1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

We are in the midst of a soft coup. Its frontline tactic is state-sponsored disappearance - mass arrests and deportations designed to sow fear, not justice. ICE is targeting immigrants in courthouses, at shelters, and in schools - ripping people from communities without cause, without hearings, and increasingly without even identifying themselves. Agents in plainclothes and masks grab people without warning, often refusing to show badges or warrants. They do this because they know what they’re doing is unethical, often unconstitutional, and would not withstand public scrutiny. This is not law enforcement. This is repression by design. And it is profitable. Private prison giants like CoreCivic and GEO Group have lobbied for these removals, feeding off filled detention beds like it’s a business plan - because it is. Cruelty is not a byproduct. It is the product. The Trump administration has not only implemented these policies but has also mocked the suffering of those affected. On Valentine's Day, the White House posted a message: “Roses are red, violets are blue, come here illegally, and we'll deport you,” accompanied by images of President Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan. Additionally, an ASMR-style video titled “Illegal Alien Deportation Flight” was shared, trivializing the deportation process. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem further dehumanized immigrants by staging a photo op at El Salvador's mega-prison, CECOT, standing before rows of shackled prisoners, many of whom had no criminal convictions. The administration's disregard for due process is evident in cases like that of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador despite a court order protecting him. Similarly, Andry Hernández Romero, a gay Venezuelan makeup artist seeking asylum, was deported based on unsubstantiated claims of gang affiliation due to his tattoos. As Desmond Tutu said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” The time for neutrality has passed. Sen. Padilla has acknowledged these actions “undermine due process.” Sen. Schiff has condemned their indiscriminate nature. Rep. Lieu called it “batsh*t crazy” that even U.S. citizens have been deported. But acknowledgment is not enough. We demand action. 🛑 I demand: • A moratorium on all ICE courthouse and collateral arrests • A ban on profit-driven immigration detention • Full due process rights for all migrants • A legal mandate that all law enforcement agents must identify themselves when acting under government authority • Public condemnation of the for-profit detention system by every elected official We are watching people disappear in America. If you are not stopping it, you are enabling it. And we will remember.