by Will Espero
The Trump train continues. It’s a wild and crazy ride as Trump and the Congressional Republicans provide billions of dollars to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to go after undocumented migrants and immigrants.
It’s as if Trump is at war with brown skinned immigrants. This is so wrong and unacceptable.
ICE was supposed to target criminals from other countries or people who committed crimes in the USA.
Unfortunately, reality has shown Trump going after students, parents, green card holders, people with temporary status, and other law-abiding immigrants or workers who have no criminal record.
The insanity is hurting our economy and hurting American businesses. All the news clips and social media posts I see are filled with brown families being abused by ICE.
The majority of workers I’ve noticed are people of color. Families are being torn apart, and breadwinners are being detained and/or deported because of Trump’s impractical war against immigrants.
Many see ICE like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany during WWII. Their lack of compassion and thug-like tactics have triggered communities to respond against ICE, and it’s been great to see neighbors and friends protecting their loved ones from Trump’s thuggery.
A network of advocates, protestors, and community protectors has formed, and this unity across the nation must remain strong and be proactive to counter Trump’s bad policies and madness. Power to the people. Brown lives matter.
But what about white immigrants or caucasians who might be breaking the law?
They could be Russians, Irish, British, South Africans, or Germans for all we know. None seems to be garnering the attention that Hispanics and Latinos are experiencing.
My point is that it appears like an inflated budget for ICE gives Trump his thugs with guns to intimidate people and cause trouble in blue states or sanctuary cities.
One of the biggest areas affected is agriculture, as we all know. If one buys food at the grocery store, one will see price increases because of Trump’s policies.
Fruits and vegetables are not being picked due to no workers. Agricultural workers are staying away from the fields because of ICE. News reports show fruits and vegetables rotting on the vine because no one is available for harvest, so the price of food goes up. All due to Trump.
Donald Trump’s failed tariff war is also to blame for higher prices. Higher tariffs mean we consumers will pay more. It’s that simple, and we have Trump to thank for less buying power.
Trump thinks he’s hurting other countries, but he’s actually sinking our own economy and making life worse for many Americans.
Candidate Trump said he would lower inflation, but that hasn’t happened; a broken campaign promise. It seems like he’s working to put more money in his family’s pockets versus helping working-class families.
Trump cryptocurrency, membership fees for Trump clubs, Trump coins, Trump watches, stock market shenanigans, and events at Trump properties are some of the ways the Trump family has profited.
In the meantime, inflation and high housing costs hurt low-income and blue-collar families as the Trump machine prospers. It’s disgusting. The appearance of conflicts of interest and corruption is nauseating.
Some countries and allies are negotiating without the USA and working on their own trade deals.
Trump has alienated so many people and countries, and they are avoiding Trump and the USA as much as possible. It’s a sad state of affairs created by Trump, and our country is no longer the beacon of hope and opportunity.
Tourism to the United States is down because of Trump, and some are calling for the World Cup soccer tournament this year in the USA to be moved to Canada because of Trump’s policy on immigration. So much concern and uncertainty brought about by Trump.
On another note, the Epstein files must be released by the Trump administration as soon as possible. Candidate Trump campaigned on releasing the Epstein files, and the MAGA base supported and still supports the idea.
Trump, however, appears to be doing whatever he can to delay the release of the Epstein files or only release certain information and files.
This is also unacceptable because Trump is protecting pedophiles, people who abuse children. The public wants to know the truth, and if individuals are identified publicly, so be it. We have a right to know who these perverts and molesters are.
Jeffrey Epstein, Trump’s very good friend at one point, supposedly committed suicide. His girlfriend and co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, is in prison for their sexual crimes and her involvement.
Circumstances around Epstein and the files are certainly controversial and contentious, and the desire for the truth has publicly exploded.
People in the Epstein files should be afraid, and the individuals who participated in these crimes against children should be exposed. Republicans or Democrats. Wealthy or not. Men or women. Celebrities or regular folks.
The world community wants to know, and Donald Trump and his team are the only obstacles to the truth. Is the Trump presidency at stake? Only time will tell.
WILL ESPERO retired from the Hawaii legislature after serving 19 years in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. He is currently a novelist, poet, and supporter of the arts. Lingering Thoughts provides a glimpse of his perspective on current events and issues.
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