The concerted effort to demonize migrants and blame them for all of the US’ homemade ills is never ending. Just as he robs the country blind, Donald Trump, the artful conman and fake blonde octogenarian German American Fuhrer is now set to blitz the newly and not so new migrant communities of the United States. If you are not white, watch out because 30000 arbitrarily detained in the middle of nowhere is just the beginning for Trump and Stephen Millers ambitions.
The Laken Riley Act should be ruled unconstitutional. The problem is getting an immigrant's case before the courts to prove it's a violation of their constitutional rights. It won't be easy and it will take a powerful law group like @markelias.bsky.social to intervene.
— Larry_in_WI (@larry1504.bsky.social) January 29, 2025 at 9:34 PM
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Recently, the Laken Riley Act which aims to suspend the constitutional treatment of migrants and allow for prolonged detention was signed via executive order. The act is the result of a single Venezuelan criminal’s heinous, but isolated, action to kill an innocent college student in Georgia. The death has been politicized to the point of no return for right-wing zealots and normal people have to intervene before the ability to detain on a hunch is extended and codified forever.
The law enables immigration authorities to detain unauthorized immigrants when accused of crimes, subjecting them to federal detention. The move drew condemnation from civil rights advocates, who pointed out the gradual erosion of civil rights. It provides the legal cover for an executive directive to detain 95 people per ICE field office.
Officials have been accused of changing the political tide concerning immigration issues, with critics warning of potentially dire implications, including the erosion of due process. As Trump ceremoniously staged the legislation’s signing, concerns were raised about the potential misuse of expanded enforcement powers and the potential for due process violations.
The spectacle at the law’s signing ceremony gave hints of delusions of a corporate dictatorship. Critics, including members from the president’s own party, pointed out the potential for detainment based on mere suspicions or accusations of crime against immigrants.
Due to the origin and broad language, the Laken Riley Act could lead to racial targeting. Human rights advocates expressed profound concern over the potential harm to vulnerable members of society, including migrant children and victims of abuse, resulting from this legislation. They argued that the Act represents gross scapegoating of immigrants, violating the principles of safety, and potentially stripping due process rights.
Consequently, civil rights advocates urge all those concerned about the implications of the Laken Riley Act to contact their congressional representatives and express their dissent over the bill and the potential misuse of enforcement powers it represents. Democrats who supported the bill are also under pressure to explain their stance, with critics arguing their actions represent tacit support for U.S. concentration camps.
New Guantanamo Bay Prison
Guantanamo Bay, globally known for human rights violations, might soon serve as a migrant detention center to house 30,000 individuals, as proposed by former US President Donald Trump. Critics liken this move to the establishment of modern-day concentration camps, deepening concerns for migrant rights and potentially escalating costs to US taxpayers. As it stands, the cost of maintaining Guantanamo, arguably the world’s priciest prison, lies at $445 million per annum for the detention of 40 prisoners. Considering its capacity of 600, the costs are likely to surpass $300 billion per year if the proposed 30,000-person facility becomes reality.
Trump refers to the intended detainees as “criminal illegal aliens” posing a public safety risk in the US. Critics, however, are quick to remind that, according to the Constitution, being an undocumented immigrant isn’t a crime – it’s a civil violation, raising concerns over the proposed detentions’ constitutionality.
Detractors also speculate that the move to use Guantanamo, largely sheltered from public scrutiny, might impede proper monitoring of the conditions inflicted on the detainees, likening them to atrocities committed in Nazi-era concentration camps.
For some on the more center right spectrum, the issue also comes down to cost. Given the substantial costs of finding, deporting, and then housing such a significant number of immigrants — all while questioning the ultimate beneficiary of the likely multi-billion-dollar contract stemming from this initiative. Michael Burry, famous for picking against housing prices in the dawn of the mortgage backed asset security crisis, is lining his pockets with private prison stocks already. Thus, some in Wall Street can see that much of the fearmongering has a clear windfall effect for positioned traders.