Liberty and Justice for All

Republicans shout that they are the “law and order” party. The terrible truth is they are denying due process for far too many.

The constitution is very clear about due process: “…nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Any person means citizen or immigrant, legal or illegal.

The Trump administration is subverting the constitution by using the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. This law stipulates that immigrants in the U.S. may be deported if the secretary of state believes their presence will have serious negative consequences for U.S. foreign policy. So, those poor beet pickers in the farm fields apparently pose such a threat because they are denied due process by the gestapo-like tactics of ICE.

Or, consider the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist at Columbia University. Khalil had the misfortune to be a Muslim and a non-white. He was a lawful permanent resident of the US who had the temerity to protest the tens of thousands of innocent civilian deaths caused by Israel’s military actions in Gaza. That doesn’t make him anti-Semitic. It makes anti-holocaust. There is zero evidence of any connection to terrorist groups. He was arrested, without a warrant, without due process just for speaking the truth. The Trump administration is simply ignoring due process as they fast-track deportations, often without providing a fair hearing and without legal processes associated with deporting people to other countries.

President Trump is taking over the policing of cities without the advice or consent of governors and mayors as the constitution and laws encourage. These are the acts of a dictator, not the acts of a person who gave an oath to “preserve and protect the constitution.”

The party of “law and order”? No.

Don’t fall for the flimsy excuse used by Rubio and Trump… that these people… immigrants or protesters… are existential threat to America and thus can be denied rights.

If the immigrant working in the fields or the activist protesting in the streets or the governor of a state can be used as pawns in this autocratic take-over of democracy, then even citizens like you or me can be denied rights.

The pledge of allegiance ends with “liberty and justice for all”. Not anymore.

Liberties are being denied to the non-white, the Muslim, the immigrant, the protestor. Due process is too often denied just because Trump doesn’t like some group or person.

Be afraid, America. Be very afraid. This is not law and order. It’s denying rights and due process to ALL the people.