Jonathan Capehart:
The strategy is to go after anyone the president doesn’t think belongs here.
When he ran for president, he did this sort of rhetorical magic act, where people heard he’s going to go after violent criminals who are here, undocumented criminals. But then in the next breath, he should say, we’re going to go after — quote, unquote — “criminal aliens.”
Well, if you come into this country without documentation, you, by the letter of the law, are a criminal. And so that to me was a signal, he’s not just going after violent criminals. He’s going after anyone who is not here — quote, unquote –”legally.”
But also it’s easy to see, given who Trump is, that he would move beyond going after those who are not — going after the undocumented and going after others with temporary protective status, TPS, green card holders, as we’re seeing. Sadly, none of what he is doing is shocking to me.
He’s been telegraphing this. What’s shocking to me is that the courts in some instances don’t seem to be meeting the threat here with much vigor. The idea that the court would say, the Supreme Court would say you need to facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia, instead of saying, no, he must be returned, that to me is very troubling.
