This is a very high risk event. It would be naive to believe that ICE will let this protest occur without their intervention. There is nothing the trump-musk regime likes more than a t.v. spectacle and this would be the perfect event. Additionally, I would put no faith in the Dallas police, local FBI or any other law enforcement to keep their word.
We are now living under a techno authoritarian regime and there is nothing they like more than showing brute force.
Attendees should be aware of the power and precision of facial-recognition technology that can pick individuals out of a crowd. Face-matching, if they use it, can result in abusive arrests.
Excellent, Jennifer, and helpful. There are other approaches to potentially defy recognition, and the authorities are using increasingly sophisticated tools to detect and combat them., such as skin heat sensing to reveal specific mask types. Your engagement much appreciated.
They can and will engage in abusive arrests regardless of the technology, or even without a pretext. This is because they're already outside the law, so who cares? You're going to "wise decision" your way right into living in a fucking prison camp.
Sadly, George, you're right about their operating outside the law. Who will stop them? Only the various law-enforcement activities, primarily the courts, being attacked routinely by those to whom the law is something to be ignored or defied.
The law enforcement agencies and, eventually, the courts as institutions will not be what stops this. It would only happen if and when Trump or his minions over-reach and their illegal actions are refused by individuals in those positions. National Guardsmen, sheriffs, chiefs of police are ordered by a Trump appointee to, I don't know, seize guns or fire on protestors. Military commanders are ordered to clamp down martial law on a town, county, or state. And are refused. The institutions will affect nothing here, it's now down to the individuals.
I like (while dreading) your analysis, George. I think the over-reaching will, as you suggest, be the denouement. Meantime, the nation and the world suffer, regardless of their populations' political persuasions. The core cruelty of it all provokes profound disgust.
It isn't clear to me whether they are inviting people outside of the Latino community, but certainly they should. Many of us are just as concerned about free speech and the abusiveness of the trump administration's immigration policies....
Don’t forget that they’re itching to detain and maybe even deport a natural born citizen for whom there is no basis to question immigration status. This is intended to have a chilling effect as well as give MAGA media a chance to demonize anyone who protests as traitorous and undeserving of due process. Scooping up citizens in ICE raids is a feature, not a bug.
Thank you for your warning. I'm uncertain what to do with it since "fear", "danger", "chilling", and "demonize" are all widely used to end a discussion, rather than start it. It's always wise to consider all the possible scenarios and stay home if it appears that they might scoop you up or demonize you as a dangerous radical. Please do.
"It isn't clear to me whether they are inviting people outside of the Latino community, but certainly they should." My thought exactly. They should try to pair up everyone with an American citizen buddy. Maybe even a cordon of citizens surrounding the group. Make it hard for ICE to figure out who is who.
I'll be the contrarian and say that immigration is a losing issue for the resistance movement at this time. In fact, I would say that it helps Trump and his authoritarian regime. Three reasons:
One, illegal immigration was one of biggest reasons why people voted for Trump. People are angry about the perception of uncontrolled borders. It doesn't matter if the anger is driven by racism, it doesn't matter if the border is an issue of perception or reality, it doesn't matter if immigrants actually improve the economy. People would rather vote for a fascist to fix the problem, than have an uncontrolled border.
Two, Democrats were punished in the last election by the same groups of people who took advantage of the open borders. The majority of Hispanic men voted for Trump. The majority of Cuban Americans voted for Trump. The majority of Venezuelan Americans voted for Trump. I would be far more willing to expend political energy if they had listened to the warnings from Democrats. They are now getting what they voted for.
Three, allow me to make a cold political calculation: Why should Democrats and the resistance help a group of immigrants, who will turn around and vote against Democrats, in favor of authoritarianism and fascism, destroying the liberal democracy that has been the foundation of the United States for 250 years? Yes, I understand our moral and ethical obligations, but Democrats are being asked to support our own political destruction, never mind the impact on our country.
There are far greater disasters on the horizon than immigration. For example, the dissolution of NATO, the trade wars against Canada and Mexico, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the threat to Taiwan from China, the destruction of the constitutional rule of law, the war against entire legal profession, just to name a few things. Immigration sits much lower on that list of disasters.
Yes, the problem of “unchecked immigration” and immigrants somehow ruining our country are fake problems ginned up the MAGAts and as such should be nearer the bottom of the Dems agenda. *But* the concerns about illegally rounding up and deporting people, terrorizing people at the border and just ignoring the Constitution are hugely concerning and should be at the top of EVERYBODY’S list.
I agree, but the nuance will go completely over the heads of most Americans (i.e. violations of the 1st amendment protection of the freedom of speech, and the 5th and 14th amendments which provide due process). For most Americans, this will be yet another example of "Democrats are for They/Them".
The American people voted to have less immigration, legal or illegal. That's their right. Even the immigrant communities support restrictions. There is little to be gained by fighting this battle.
You are throwing around speculative numbers which aren't backed by any scientific survey. And I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the 2 subgroups of Trump supporters that you have identified.
Here is a real set of numbers: People trusted Trump to handle immigration over Harris by 53% to 44% (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election#Issue_questions). And people knew exactly who Trump was, what his immigration policies were, what he thought of immigrants from "shit-hole" countries, and how he dehumanized Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
We should support Mahmoud Khalil as a free speech issue, not as an immigration issue. We should protest the disappearance and abuse of prisoners shipped off to El Salvador as a due process and cruelty issue, not as an immigration issue.
Elections have consequences. The American people have spoken, and they want far less immigration. Even immigrants want less immigration. We have far more important things to worry about and fight for, rather than getting sucked into the vortex of immigrant activists and their demonstrations.
It's a 1st Amendment right to protest. Any Trump supporter who thinks this only applies to them, should be more concerned about the long-term effects of this, rather than the short-term high they gain from seeing people they hate suffer.
Trump supporters are very short on logic. They’ll find some convoluted way of justifying the J6 insurrection as “peaceful protest” while condemning the right of immigrants to protest peacefully.
I would expect ICE to show up. Anyone foolish enough to think the Trump administration cares about the law or the 1st amendment should think again. They are deporting people for exercising their freedom of speech.
I hope that a number of your friends and neighbors that are citizens that don't look like you turn out to march with you. There are many many people that are appalled at this administrations treatment of immigrants and their laxness in determining the status of people they are targeting. Because if we do not stand with you now we could all be next.
Florida lawmakers are considering major changes to state child labor laws that would loosen restrictions on when and how long teens can work, as the state braces for a shortage of migrant workers under GOP-led immigration crackdowns.
Well, given the changes to state education standards -no critical thinking, no analytical skills development, whitewashed history, and cultural awareness limited to the local Florida Man culture, there’s no reason the kids can’t be ready for slave labor by the age of 10 or 11. So, might as well make it legal, right? /s/
"...Any immigrant living in the United States can be deported for violating U.S. immigration laws, regardless of their permanent residence status. Green card holders can and do end up being deported due to a variety of reasons. ...
Crimes of Moral Turpitude
Crimes of moral turpitude are not defined precisely in immigration law. These crimes generally refer to actions that are shocking in nature and often involve dishonesty. Theft, perjury, embezzlement and fraud are examples of crimes of moral turpitude. ..."
Per your NPR citation Lewelyn Dixon was detained due to a 2001 embezzlement conviction. Reading further in the article, she had the opportunity to become naturalized 19 years ago but declined to do so.
Dixon certainly appears to have made choices that have made her material for the media.
Reminder: 500,000 legal residents from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua have been told their legal status has ended and they must 'self-deport' by April 24.
"...A review of the history of the parole authority supports the contention that discretionary parole determinations were intended by Congress to be narrowly tailored to specific instances and not based on a set of broadly applicable eligibility criteria.4 Under the law, the determination to parole an alien into the country should only be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account each alien’s unique circumstances. ... The ultimate determination whether to
parole an alien into the United States upon the alien’s arrival at a POE is made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers. ...Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States. ... "
I’m here to invite you to the Mega Marcha the 30th of March in Dallas at 1 p.m. at the cathedral church,” she says in Spanish in a video organizers shared with The Bulwark.
Welp....into the breach I guess. If you're not willing to put yourself out there then Trump and MAGA have already won. Of course, it's easy for me to say this as I'm a white male natural-born citizen but I'm wishing all of the march participants courage and the best possible luck.
I don't know what the feeling are among the movement if white people want to join. As time goes on, and more people are gumming up the machines of oppression, they are going to get slowed down. It's going to get harder and harder to distinguish who Trump's true believers are, and their concentration of toxicity will only increase as people peal away or are expelled.
I would be very careful, the head of ICE is crazy and doesn't care what laws he breaks to do his job. There might be more people commandeered illegally but do they have a leg to stand on? They are pretty "hell bent" on gathering people (citizens, green card or visas included) to make their quotas!
Yeah I wonder if this plan is a good one. Aside from the ICE angle there is also the viral video angle. Thousands of people protesting will be turned into the takeover by "illegals" that many predict. Like the fire video from Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle, video of this will feed the idea that a vast and dangerous mobs are taking over their cities and towns too. Many already believe it, see Aurora, CO as an example.
Recalling Trump's remark during the campaign that our country is overburdened with "vermin", his deportation policy looks a lot like ethnic cleansing.
Maybe he should call his policy "The White Washing of America"
This is a very high risk event. It would be naive to believe that ICE will let this protest occur without their intervention. There is nothing the trump-musk regime likes more than a t.v. spectacle and this would be the perfect event. Additionally, I would put no faith in the Dallas police, local FBI or any other law enforcement to keep their word.
We are now living under a techno authoritarian regime and there is nothing they like more than showing brute force.
God speed to the participants.
Sadly, I agree with you. Let’s pray for the safety of those who are willing to risk it.
Attendees should be aware of the power and precision of facial-recognition technology that can pick individuals out of a crowd. Face-matching, if they use it, can result in abusive arrests.
Paranoia is the logical defense.
In context, face masks of every kind are at risk.
Pussy Riot has a great YouTube tutorial on using makeup to avoid facial recognition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKLLyAT668g
Excellent, Jennifer, and helpful. There are other approaches to potentially defy recognition, and the authorities are using increasingly sophisticated tools to detect and combat them., such as skin heat sensing to reveal specific mask types. Your engagement much appreciated.
I forgot to add it would be good if activists were logging locations of CCTVs......
They can and will engage in abusive arrests regardless of the technology, or even without a pretext. This is because they're already outside the law, so who cares? You're going to "wise decision" your way right into living in a fucking prison camp.
Sadly, George, you're right about their operating outside the law. Who will stop them? Only the various law-enforcement activities, primarily the courts, being attacked routinely by those to whom the law is something to be ignored or defied.
The law enforcement agencies and, eventually, the courts as institutions will not be what stops this. It would only happen if and when Trump or his minions over-reach and their illegal actions are refused by individuals in those positions. National Guardsmen, sheriffs, chiefs of police are ordered by a Trump appointee to, I don't know, seize guns or fire on protestors. Military commanders are ordered to clamp down martial law on a town, county, or state. And are refused. The institutions will affect nothing here, it's now down to the individuals.
I like (while dreading) your analysis, George. I think the over-reaching will, as you suggest, be the denouement. Meantime, the nation and the world suffer, regardless of their populations' political persuasions. The core cruelty of it all provokes profound disgust.
I'll be at the one in Dallas. If even 20,000 people show up, it will be one of the biggest protests we've ever had.
All eyes on Dallas!
It isn't clear to me whether they are inviting people outside of the Latino community, but certainly they should. Many of us are just as concerned about free speech and the abusiveness of the trump administration's immigration policies....
Every old white man there makes it marginally harder for the goons to pick out their intended targets. Oh, and old white men are lawyered up.
Don’t forget that they’re itching to detain and maybe even deport a natural born citizen for whom there is no basis to question immigration status. This is intended to have a chilling effect as well as give MAGA media a chance to demonize anyone who protests as traitorous and undeserving of due process. Scooping up citizens in ICE raids is a feature, not a bug.
Thank you for your warning. I'm uncertain what to do with it since "fear", "danger", "chilling", and "demonize" are all widely used to end a discussion, rather than start it. It's always wise to consider all the possible scenarios and stay home if it appears that they might scoop you up or demonize you as a dangerous radical. Please do.
"It isn't clear to me whether they are inviting people outside of the Latino community, but certainly they should." My thought exactly. They should try to pair up everyone with an American citizen buddy. Maybe even a cordon of citizens surrounding the group. Make it hard for ICE to figure out who is who.
I'll be the contrarian and say that immigration is a losing issue for the resistance movement at this time. In fact, I would say that it helps Trump and his authoritarian regime. Three reasons:
One, illegal immigration was one of biggest reasons why people voted for Trump. People are angry about the perception of uncontrolled borders. It doesn't matter if the anger is driven by racism, it doesn't matter if the border is an issue of perception or reality, it doesn't matter if immigrants actually improve the economy. People would rather vote for a fascist to fix the problem, than have an uncontrolled border.
Two, Democrats were punished in the last election by the same groups of people who took advantage of the open borders. The majority of Hispanic men voted for Trump. The majority of Cuban Americans voted for Trump. The majority of Venezuelan Americans voted for Trump. I would be far more willing to expend political energy if they had listened to the warnings from Democrats. They are now getting what they voted for.
Three, allow me to make a cold political calculation: Why should Democrats and the resistance help a group of immigrants, who will turn around and vote against Democrats, in favor of authoritarianism and fascism, destroying the liberal democracy that has been the foundation of the United States for 250 years? Yes, I understand our moral and ethical obligations, but Democrats are being asked to support our own political destruction, never mind the impact on our country.
There are far greater disasters on the horizon than immigration. For example, the dissolution of NATO, the trade wars against Canada and Mexico, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the threat to Taiwan from China, the destruction of the constitutional rule of law, the war against entire legal profession, just to name a few things. Immigration sits much lower on that list of disasters.
Yes, the problem of “unchecked immigration” and immigrants somehow ruining our country are fake problems ginned up the MAGAts and as such should be nearer the bottom of the Dems agenda. *But* the concerns about illegally rounding up and deporting people, terrorizing people at the border and just ignoring the Constitution are hugely concerning and should be at the top of EVERYBODY’S list.
I agree, but the nuance will go completely over the heads of most Americans (i.e. violations of the 1st amendment protection of the freedom of speech, and the 5th and 14th amendments which provide due process). For most Americans, this will be yet another example of "Democrats are for They/Them".
The American people voted to have less immigration, legal or illegal. That's their right. Even the immigrant communities support restrictions. There is little to be gained by fighting this battle.
You are throwing around speculative numbers which aren't backed by any scientific survey. And I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the 2 subgroups of Trump supporters that you have identified.
Here is a real set of numbers: People trusted Trump to handle immigration over Harris by 53% to 44% (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election#Issue_questions). And people knew exactly who Trump was, what his immigration policies were, what he thought of immigrants from "shit-hole" countries, and how he dehumanized Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
We should support Mahmoud Khalil as a free speech issue, not as an immigration issue. We should protest the disappearance and abuse of prisoners shipped off to El Salvador as a due process and cruelty issue, not as an immigration issue.
Elections have consequences. The American people have spoken, and they want far less immigration. Even immigrants want less immigration. We have far more important things to worry about and fight for, rather than getting sucked into the vortex of immigrant activists and their demonstrations.
It's a 1st Amendment right to protest. Any Trump supporter who thinks this only applies to them, should be more concerned about the long-term effects of this, rather than the short-term high they gain from seeing people they hate suffer.
Trump supporters are very short on logic. They’ll find some convoluted way of justifying the J6 insurrection as “peaceful protest” while condemning the right of immigrants to protest peacefully.
I would expect ICE to show up. Anyone foolish enough to think the Trump administration cares about the law or the 1st amendment should think again. They are deporting people for exercising their freedom of speech.
I don't expect them to try to arrest in the crowd, but there will be spies. Protect against facial recognition tech.
I hope that a number of your friends and neighbors that are citizens that don't look like you turn out to march with you. There are many many people that are appalled at this administrations treatment of immigrants and their laxness in determining the status of people they are targeting. Because if we do not stand with you now we could all be next.
Florida lawmakers are considering major changes to state child labor laws that would loosen restrictions on when and how long teens can work, as the state braces for a shortage of migrant workers under GOP-led immigration crackdowns.
Well, given the changes to state education standards -no critical thinking, no analytical skills development, whitewashed history, and cultural awareness limited to the local Florida Man culture, there’s no reason the kids can’t be ready for slave labor by the age of 10 or 11. So, might as well make it legal, right? /s/
I don’t blame them. I’m hearing they are deporting legal immigrants. Even citizens could be afraid of this.
Hearing = rumor mill
Certainly not a rumor about legal immigrants being detained by ICE, including what Adrian cited about Fabian Schmidt and this latest one: https://www.kuow.org/stories/uw-medicine-employee-green-card-holder-detained-by-ice-in-tacoma
Per bcalawfirm.com:
"...Any immigrant living in the United States can be deported for violating U.S. immigration laws, regardless of their permanent residence status. Green card holders can and do end up being deported due to a variety of reasons. ...
Crimes of Moral Turpitude
Crimes of moral turpitude are not defined precisely in immigration law. These crimes generally refer to actions that are shocking in nature and often involve dishonesty. Theft, perjury, embezzlement and fraud are examples of crimes of moral turpitude. ..."
Per your NPR citation Lewelyn Dixon was detained due to a 2001 embezzlement conviction. Reading further in the article, she had the opportunity to become naturalized 19 years ago but declined to do so.
Dixon certainly appears to have made choices that have made her material for the media.
Reminder: 500,000 legal residents from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua have been told their legal status has ended and they must 'self-deport' by April 24.
These were part of special parole status (https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-05128.pdf)
"...A review of the history of the parole authority supports the contention that discretionary parole determinations were intended by Congress to be narrowly tailored to specific instances and not based on a set of broadly applicable eligibility criteria.4 Under the law, the determination to parole an alien into the country should only be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account each alien’s unique circumstances. ... The ultimate determination whether to
parole an alien into the United States upon the alien’s arrival at a POE is made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers. ...Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States. ... "
I’m here to invite you to the Mega Marcha the 30th of March in Dallas at 1 p.m. at the cathedral church,” she says in Spanish in a video organizers shared with The Bulwark.
Welp....into the breach I guess. If you're not willing to put yourself out there then Trump and MAGA have already won. Of course, it's easy for me to say this as I'm a white male natural-born citizen but I'm wishing all of the march participants courage and the best possible luck.
I don't know what the feeling are among the movement if white people want to join. As time goes on, and more people are gumming up the machines of oppression, they are going to get slowed down. It's going to get harder and harder to distinguish who Trump's true believers are, and their concentration of toxicity will only increase as people peal away or are expelled.
I would be very careful, the head of ICE is crazy and doesn't care what laws he breaks to do his job. There might be more people commandeered illegally but do they have a leg to stand on? They are pretty "hell bent" on gathering people (citizens, green card or visas included) to make their quotas!
Yeah I wonder if this plan is a good one. Aside from the ICE angle there is also the viral video angle. Thousands of people protesting will be turned into the takeover by "illegals" that many predict. Like the fire video from Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle, video of this will feed the idea that a vast and dangerous mobs are taking over their cities and towns too. Many already believe it, see Aurora, CO as an example.