If Liberals Keep Focusing on False Narratives Like Judges Being Arrested, They Will be Distracted from Actual Concerning Immigration Policies under the Trump Administration
The Donald Trump administration has resorted to arresting judges who disagree with him and trying to challenge the executive branch. We need to rally up protesters to stop the fascist takeover of government. After all, Adolph Hitler required that judges under the Nazi regime be loyal to the “Fuhrer” and inferior to the power of the state. Hmm, but on a second glance, were the two judges that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested actually breaking the law and not just simply checking the executive branch? The fearmongering that liberals are drumming up is playing into their conspiracy theories that President Trump is set to become a fascist dictator, and although there are parts of this administration’s immigration policies that are dystopian in nature and violate the Constitution, focusing on trivial matters does not help Democrats’ case.
Of course, there is always more to the story, and when liberal content creators present arguments in a propagandistic way by excluding important details, people begin to believe them without critical thought. The irrational hatred of a single man has brought meaning to the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” which has plagued the minds of liberals and progressives who see every aspect of what Trump does as a conspiracy against them and the country.
In the case of the two judges arrested, these judicial magistrates blatantly broke the law and harbored illegal immigrants. These were not arbitrary arrests to weaken the power of the judicial branch, and in fact, one of the judges was not even an active member of the judiciary. New Mexico judge Joel Cano was arrested along with his wife (it clearly had nothing to do with him being a judge) for allegedly housing a Venezuelan illegal immigrant with supposed gang ties. So, Democrats can try all that they would like to paint the picture that the Trump administration is usurping power from the judicial branch, but this case literally had nothing to do with separation of powers or the strengthening of the executive branch. It was purely about two people getting arrested for breaking the law, and one of them happened to be a judge.
The second judge arrested is a little bit more nuanced, but in the end, it is actually very similar. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody for obstructing an immigration investigation involving a Mexican national named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had been deported back in 2013 but illegally came back into the United States and committed three counts of domestic battery against two of his roommates (causing hospitalization). When the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents served an administrative warrant for deportation orders (though this is not as good as a judicial warrant, it is typical for these types of investigations and is no different from what other presidents and their bureaucrats use), she told the agents to talk to the chief judge (even leading them away from the courtroom) and proceeded to sneak Flores-Ruiz through a backdoor (jury door) and out of the courtroom, leading ICE agents on a foot chase that ultimately led to the arrest. It is understandable to request a judicial warrant and to hold ICE agents accountable, but Judge Dugan took it to another place when she escorted the suspect outside of the courtroom, literally impeding an investigation and taking the law into her own hands. She was not arrested because the Trump administration is on a power trip, but rather, it was because she actively attempted to prevent ICE from doing its job under the law. So, it is laughable when liberals and progressives try to compare Trump to Hitler using this as evidence, and in reality, they are defending a judge who shielded a violent man who entered the United States illegally.
The kicker is that the first Trump administration arrested a Massachusetts judge for obstructing a federal immigration investigation, and not only was the arrest of Dugan not unprecedented, but Democrats did not circulate social media posts around the internet during Trump’s first term (at least that I saw) that made the Hitler comparison (why the sudden outrage?). Plus, the Barack Obama administration deported more people than Trump did during his first term and has so far in the second one, and why did liberals not call their beloved president a fascist who was taking away due process rights (there may have been some individuals who called this out, but not partywide like what is happening now)? Those inflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome can continue nitpicking on these types of cases, saying that the president is trying to “chill” judges, and ignore the bigger picture (as I explained last week, for example, the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case has concerning implications for all American citizens), but what critics of the Trump administration should be focusing on is the Department of Justice (DoJ) memo that could potentially allow ICE agents to search private residences under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (another topic that I wrote about recently).
Yes, it appears that the DoJ claims authority to search suspected illegal immigrants’ homes without any type of warrant, and if that is not concerning, you might be too trusting of the government, as who is to say that they cannot search your home by simply believing that you are harboring someone who is to be deported (either by mistake or just because you speak out against the government). In fact, it has already occurred that ICE, assisted by the FBI, raided the home of American citizens in Oklahoma, mistakenly believing that an illegal immigrant, who had moved out of the home already, was still living there. The mother and minor daughter, who were both underdressed, were forced out of the building at gunpoint, and these federal agents seized the family’s savings in cash and stole their phones, despite recognizing that they had raided the wrong home. If this incident does not trouble you, there may not be anything that the Trump administration could do that would make you question the constitutionality of his deeds (until an incident happens to you or someone you know personally).
The memo also suggests that federal agents are permitted to apprehend suspects without a judicial or administrative warrant and only with a “reasonable belief” (a low legal bar) that the person is an illegal immigrant, and not only is this a violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protection from being unreasonably searched or seized without a specific warrant (one describing the name, place, and things that are to be searched or seized), but police could arrest those who happen to have tattoos resembling symbols of Hispanic gang culture (some Venezuelan migrants have even been tied to Tren de Aragua or detained for having autism awareness markings or other innocent tattoos). Furthermore, the memo calls for state and local police to participate in notifying the federal government of illegal immigrants when conducting traffic stops and other daily law enforcement activities, and if not kept in check, this could militarize the police under federal authority.
The Supreme Court had unanimously ruled in Trump v. J.G.G. that the Trump administration was overstepping its authority by denying due process rights under the Alien Enemies Act (which was part of the overall series of laws that Thomas Jefferson opposed under the John Adams administration), and as a result of the ruling, suspected illegal immigrants are permitted to file for habeas corpus petitions in the state of their detention if the Trump administration begins the deportation process. However, more recently, the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked deportations under this 1798 law as the legal process plays out in the upcoming weeks. Will the authoritarian aspects of the Trump administration’s deportation operation get thrown out in court, will the president disregard court orders, or will our country descend further down the authoritarian path? Either way, liberals and progressives need to stop focusing on the unimportant or irrelevant aspects of the Trump administration’s deportation policies and instead highlight the parts that violate the Constitution.
Thank you for reading, and please check out my book, The Global Bully, and website.