Worthy of the 8th or 9th Century

Here in the US, most of us speak English only and have little interest in other countries and cultures. Historically, we've been isolationists and have tended to view outsiders with suspicion if not fear. "Founding Father" John Adams signed into law the Alien and Sedition Act, which basically gave him the right to deport noncitizens he considered dangerous. Fortunately, that part of the law expired. "Founding Father" Thomas Jefferson said it was "worthy of the 8th or 9th century," But 1000 years later, in 1882, we adopted the Chinese Exclusion Act in reaction to xenophobia aimed at Chinese. Another law was aimed at excluding Chinese women. Our record of intolerance is no reason for pride. And now, we're gearing up for mass deportations. While the removal of violent criminals or national security threats is certainly warranted, I question whether we're just going to start rounding people up because they look or sound different. 

Now this is what a majority of American people want. Many of those who voted for Trump considered border security a top issue. It seems to me, however, that our attitude towards others are, as Jefferson said, ""worthy of the 8th or 9th century."

Kristallnacht, Trump Style

Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, is how we commonly refer today to what were actually two nights of organized violence against the Jews in Germany, Austria and parts of the Sudenland. Instigated by Joseph Goebbels, these pogroms were carried out by storm troopers and Hitler Youth. Not that there's ever been a good time, but that was a particularly bad time to be a Jew in Europe.

These days, it's a particularly bad time to be any kind of Middle Easterner in the United States. Violence against Jews continues, as it has for centuries. But now there's a new twist. Middle Easterners of all persuasions are in for it. Now Muslim women riding a train in Oregon can be subjected to ridicule, and two men who dare defend them are stabbed to death. And over the weekends, there was a Kristallnacht, Trump style.

Chaldean Christians fled to this country to escape persecution in the Middle East, where their numbers in Iraq alone have dropped from 1.5 million in 2003 to just 300,000 today.

Many of them have relocated to Detroit, whose population of 121,000 Chaldean Christians is the largest in this country. They largely voted for Donald Trump, but certainly are having second thoughts now.

On Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began rounding up Chaldean Christians in Detroit to send them back to Iraq. They picked up between 30-40, according to The Detroit Free Press. According to CNN, one family was rousted at the beach.

Many of them have committed minor crimes (marijuana possession, assault) that are now decades old According to The Minority Humanitarian Foundation, which was organized for victims of ISIS, most of them are here legally.

RT, which claims the number of arrestees might actually be as high as 80, reports they have been bused away to Ohio, and they will be deported from there to Iraq.

I'm sure ISIS will welcome them with open arms.

“This is a deliberate attack on the Chaldean Catholic Assyrian community of Detroit by the Administration. They waited until Sunday when our community would be going to church and gathering with their families and have rounded up to 40-60 community members,” said Chaldean Christian lawyer Wisam Naoum. "We've been working on this around the clock. From what we are seeing, most of the people that have been detained do, in fact, have a criminal record. However, some don't and are just refugees getting caught up in the sweep. The vast majority of them it appears have already served their time, many times decades ago and often involving non-violent crimes like marijuana possession. Some have final orders of deportation and others don't. The bulk have been sent to Ohio and we are waiting to learn more about final destinations."

Whether they wear swastikas or American flag patches, this is how authoritarian regimes operate. In both cases, the innocent suffer. The rest of us look on, completely ambivalent to the notion that it could be us tomorrow.

U.S. House Takes Aim at Sanctuary Cities

Immigration detainers are notices from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the federal government's intention to take custody of an undocumented alien under local control. They expire after 48 hours. If a bill that passed in the House yesterday becomes law, sanctuary cities that refuse to honor these detainers will lose the right to participate in several federal grant programs.

In Northampton County, DA John Morganelli made very clear last year that he wants those detainers enforced. "This is making sure that Northampton County does not become a safe haven for foreign criminals," he reasoned. But a Third Circuit ruling imposed liability against Lehigh County for refusing to release a prisoner who made bail because a detainer had been issued.

Congressman Charlie Dent explains why he supported this measure.

“There are nearly 300 municipalities or jurisdictions across the country that have decided to pick and choose what federal immigration laws to obey. Sadly, the results of their decisions in several instances have resulted in death and suffering inflicted on innocent individuals.

"We saw this tragedy play out recently in San Francisco, where an unlawful immigrant with a long felony arrest record is suspected of having murdered 32 year-old Kathryn Steinle while she was walking with her family.

"‘Sanctuary city’ policies were also behind a 2009 tragedy in Newark, New Jersey where three young adults were gruesomely executed in a local schoolyard. One of the defendants arrested in that triple homicide was unlawfully in the United States and had earlier been indicted on felony child abuse (31 counts) and aggravated assault charges. He had been released from jail on a $150,000 bond. Newark at the time had a policy of not inquiring about a defendant's immigration status.

"Enough is enough. The law is the law. If interior enforcement is ever to be effective, there must be strong cooperation between state and local law enforcement agencies and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. If misguided elected officials refuse to assist federal law enforcement, they should not be rewarded.”

Dent also cited a study showing that in 2014, the majority (63%) of those illegal immigrants released due to ‘sanctuary city’ policies already had a felony arrest record. Further, of those released 1900 were later arrested again for committing further crimes totaling nearly an additional 7500 criminal offenses.

One Democrat, Congressman Xavier Becerra, derided the bill as "The Donald Trump Act" and president Obama has threatened a veto.