Not long ago, I saw a t-shirt that read, “They didn’t burn witches, they burned women.” Strip people of their humanity, and you can do a lot of bad things to them because they are “vermin” and “the worst of the worst”. Under the cover of dehumanizing labels, this administration is justifying violence, cruelty, and stripping people of fundamental rights. Of the 200 deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, many entered the US legally, had no criminal records, and complied with immigration rules (Washington Post, 7/22/25). The glee with which some officials speak of “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Speedway Slammer” as if they were launching new video games is sickening.
The awfulness keeps ratcheting up. The architect of so much cruelty in immigration enforcement, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, set a quota of 3,000 ICE detentions a day. To meet quotas (and obtain bonuses), ICE agents are arresting people at their workplaces and their children’s daycare, and when they show up for their immigration hearings. A new version of family separation is back. Body cam and bystander videos have captured emboldened ICE agents in black plain clothes, with masks, no visible ID, throwing people to the ground, whisking them away in unmarked vehicles, and even breaking car windows.
As attorney Lauren Cundick Peterson said, “We’re witnessing the deliberate redefinition of legal entry as illegal for the purpose of meeting enforcement quotas.” (Washington Post, 8/3/25)
Recently, two Afghan interpreters who helped the US military have been slated for Expedited Removal despite following procedures. The Taliban sought to kill one of these men, but not finding him, killed his brother instead. Army veteran and founder of No One Left Behind, Mark Zeller, said, “The Trump administration knows what’s going to happen to these folks… They understand that the Taliban is going to kill them when they get back to Afghanistan. They just don’t care.” (Washington Post, 8/3/25). Deporting Afghans betrays promises dating back to the George W. Bush presidency. If allies who helped our soldiers are thrown to the wolves, who will come to our aid next time?
We are a caring community. I know there are different opinions about immigration, but I don’t believe these practices are what you voted for. If you are disturbed by any part of what’s going on, contact your representatives. Brief after-hours voicemail works. If you are a Republican, your voice carries extra weight right now.
Sincerely,
Diana Henne
Cumberland Township