1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Dear Senator Schumer, Two pivotal challenges in the fight for democracy in America come together this month: protection of our cherished First Amendment rights and preservation of our historic alliances, especially with NATO. Two actions are necessary: stop the transformation of ICE from law enforcement organization to right-wing military gang and block President Trump’s stupid and dangerous intention to take Greenland from the Danes. As you know better than I do, the Congress will vote on an appropriations bill later this month to provide tens of billions to a vast expansion of ICE and its ongoing repurposing as an agency of domestic terrorism. This must be stopped. Stop the occupation of American cities. Stop the unlawful operations of ICE – random arrests, warrantless break-ins, secret detentions, and flagrant use of pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, and, tragically, real guns, too. Reduce the outlay to pre-Trump levels. Restore standard protocols of officer-citizen engagement, review the backgrounds of all current ICE agents, re-establish standard recruitment practices to weed out criminal elements (including pardoned J-6 felons) and ban candidates with histories in racist and white nationalist “militias.” Stop the construction of an American gulag and begin the dismantlement of what has already been created. This is crucial now because if left unchecked Trump will likely re-deploy ICE as an election interference force on the bogus claim that non-citizens are voting. Meanwhile: Trump’s stated intention of acquiring Greenland – by military force if necessary – has provoked a crisis that very likely will destroy the system of alliances that has kept us safe for eighty years. The President must be blocked in this foolish endeavor. Some thought it was a joke when Trump broached the subject of taking over Greenland. And there is a superficial, if faulty, rationale that it is necessary for our national security. But our alliance with all of Europe, Canada and Mexico before this recent mess, Japan and Korea, Australia and New Zealand are far more important to our national security than the title to Greenland. The other recent joke that became sad reality was about Venezuela, which is related to the sick joke about Greenland. Both are about the reconfiguration of world powers, economically and militarily, the substitution of “spheres of influence” for “an international rules based order.” We do not want that. We do not want to be at war with the entire world, whether the conflict be manifested through tariffs or drones, missiles, or “boots on the ground.” Down that road lay isolation and impoverishment if not worse. Stop Trump now. If there is a legislative mechanism, take it. Given Trump’s increasingly psychotic ramblings and physical decline, the 25th Amendment would be an option save for the cowardice of your Republican colleagues. If necessary, organize an effort to impeach. These two things – development of ICE as a domestic terrorism force and the destruction of our historical alliances – will not be easily undone or repaired. These next few weeks will be historic. Your vigorous leadership is required.