Mass deportations defy due process rights

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to deport millions of people on the basis of immigrant criminality and/or illegal entry into the United States. Once in office, Trump authorized the start of mass deportations with great fanfare. However, deportation rates fell far short of the numbers that Trump had projected. A concerted effort to stage various photo-ops ensued.

Ride-alongs with Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan were featured. At great expense, detainees were flown by military cargo planes to Guantanamo. Housing Guantanamo detainees eventually shut down. As a result, the nature of deportations continues to change. A broader net has been cast, generating fear, magnifying intimidation and amplifying aggressive rhetoric. It appears that criminality and illegal entry are no longer the main criteria for apprehension. New targets have emerged: work places, houses of worship, schools, homes, even courts.

We see refugees granted safe haven from Ukraine and Haiti targeted. We see those who dissent by exercising their First Amendment rights targeted. Student visas revoked. Green Card holders endangered. We see interruptions to those in the process of applying for asylum victimized. American citizens have been caught up in the raids. More night flights to a notorious El Salvador prison is still considered a viable option for Trump. A just resolution for Abrego Garcia still has not occurred. How many others are suffering the same fate? Trump’s concerted effort to block due process, defying court orders, leaves all of us vulnerable.

Jane Ann Vaitkunas

Bow