fields
Then they came for legal immigrants and U.S. citizens, including veterans
Then they came for education, health care, and Social Security
Then they came for the rights of free speech, freedom of assembly, and a free press
The promise of democracy in the U.S. was then deleted from all history books
And freedom quietly died with no one left to deliver the eulogy
Throughout history, it has always been silence and capitulation that allow dictatorships to emerge and flourish. Defending democracy is not a spectator sport. For those who still believe in the principle of liberty and justice for all, now is the time to step up and make our voices heard.
* Dedicated to Woody Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967)
