By Colin Benjamin
Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons
Donald Trump’s federal troop invasion of Los Angeles has ignited protests there—even leading to some civilians clashing with police, particularly in the cities of Paramount and Compton. In the maelstrom, since Trump sent 4,000 National Guard members, and 700 Marines, after protests erupted against his ICE actions, there have been multiple arrests and injuries. Trump is clearly trying to increase his immigration deportations numbers, to coverup his miserable failures, particularly, as his disastrous tariff policies have tanked America’s economy—and to distract citizens from stories regarding his messy bromance breakup with First Buddy Elon Musk.
But there is an important question to be asked: why aren’t Trump’s actions here upsetting to Republicans, who for years have lectured us about respecting “states’ rights?”
Republicans, on this issue, like most everything else, are being exposed as frauds. They are backing Trump’s heavy-handed infiltration of Los Angeles, under the guise of tackling illegal immigration. Of course, Republicans don’t really want to fix the immigration problem. If they did, they would lose one of the main red meat issues they like to throw to agitate the racists in their Republican base.
If this isn’t true, why did Trump kill the immigration bill crafted by Republican Oklahoma Senator James Lankford—in the months leading up to the 2024 Presidential Election?
The immigration topic has always been a convenient distraction for Republican political strategists for several reasons. Demonizing of the “other” has always been politically profitable for Republicans. Racism and xenophobia are central to the Republican “Southern Strategy” political playbook.
The immigration problem America has was created by big business interests, with the help of their bought-and-paid-for politicians in Congress. Corporate American companies, to undermine American workers, pushed policies, like NAFTA, that lead to impoverishment and mass migration from Mexico. But this economic reality is ignored because it is an inconvenient truth.
In this moment, the hypocrisy of Congressional Republicans is disgustingly revealing. They now conveniently forget their arguments regarding “states’ rights.”
We have often heard that the Republican platform supports “states’ rights” as a means of limiting federal power. How many times have we heard Republicans sermonizing about the evils of federal overreach into the sanctity of states, including during the Biden Administration?
The right to deploy the California National Guard is, largely, within the purview of Governor Gavin Newsom. Yet, Trump, unilaterally, deployed the California National Guard. And not only did Trump overstep his executive authority, but he is also brazenly talking about illegally arresting Governor Newsom, because Newsome denounced his dictatorial dictates.
Trump, laughably, is now claiming to be a “law and order” president. Shouldn’t we remind him that he is the nation’s first convict president? And where was his “rule of law” instincts on Jan. 6, 2021, when his MAGA terrorists were rampaging through Capitol Hill—beating up law enforcement officers, who he pardoned, as one of his first acts since slithering back into the White House? And Trump was clearly willing to sacrifice the lives of Republicans to retain political power.
Are there no principled Republicans in Congress to tell this president about his power-grabbing overreach?
The silence of Republicans speaks volumes about their support for “big government,” once their dear leader is running said “big government.” Trump has done the American citizens a favor by unmasking these cowardly, greedy, deceitful, party-before- country Republicans.
Because here is the most salient point, regarding “states’ rights” and Republicans: for decades Republicans have used it to defend racist laws, in Southern States. These included fighting to protect laws aimed at stopping African Americans from voting and upholding segregation. In effect, the states’ rights argument was used to further abuse Black people during the Jim Crow era, and is still extolled today, for similar reasons.
But, apparently, so-called “Blue States” don’t deserve to have “states’ rights.” Even worse, today’s Republicans have lost their tongues as Trump’s lawless authoritarianism becomes worse by the minute.
Many Republicans will say that California is overrun with illegal Mexicans, who should be deported. But for the Mexicans, who know their history, there is a maddening irony here—because the land of California, is in effect, stolen land that belonged to Mexico. Moreover, the whole of America is stolen land.
And white Americans, who like to condescendingly call humans “illegal aliens,” must be told they were the original illegal immigrants in America. Just ask the people who were the natives of Turtle Island.
The U.S. Supreme Court, of John Roberts, is also to blame for the emerging Trump dictatorship.
Last year, in a 6-3 ruling, this right-wing Court said that presidents (they meant Trump) had absolute immunity for acts committed as a “core” part of their official duties of the Presidency. In essence, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the very criminality we are now seeing from Trump.
How could the top court in the land argue that Trump has immunity for lawless acts, just because he is president? Chief Justice Roberts wrote this absurd ruling, and made the incongruent statement that “no president is above the law,” while arguing for this dubious decision. Show we be surprised then that Trump is now less restrained in his unlawful conduct?
Trump’s lawlessness has created an impending explosive Constitutional crisis. The John Roberts Supreme Court empowered that lawlessness. It now seems unlikely this right-wing Court will hold this bully president accountable, as we move closer to a new uncivil war in America.
