Finally, some hope! Great history lesson from Gabe today regarding the tumultuous times surrounding creation of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Good thing we didn’t have Fox News or social media back then to help tear the country apart. Instead, there was an explosion of democracy-supporting newspapers and protests. And then what happened when the voters had their turn? The democracy and dissent quashers were annihilated in the polls in “one of only three times in U.S. history that a party has flipped control of the House, Senate, and White House in a single cycle.”
Don’t count out the forces for democracy. I think Gabe is wrong about support for Trump’s immigration policy. He did not consider poll questions regarding specific immigration measures Trump has tried. In fact, Americans disapprove of almost every action Trump has taken on immigration, including deporting people whose only crime is being here illegally, removing migrants who have been living and working here for at least ten years, removing people without due process and disobeying court orders. The only action of Trump’s that has major support is deporting undocumented migrants who have committed violent crimes. But even that has been eroding as multiple investigations show that only a small fraction of the deportees had records of violent crimes.
If more courts, law firms, universities and individuals hold strong in the face of this onslaught, we can hang on until the next elections and then exercise our own great power to vote.
If you find this history interesting you might want to read more about the election of 1800. It was a doozy. And it actually was not an explosion of democracy-supporting newspapers and protests. 😉 Instead it was an explosion of extremely partisan newspapers and mudslinging and personal attacks and lies (Adams was called a hermaphrodite and Jefferson was disparaged as an atheist & lots of sexual innuendo) which led to Adams & Jefferson not talking to each other for decades. Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 by John Ferling is a really good read.
I take a lot of comfort and find a lot of hope in learning about the messy parts of history. Especially the understanding that we’ve gone through similar times of tumult and survived (and there was truly no golden age where things worked fairly or without conflict). Realizing that the founding fathers could be incredibly partisan (in many ugly ways) and had differing ideas of what the constitution meant reminds me that we’ve been struggling with these issues from the very beginning of the country.
Lately I’ve been doing dives into understanding the Gilded Age as there seem to be a heck of a lot of parallels to what we are going through. So often we learn the basics of history without fully grasping what it felt like to live through it when you don’t know how it will end. And now we are learning in real time what it feels like to live through a transformational time in our history. Whew.
Yay for hope! What you’re saying makes a lot of sense, Kate. Although in my comment I was just worrying that Trump’s fumble with the economy might make him strategize even more immigration drama to shore up his base support. You’re right that people hate his immigration policies when you describe them, but that’s a familiar phenomenon, like 2nd amendment advocates being broadly supportive of gun control policies when you break them down beyond just calling it “gun control” — it’s perhaps going to be difficult to persuade voters that what they are getting from the president on immigration is worth changing their support for him over it, unless it gets to a point where they cannot confuse what they see happening for what they voted for.
But like you were saying, that’s where the forces of democracy come in! People having conversations and dismantling the narratives that the government propaganda is trying to build. I am also hopeful that we can all see through it if we continue to demonstrate in big and small ways.
I hadn't read your comment. He can try to double down on immigration excesses, I suppose, but I would guess that most, if not all, non-MAGA voters, voted in favor of the campaign promise to deport violent criminals, not for what is happening now. The evidence for that is showing up in the polls. And the way this administration is executing its immigration policy has been a complete disaster, earning rebukes from courts at the lowest and highest levels, inviting scores of lawsuits and putting forward in the media the faces of Phd students, hair dressers and family men, not violent criminals. In spite of everything - Biden's late handoff to Harris, inflation blame and the photo-op-ready assassination attempt - the 2024 election was actually very close, with, as we all know, more people voting for someone other than Trump than for him. Considering the very thin majorities in both houses of Congress as well, not to mention the wholesale dismantling of government services and the horrible self-inflicted economic damage, I'd say we voters are in prime position to do some "damage" of our own in the upcoming statewide elections and next year's midterms.
That is sooooo interesting about the Act that survived having bipartisan support and also being the only one that required all three branches of government. That makes my lil checks and balances heart happy. Too bad unitary executive theory flies in the face of that idea…
I found this fascinating, too! It’s amazing how twisted the application of this Act has been to fit Trump’s narrative and agenda. Fingers crossed SCOTUS uses their supposed “originalist” stance rather than leaning into their unitary executive bulls***.
Good history lesson. The parallels are striking. For those who approve of Trump on immigration: The degree to which immigration is a serious problem requiring immediate solution is a worthy political debate and people of goodwill can disagree. What is UNACCEPTABLE is the LACK OF DUE PROCESS in the administration’s approach. No thoughtful person who claims to love liberty and the constitution should be sitting still for deportation without due process. And now he’s talking about deporting citizens . . .
Such a great read! Here's my thought about this part, "Now, it is less evident that Trump will pay a political price for his use of an Alien and Sedition Act. Trump’s immigration policies remain the most popular part of his agenda: while his policies to address inflation are 16 points underwater with voters, his immigration polices are four points more approved than disapproved, according to an average compiled by pollster Adam Carlson."
This is the case because people are highly uneducated about immigration and the impact of immigrants on our country. In short order, more people are going to find people they love hauled off without due process (because he's been lying about the numbers all along)... They are going to pay higher prices for food because of the loss of immigrant labor... Their children are going to be asked to work overnights doing labor once done by immigrants (here in my state of Florida)... Violent crime will persist (if not increase as it typically does when the economy is bad)... The list goes on and on.
People have been *wrongly* led to believe that their suffering is because of immigrants, so they support Trump's immigration policy. His rhetoric doesn't change the fact that immigrants are GOOD for our country. He is LYING about the harm they cause. We need immigrants just as much as they need us. Immigration is a win win!!! And we should make it so much easier.
I am disgusted that people who support his immigration policy will believe his lies until they feel personal pain from them, but alas...this is our reality. People change because of education/information OR pain. And far too many in our country refuse the former and insist upon the ladder.
Thank you for the article, Sharon. Even if it is proven that the administration is in criminal contempt I can’t see any punishment being successfully given. This whole fiasco is very frustrating.
Thank you for publishing this guest column. I love to see how what is happening today reflects things that have happened before. There is truly nothing new under the sun.
Thank you for the historical context, Gabe! I hadn’t heard of this incident. When I read "National Day of Humiliation" at first I thought April 2nd 2025 was also a good analogy, but then I realized that Adams probably meant "humility" which... I don't think there's been a single day of humility under a Trump administration.
What strikes me most is how we keep recycling the same fears - foreign influence, immigrant voting blocs, and partisan media supposedly threatening democracy. The Federalists worried about Democratic-Republicans siding with France; now we have similar anxieties about foreign sympathies. Some things never change, I guess.
Your piece also highlights how different our political consequences are now. While the Acts helped destroy the Federalist Party for decades, Trump's immigration stance seemingly helps rather than hurts him politically. Makes you wonder what that says about our current moment versus theirs. Do Americans tend to hate immigrants that much more as time separates them from their own ancestral connection to immigrants? Are we more accepting of executive overreach? Or just more polarized and entrenched in our views no matter the topic?
My take: immigration and the economy have very different relationships to the voter. In today’s political environment, Trump is going to need to double down on his immigration rhetoric to save his standing with disaffected voters in his base that feel betrayed economically. But that’s such a scary thought.
Either way, it's sobering to see how these cycles of power, fear, and resistance keep repeating in American politics.
I think racism of multiple types is simply a huge part of the American experience, unfortunately. Those ideas get recycled for a reason - they work given how deeply entrenched they our in our history. We always found a group to blame for all of society's ills - the Italians, the Irish, the Mexicans, depending on the generation. It doesn't matter who they are. If America has a problem, the most notable immigrants are to blame. Then don't get me started on the blame we placed on black people that we forced here in the first place...
Add onto that our polarization, our lack of critical thinking and education, our obsession with us vs them sports. It goes on and on. All of those things make it the most natural thing in the world to pick a skin color and lay all blame on "them."
Which to me suggests: maybe the best way out of this is to solve our society's ills. If there's not a problem, there won't be the compulsion to find somebody to blame. Bernie understands this. Other countries are learning this. The happier our existence, the less need to demonize others.
For those interested, Gabe posted another article on his page after this one. It is very informative. The title is "25 Facts About Kilmar Abrego Garcia."
What a fascinating read. I never learned (or figured out for myself) the details of how the Alien Enemies Act came about and came to stay. Pleasantly surprised to learn that it stayed due to the presence of checks and balances built-in. Wow.
I wish there are open history and civics classes or story times 😅 out in parks and plazas, that people can see and join and stay for. I wish people didn't have to first self-select to join Sharon's excellent platform to even come across these topics.
1) Gabe forgot to call them by the correct term: illegal immigrants.
2) we would never be able to enter Italy illegally, remove citizens out of their apartments (as Venezuela gang members did in Denver) and then demand their taxpayers pay for court hearings- we would be removed from the country...please help me understand why Americans would want these gang members (wife beaters) back? Why is Trump barbaric for getting these gang members off your streets and out of your country, but the gang members are not???
3) Perhaps the administration could ask Judge Boasberg to host these gang members in his home, or next door to his daughter, while they await hearings, since he obviously cares so much. The comments so far lead me to believe that none of you live near Aurora, CO...it was so scary. Sharon reminds us: no one, no party, deserves blind allegiance. And Armchair Expert: "we should have enough allegiance to the country and to the Constitution to be willing to acknowledge when somebody who belongs to a party that we do not vote for, when they have a good idea. We should have enough humility to be able to be like, you know what, I didn't vote for you, but I think that's a good idea."
Why would ignoring due process be a "good idea"? This is treading really close to the reasoning that "Bad things aren't bad if they happen to bad people" which, IMO, is really not a road we want ourselves or our government to continue going down...
Court hearings determine whether a person broke the law. If we do not allow for due process (i.e. court hearings), then we run the risk of punishing entirely innocent people. No one on this message board would be for keeping dangerous people on the streets. What we ARE for is making damn sure the people being put into prisons are actually criminally charged in a court of law.
My husband has a Hispanic background and tattoos. If someone anonymously submitted his name to ICE claiming gang affiliation, is that alone enough support to ship him off to a foreign prison indefinitely? It sure as hell shouldn't be.
I agree with all you're saying...but only concerning American Citizens and those who have gone through Due Process or have been granted legal status. I'm just not sure where it says we need to protect the rights of those who already usurped the 'due process' of coming here legally. Do they have the same rights and protections? Are they protected under the Constitution?
"The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Supreme Court has held that this protection extends to all natural persons (i.e., human beings), regardless of race, color, or citizenship." (https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/)
I think you might be confused about what due process means. Due process is referring to the legal right that all people within our borders have to engage in the legal system if they are accused of a crime. In regards to the immigration process, that is the actual way someone goes about entering and possibly staying in this country. Regardless of how someone enters this country, if they are accused of a crime that occurs within our borders, they are granted due process to engage with the legal system (have their day in court). Our government does not have the legal right to just lock them up in a foreign country (which is outside of our legal system) merely because they came here illegally. Aside from that, being here illegally is a civil misdemeanor, not a criminal offense.
How does someone prove their citizenship/legal status without due process? Are you proposing we should all carry our papers with us at all times to ensure the government can't sweep us off the street and send us to an El Salvadoran prison?
Hey Melissa :) At risk of repeating the comments above, the larger problem is a LACK OF DUE PROCESS regarding the deportations. Because if there’s no due process, there’s nothing preventing ICE from showing up at your house claiming there’s something invalid with YOUR citizenship and they’re sending you back to Canada… without due process, you would not have a chance to prove that you are in the US legally! Do you see that is the larger issue?
Hey friend! :) I understand what you're saying and certainly would not want that to happen to me.
Many illegals are actually leaving of their own free will, or are being deported to Mexico as free people, not jailed, so nobody seems concerned there about due process.
So the ones considered dangerous criminals/ terrorist gangs are the ones it seems everyone is suddenly concerned about their right to due process! "Due Process" sounds like a fair, American and compassionate thing to say right now...but I have some questions.
-should those who ignored the DUE PROCESS of entering our country legally, be afforded the right to due process, now- when they're caught?
-do citizens of other countries have the same rights as Americans, or those who have gone through the DUE PROCESS to live here legally? (Genuinely asking if there are laws in the USA that specifically protect and give rights to those who enter the country illegally)
As I mentioned below: Due Process is a legal obligation of the government, not individuals, and it's not really conditional in the way that you're expressing. You might find this history of the suspension of Due Process/the Writ of Habeas Corpus interesting: https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763
"The Court seems to have resolved this dispute in Boumediene v. Bush (2008), where it held that the Clause does not simply restrain Congress’s ability to suspend existing habeas statutes but affirmatively guarantees prisoners some forum in which they can challenge the legality of their detention. Also in Boumediene, the Court decided—to much controversy—that habeas jurisdiction extends to prisoners detained outside the United States at Guantanamo Bay."
Italy's constitution and the US constitution are different, no? As are their immigration policies. Congress has the ultimate ability to change immigration law here. Would be great to see them clear things up and provide a better way forward. They have really been asleep at wheel on immigration (other than using it for campaigning) for years now.
Even if this weren't a point that is counter to the very backbone of this country, you'll need to take a look at the fact that many of the immigrants being harassed and deported are absolutely here legally. It's like you going to Italy with a lawfully obtained visa, getting arrested for no apparent reason, and then not just kicked out of Italy, but sent to a completely different country other than both Italy and the US. Worse, you get put into a prison after having committed no crime and risk not only the common issues of being in prison, but torture because it's a common, documents occurrence in that prison.
I agree with your overall sentiment, Melissa. I live in Maryland just outside of D.C., where these gangs have a very significant and concerning presence. When I first moved to Maryland from the Midwest, I was relatively low-income and settled into an apartment complex in a densely populated area of Montgomery County, located near a shopping mall and an elementary school(!). Over time, I came to realize that the complex was home to a large immigrant population—some legal, some undocumented—including a likely presence of MS-13 gang members. Eventually, in an effort to control crime, police patrols in the area became routine. One evening, I was approached by an officer who advised me not to walk my dog after dark due to the risk posed by gang activity. I also witnessed what I believe was a gang initiation in the courtyard right outside my apartment: two individuals violently assaulted a third person for several seconds before laughing and embracing.
With that said, I don't think it's necessary to test the limits of due process here. Take Kilmar Abrego Garcia—rather than sidestepping legal norms, the Trump administration could simply bring him back, give him his due process, and he’d likely be removed anyway. Then, the Democrats can bury themselves trying to defend these types of cases. It’s also very telling that Democrats couldn’t stand and applaud Laken Riley’s family at the SOTU, yet they can travel to El Salvador to advocate for the return of illegal immigrants to the U.S. This is a winning issue for the Trump administration—but they're creating unnecessary negative attention with the way they're handling it.
You make a good point that, beyond the popularity (or not) of their policies, it's the administration's methods of implementation that are causing most of the commotion. The President has a majority, albeit a slim one, in both houses but he's ruling via EOs and emergency powers. I live in Maine, so that's another obvious example: President Trump has decided to interpret Title IX in a novel way and wants state governments to comply with the new guidelines; in some states (like ours) this novel interpretation of an established federal law conflicts with an existing state law, and since it's not clear how the supremacy clause would apply in this case, or if the President's interpretation will hold up, it needs to be tested in the court system which is what's currently happening. The courts may rule in favor of Trump's interpretation, or they may not. But rather than waiting for that to play out, the administration is blocking every bit of funding that they can from our state, from schools to agriculture to prisons (plus a brief kerfuffle when the acting head of the SSA tried to change the rules just for our state because our governor was not "cordial" with the President). It's just petty and vindictive, and so VERY unnecessary. Democratic governance is incremental and deliberate for a reason, but it seems like that's being seen as too slow and burdensome on his agenda, so he's trying an end run around it.
I agree that the democratic process is meant to be slow by design. That deliberative pace is intended to prevent hasty decisions and ensure accountability. Still, there are times when the red tape and regulations become excessive. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in Ezra Klein’s recent explanation of the challenges involved in securing Build Back Better government grants. I can understand the temptation to push things through quickly rather than navigate a seemingly endless maze of bureaucracy—but so far, I haven’t seen a situation during this administration where that kind of urgency has been truly justified. Personally, I see the potential in Trump’s agenda, but it’s being derailed by self-inflicted setbacks.
It's a bit baffling, because they're essentially laying ground for a precedent that will give subsequent Presidents even more power to bypass the Legislative branch, which NO ONE should want (no matter your party).
The Dems decision to not applaud anything Trump said at the SOTU was poorly thought out and bad optics. Add it to the list of missteps Dem politicians keep making. That said, I can't imagine many liberals/Dems would spend much time defending people like Abrego Garcia if he had simply been deported. The due process concern IS the point - not the individual who got deported. Had Trump followed precedent and due process for legal deportation, none of this conversation would even be happening.
Appreciate your thoughts! Genuinely curious what you thought about the President of El Salvador sharing that 'he certainly can't return a citizen of El Salvador back to the US. In essence 'smuggle' him back into the country.'
Hey girl! THAT is an excellent summary/article and I hope that so many people read it! It certainly makes one wonder why the administration isn’t bringing Abrego back to cleanly (try to) deport him to another country!? Or why that Democrat is down there trying to bring him ‘home’ when he’ll only be deported again??! Gabe does show though, that there’s been a lot of communication and opportunity for due process between those ICE agents and his lawyers. It shows that judges throughout and the ICE personnel have taken much information regarding this illegal into consideration.
This argument is about due process, it is as simple as that. Melissa, are you comfortable with Donald Trump or Stephen Miller deciding who is guilty and who is innocent? How did they make these determinations? This is not about trying to defend criminal behavior, it's about upholding our Constitution and not allowing this precedent to be set.
Doesn't it seem weird that suddenly some Americans (Democrats) are concerned about due process for criminal gang/terrorist members who entered the US illegally? - should those who ignored the DUE PROCESS of entering our country legally, be afforded the right to due process suddenly?
What does the Constitution say about protecting those who enter the country illegally - jumping over the 'due process'? (Genuinely asking)
And yes, I'm comfortable with ICE doing their homework and finding the criminals. And I'm sure you'll bring up Abrego Garcia, but I'm not convinced the truth of it all has been revealed. As Sharon would say - the truth usually takes time to be revealed.
My dear friend Allyson shared this with me above- it’s such a great summary and shows there was actually a lot of communication and knowledge before this decision to deport…
Italy actually had an issue with the way it carried out an immigration case. Amanda Knox was studying abroad in Italy when she was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate I believe. She was sent to prison and the US had to work to get her released. Also just bc another countries immigration system works different than ours doesn’t mean we can just ignore the system. Many countries give all citizens universal healthcare, but I can’t tell my insurance provider I’m not paying bc in those countries I wouldn’t have to.
There is not one thing that trump has or will do, that would surprise me. He is not intelligent, he’s lost his money, declared bankruptcy multiple times, is a felon, and I’m pretty sure most of the buildings with his name on them aren’t owned by him. The difference is that this time he’s surrounded by people who have an evil ulterior motive for this country and they are smart and know he is not, so he’s easily manipulated. We need to stay vigilant, engaged and focused. All of this unconstitutional behavior needs to be called out over and over again. The best way out of this mess is a blue landslide in the midterms. Keep the pressure up. He hates to be humiliated and it’s just so easy to do.
Finally, some hope! Great history lesson from Gabe today regarding the tumultuous times surrounding creation of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Good thing we didn’t have Fox News or social media back then to help tear the country apart. Instead, there was an explosion of democracy-supporting newspapers and protests. And then what happened when the voters had their turn? The democracy and dissent quashers were annihilated in the polls in “one of only three times in U.S. history that a party has flipped control of the House, Senate, and White House in a single cycle.”
Don’t count out the forces for democracy. I think Gabe is wrong about support for Trump’s immigration policy. He did not consider poll questions regarding specific immigration measures Trump has tried. In fact, Americans disapprove of almost every action Trump has taken on immigration, including deporting people whose only crime is being here illegally, removing migrants who have been living and working here for at least ten years, removing people without due process and disobeying court orders. The only action of Trump’s that has major support is deporting undocumented migrants who have committed violent crimes. But even that has been eroding as multiple investigations show that only a small fraction of the deportees had records of violent crimes.
If more courts, law firms, universities and individuals hold strong in the face of this onslaught, we can hang on until the next elections and then exercise our own great power to vote.
If you find this history interesting you might want to read more about the election of 1800. It was a doozy. And it actually was not an explosion of democracy-supporting newspapers and protests. 😉 Instead it was an explosion of extremely partisan newspapers and mudslinging and personal attacks and lies (Adams was called a hermaphrodite and Jefferson was disparaged as an atheist & lots of sexual innuendo) which led to Adams & Jefferson not talking to each other for decades. Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 by John Ferling is a really good read.
I take a lot of comfort and find a lot of hope in learning about the messy parts of history. Especially the understanding that we’ve gone through similar times of tumult and survived (and there was truly no golden age where things worked fairly or without conflict). Realizing that the founding fathers could be incredibly partisan (in many ugly ways) and had differing ideas of what the constitution meant reminds me that we’ve been struggling with these issues from the very beginning of the country.
Lately I’ve been doing dives into understanding the Gilded Age as there seem to be a heck of a lot of parallels to what we are going through. So often we learn the basics of history without fully grasping what it felt like to live through it when you don’t know how it will end. And now we are learning in real time what it feels like to live through a transformational time in our history. Whew.
Thank you for the book recommendation – I’m going to check it out!
Yay for hope! What you’re saying makes a lot of sense, Kate. Although in my comment I was just worrying that Trump’s fumble with the economy might make him strategize even more immigration drama to shore up his base support. You’re right that people hate his immigration policies when you describe them, but that’s a familiar phenomenon, like 2nd amendment advocates being broadly supportive of gun control policies when you break them down beyond just calling it “gun control” — it’s perhaps going to be difficult to persuade voters that what they are getting from the president on immigration is worth changing their support for him over it, unless it gets to a point where they cannot confuse what they see happening for what they voted for.
But like you were saying, that’s where the forces of democracy come in! People having conversations and dismantling the narratives that the government propaganda is trying to build. I am also hopeful that we can all see through it if we continue to demonstrate in big and small ways.
I hadn't read your comment. He can try to double down on immigration excesses, I suppose, but I would guess that most, if not all, non-MAGA voters, voted in favor of the campaign promise to deport violent criminals, not for what is happening now. The evidence for that is showing up in the polls. And the way this administration is executing its immigration policy has been a complete disaster, earning rebukes from courts at the lowest and highest levels, inviting scores of lawsuits and putting forward in the media the faces of Phd students, hair dressers and family men, not violent criminals. In spite of everything - Biden's late handoff to Harris, inflation blame and the photo-op-ready assassination attempt - the 2024 election was actually very close, with, as we all know, more people voting for someone other than Trump than for him. Considering the very thin majorities in both houses of Congress as well, not to mention the wholesale dismantling of government services and the horrible self-inflicted economic damage, I'd say we voters are in prime position to do some "damage" of our own in the upcoming statewide elections and next year's midterms.
That is sooooo interesting about the Act that survived having bipartisan support and also being the only one that required all three branches of government. That makes my lil checks and balances heart happy. Too bad unitary executive theory flies in the face of that idea…
I found this fascinating, too! It’s amazing how twisted the application of this Act has been to fit Trump’s narrative and agenda. Fingers crossed SCOTUS uses their supposed “originalist” stance rather than leaning into their unitary executive bulls***.
Good history lesson. The parallels are striking. For those who approve of Trump on immigration: The degree to which immigration is a serious problem requiring immediate solution is a worthy political debate and people of goodwill can disagree. What is UNACCEPTABLE is the LACK OF DUE PROCESS in the administration’s approach. No thoughtful person who claims to love liberty and the constitution should be sitting still for deportation without due process. And now he’s talking about deporting citizens . . .
Such a great read! Here's my thought about this part, "Now, it is less evident that Trump will pay a political price for his use of an Alien and Sedition Act. Trump’s immigration policies remain the most popular part of his agenda: while his policies to address inflation are 16 points underwater with voters, his immigration polices are four points more approved than disapproved, according to an average compiled by pollster Adam Carlson."
This is the case because people are highly uneducated about immigration and the impact of immigrants on our country. In short order, more people are going to find people they love hauled off without due process (because he's been lying about the numbers all along)... They are going to pay higher prices for food because of the loss of immigrant labor... Their children are going to be asked to work overnights doing labor once done by immigrants (here in my state of Florida)... Violent crime will persist (if not increase as it typically does when the economy is bad)... The list goes on and on.
People have been *wrongly* led to believe that their suffering is because of immigrants, so they support Trump's immigration policy. His rhetoric doesn't change the fact that immigrants are GOOD for our country. He is LYING about the harm they cause. We need immigrants just as much as they need us. Immigration is a win win!!! And we should make it so much easier.
I am disgusted that people who support his immigration policy will believe his lies until they feel personal pain from them, but alas...this is our reality. People change because of education/information OR pain. And far too many in our country refuse the former and insist upon the ladder.
Thank you for the article, Sharon. Even if it is proven that the administration is in criminal contempt I can’t see any punishment being successfully given. This whole fiasco is very frustrating.
Thank you for publishing this guest column. I love to see how what is happening today reflects things that have happened before. There is truly nothing new under the sun.
Thank you for that explanation. Very helpful to try and understand why the heck Trump is trying to pull off such a barbaric thing 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for the historical context, Gabe! I hadn’t heard of this incident. When I read "National Day of Humiliation" at first I thought April 2nd 2025 was also a good analogy, but then I realized that Adams probably meant "humility" which... I don't think there's been a single day of humility under a Trump administration.
What strikes me most is how we keep recycling the same fears - foreign influence, immigrant voting blocs, and partisan media supposedly threatening democracy. The Federalists worried about Democratic-Republicans siding with France; now we have similar anxieties about foreign sympathies. Some things never change, I guess.
Your piece also highlights how different our political consequences are now. While the Acts helped destroy the Federalist Party for decades, Trump's immigration stance seemingly helps rather than hurts him politically. Makes you wonder what that says about our current moment versus theirs. Do Americans tend to hate immigrants that much more as time separates them from their own ancestral connection to immigrants? Are we more accepting of executive overreach? Or just more polarized and entrenched in our views no matter the topic?
My take: immigration and the economy have very different relationships to the voter. In today’s political environment, Trump is going to need to double down on his immigration rhetoric to save his standing with disaffected voters in his base that feel betrayed economically. But that’s such a scary thought.
Either way, it's sobering to see how these cycles of power, fear, and resistance keep repeating in American politics.
I think racism of multiple types is simply a huge part of the American experience, unfortunately. Those ideas get recycled for a reason - they work given how deeply entrenched they our in our history. We always found a group to blame for all of society's ills - the Italians, the Irish, the Mexicans, depending on the generation. It doesn't matter who they are. If America has a problem, the most notable immigrants are to blame. Then don't get me started on the blame we placed on black people that we forced here in the first place...
Add onto that our polarization, our lack of critical thinking and education, our obsession with us vs them sports. It goes on and on. All of those things make it the most natural thing in the world to pick a skin color and lay all blame on "them."
Which to me suggests: maybe the best way out of this is to solve our society's ills. If there's not a problem, there won't be the compulsion to find somebody to blame. Bernie understands this. Other countries are learning this. The happier our existence, the less need to demonize others.
For those interested, Gabe posted another article on his page after this one. It is very informative. The title is "25 Facts About Kilmar Abrego Garcia."
Yes, it's a very good overview of the narrative and constitutional messiness being spun: https://www.wakeuptopolitics.com/p/25-facts-about-kilmar-abrego-garcia
Thank you for sharing the link, I didn't think of that!
Thank you! Sharon, I appreciate all you do to educate and bring attention to our history! I hope your day is beautiful!
Thank you, Gabe, this was excellent and I learned much from your piece.
What a fascinating read. I never learned (or figured out for myself) the details of how the Alien Enemies Act came about and came to stay. Pleasantly surprised to learn that it stayed due to the presence of checks and balances built-in. Wow.
I wish there are open history and civics classes or story times 😅 out in parks and plazas, that people can see and join and stay for. I wish people didn't have to first self-select to join Sharon's excellent platform to even come across these topics.
1) Gabe forgot to call them by the correct term: illegal immigrants.
2) we would never be able to enter Italy illegally, remove citizens out of their apartments (as Venezuela gang members did in Denver) and then demand their taxpayers pay for court hearings- we would be removed from the country...please help me understand why Americans would want these gang members (wife beaters) back? Why is Trump barbaric for getting these gang members off your streets and out of your country, but the gang members are not???
3) Perhaps the administration could ask Judge Boasberg to host these gang members in his home, or next door to his daughter, while they await hearings, since he obviously cares so much. The comments so far lead me to believe that none of you live near Aurora, CO...it was so scary. Sharon reminds us: no one, no party, deserves blind allegiance. And Armchair Expert: "we should have enough allegiance to the country and to the Constitution to be willing to acknowledge when somebody who belongs to a party that we do not vote for, when they have a good idea. We should have enough humility to be able to be like, you know what, I didn't vote for you, but I think that's a good idea."
Why would ignoring due process be a "good idea"? This is treading really close to the reasoning that "Bad things aren't bad if they happen to bad people" which, IMO, is really not a road we want ourselves or our government to continue going down...
Court hearings determine whether a person broke the law. If we do not allow for due process (i.e. court hearings), then we run the risk of punishing entirely innocent people. No one on this message board would be for keeping dangerous people on the streets. What we ARE for is making damn sure the people being put into prisons are actually criminally charged in a court of law.
My husband has a Hispanic background and tattoos. If someone anonymously submitted his name to ICE claiming gang affiliation, is that alone enough support to ship him off to a foreign prison indefinitely? It sure as hell shouldn't be.
I agree with all you're saying...but only concerning American Citizens and those who have gone through Due Process or have been granted legal status. I'm just not sure where it says we need to protect the rights of those who already usurped the 'due process' of coming here legally. Do they have the same rights and protections? Are they protected under the Constitution?
"The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Supreme Court has held that this protection extends to all natural persons (i.e., human beings), regardless of race, color, or citizenship." (https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/)
I think you might be confused about what due process means. Due process is referring to the legal right that all people within our borders have to engage in the legal system if they are accused of a crime. In regards to the immigration process, that is the actual way someone goes about entering and possibly staying in this country. Regardless of how someone enters this country, if they are accused of a crime that occurs within our borders, they are granted due process to engage with the legal system (have their day in court). Our government does not have the legal right to just lock them up in a foreign country (which is outside of our legal system) merely because they came here illegally. Aside from that, being here illegally is a civil misdemeanor, not a criminal offense.
How does someone prove their citizenship/legal status without due process? Are you proposing we should all carry our papers with us at all times to ensure the government can't sweep us off the street and send us to an El Salvadoran prison?
Hey Melissa :) At risk of repeating the comments above, the larger problem is a LACK OF DUE PROCESS regarding the deportations. Because if there’s no due process, there’s nothing preventing ICE from showing up at your house claiming there’s something invalid with YOUR citizenship and they’re sending you back to Canada… without due process, you would not have a chance to prove that you are in the US legally! Do you see that is the larger issue?
Hey friend! :) I understand what you're saying and certainly would not want that to happen to me.
Many illegals are actually leaving of their own free will, or are being deported to Mexico as free people, not jailed, so nobody seems concerned there about due process.
So the ones considered dangerous criminals/ terrorist gangs are the ones it seems everyone is suddenly concerned about their right to due process! "Due Process" sounds like a fair, American and compassionate thing to say right now...but I have some questions.
-should those who ignored the DUE PROCESS of entering our country legally, be afforded the right to due process, now- when they're caught?
-do citizens of other countries have the same rights as Americans, or those who have gone through the DUE PROCESS to live here legally? (Genuinely asking if there are laws in the USA that specifically protect and give rights to those who enter the country illegally)
As I mentioned below: Due Process is a legal obligation of the government, not individuals, and it's not really conditional in the way that you're expressing. You might find this history of the suspension of Due Process/the Writ of Habeas Corpus interesting: https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763
"The Court seems to have resolved this dispute in Boumediene v. Bush (2008), where it held that the Clause does not simply restrain Congress’s ability to suspend existing habeas statutes but affirmatively guarantees prisoners some forum in which they can challenge the legality of their detention. Also in Boumediene, the Court decided—to much controversy—that habeas jurisdiction extends to prisoners detained outside the United States at Guantanamo Bay."
Italy's constitution and the US constitution are different, no? As are their immigration policies. Congress has the ultimate ability to change immigration law here. Would be great to see them clear things up and provide a better way forward. They have really been asleep at wheel on immigration (other than using it for campaigning) for years now.
Even if this weren't a point that is counter to the very backbone of this country, you'll need to take a look at the fact that many of the immigrants being harassed and deported are absolutely here legally. It's like you going to Italy with a lawfully obtained visa, getting arrested for no apparent reason, and then not just kicked out of Italy, but sent to a completely different country other than both Italy and the US. Worse, you get put into a prison after having committed no crime and risk not only the common issues of being in prison, but torture because it's a common, documents occurrence in that prison.
I agree with your overall sentiment, Melissa. I live in Maryland just outside of D.C., where these gangs have a very significant and concerning presence. When I first moved to Maryland from the Midwest, I was relatively low-income and settled into an apartment complex in a densely populated area of Montgomery County, located near a shopping mall and an elementary school(!). Over time, I came to realize that the complex was home to a large immigrant population—some legal, some undocumented—including a likely presence of MS-13 gang members. Eventually, in an effort to control crime, police patrols in the area became routine. One evening, I was approached by an officer who advised me not to walk my dog after dark due to the risk posed by gang activity. I also witnessed what I believe was a gang initiation in the courtyard right outside my apartment: two individuals violently assaulted a third person for several seconds before laughing and embracing.
With that said, I don't think it's necessary to test the limits of due process here. Take Kilmar Abrego Garcia—rather than sidestepping legal norms, the Trump administration could simply bring him back, give him his due process, and he’d likely be removed anyway. Then, the Democrats can bury themselves trying to defend these types of cases. It’s also very telling that Democrats couldn’t stand and applaud Laken Riley’s family at the SOTU, yet they can travel to El Salvador to advocate for the return of illegal immigrants to the U.S. This is a winning issue for the Trump administration—but they're creating unnecessary negative attention with the way they're handling it.
You make a good point that, beyond the popularity (or not) of their policies, it's the administration's methods of implementation that are causing most of the commotion. The President has a majority, albeit a slim one, in both houses but he's ruling via EOs and emergency powers. I live in Maine, so that's another obvious example: President Trump has decided to interpret Title IX in a novel way and wants state governments to comply with the new guidelines; in some states (like ours) this novel interpretation of an established federal law conflicts with an existing state law, and since it's not clear how the supremacy clause would apply in this case, or if the President's interpretation will hold up, it needs to be tested in the court system which is what's currently happening. The courts may rule in favor of Trump's interpretation, or they may not. But rather than waiting for that to play out, the administration is blocking every bit of funding that they can from our state, from schools to agriculture to prisons (plus a brief kerfuffle when the acting head of the SSA tried to change the rules just for our state because our governor was not "cordial" with the President). It's just petty and vindictive, and so VERY unnecessary. Democratic governance is incremental and deliberate for a reason, but it seems like that's being seen as too slow and burdensome on his agenda, so he's trying an end run around it.
I agree that the democratic process is meant to be slow by design. That deliberative pace is intended to prevent hasty decisions and ensure accountability. Still, there are times when the red tape and regulations become excessive. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in Ezra Klein’s recent explanation of the challenges involved in securing Build Back Better government grants. I can understand the temptation to push things through quickly rather than navigate a seemingly endless maze of bureaucracy—but so far, I haven’t seen a situation during this administration where that kind of urgency has been truly justified. Personally, I see the potential in Trump’s agenda, but it’s being derailed by self-inflicted setbacks.
I am very curious why the Republican congress is not pushing more things through - to make the changes actually stick!
It's a bit baffling, because they're essentially laying ground for a precedent that will give subsequent Presidents even more power to bypass the Legislative branch, which NO ONE should want (no matter your party).
The Dems decision to not applaud anything Trump said at the SOTU was poorly thought out and bad optics. Add it to the list of missteps Dem politicians keep making. That said, I can't imagine many liberals/Dems would spend much time defending people like Abrego Garcia if he had simply been deported. The due process concern IS the point - not the individual who got deported. Had Trump followed precedent and due process for legal deportation, none of this conversation would even be happening.
Appreciate your thoughts! Genuinely curious what you thought about the President of El Salvador sharing that 'he certainly can't return a citizen of El Salvador back to the US. In essence 'smuggle' him back into the country.'
Hey Mel, I don’t have an answer to that question, but Gabe wrote this article that explains the facts and complexity of this case in an easy-to-understand way: https://www.wakeuptopolitics.com/p/25-facts-about-kilmar-abrego-garcia?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hey girl! THAT is an excellent summary/article and I hope that so many people read it! It certainly makes one wonder why the administration isn’t bringing Abrego back to cleanly (try to) deport him to another country!? Or why that Democrat is down there trying to bring him ‘home’ when he’ll only be deported again??! Gabe does show though, that there’s been a lot of communication and opportunity for due process between those ICE agents and his lawyers. It shows that judges throughout and the ICE personnel have taken much information regarding this illegal into consideration.
This argument is about due process, it is as simple as that. Melissa, are you comfortable with Donald Trump or Stephen Miller deciding who is guilty and who is innocent? How did they make these determinations? This is not about trying to defend criminal behavior, it's about upholding our Constitution and not allowing this precedent to be set.
Doesn't it seem weird that suddenly some Americans (Democrats) are concerned about due process for criminal gang/terrorist members who entered the US illegally? - should those who ignored the DUE PROCESS of entering our country legally, be afforded the right to due process suddenly?
What does the Constitution say about protecting those who enter the country illegally - jumping over the 'due process'? (Genuinely asking)
And yes, I'm comfortable with ICE doing their homework and finding the criminals. And I'm sure you'll bring up Abrego Garcia, but I'm not convinced the truth of it all has been revealed. As Sharon would say - the truth usually takes time to be revealed.
It's not just Democrats who are concerned, by a long shot, but let's set that aside...
Due Process is a legal obligation of the government, not individuals.
And Gabe brilliantly shows it’s actually not ‘as simple as that’
My dear friend Allyson shared this with me above- it’s such a great summary and shows there was actually a lot of communication and knowledge before this decision to deport…
https://www.wakeuptopolitics.com/p/25-facts-about-kilmar-abrego-garcia?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Italy actually had an issue with the way it carried out an immigration case. Amanda Knox was studying abroad in Italy when she was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate I believe. She was sent to prison and the US had to work to get her released. Also just bc another countries immigration system works different than ours doesn’t mean we can just ignore the system. Many countries give all citizens universal healthcare, but I can’t tell my insurance provider I’m not paying bc in those countries I wouldn’t have to.
You gotta live history. Thanks for a great article.
There is not one thing that trump has or will do, that would surprise me. He is not intelligent, he’s lost his money, declared bankruptcy multiple times, is a felon, and I’m pretty sure most of the buildings with his name on them aren’t owned by him. The difference is that this time he’s surrounded by people who have an evil ulterior motive for this country and they are smart and know he is not, so he’s easily manipulated. We need to stay vigilant, engaged and focused. All of this unconstitutional behavior needs to be called out over and over again. The best way out of this mess is a blue landslide in the midterms. Keep the pressure up. He hates to be humiliated and it’s just so easy to do.