People being detained and "exported" by ICE

[Lucy6226]

I think it's very tactical.

It's like that urban legend often attributed to Arthur Conan Doyle, that as a joke one day he sent urgent messages to five of his friends reading, 'Flee! All is discovered!' and one of his friends disappeared.

If they send enough of these out, every person who is frightened enough by it to leave of their own accord is a win, in their book. It's someone they don't have to black bag off the street and imprison and deport themselves.

MOO

I think this is absolutely the case. Because otherwise it's straight up incompetence...which to be fair...

 

[Leilei]

yep, and very likely not paying any taxes on those wages. i also considered drug money, too.

Do you have a legitimate link to these claims, or is this just stating opinion as fact?
TYIA and IMO.

 

[Kudzuu]

United we stand.
Divided we fall.

 

[sapphire blue]

Has anyone been thinking about what the purpose and end goal of all the chaos and fear mongering is?

Some thoughts

1. Consolidation of Power​

Chaos and fear can justify increased executive authority.
When people feel unsafe—due to protests, crime, immigration, pandemics, etc.—they may become more willing to accept authoritarian measures in exchange for promises of safety and stability. This could mean:

• Weakening checks and balances
• Expanding law enforcement powers
• Reducing civil liberties in the name of order

This strategy is sometimes referred to as "crisis manufacturing" or "shock doctrine" (popularized by Naomi Klein), where crises are used to push policies that wouldn’t normally be accepted.

---

2. Distraction from Policy or Legal Issues​

Constant conflict, scandal, or outrage can shift focus away from:

• Investigations (e.g. Russia probe, financial dealings)
• Policy failures
• Ethics violations
• Court appointments and deregulatory moves

This tactic—sometimes called “flooding the zone with ” (a term attributed to Steve Bannon)—creates a chaotic media environment where nothing sticks because there’s too much happening at once.

---

3. Mobilizing the Base through Fear​

Fear-based messaging can be incredibly effective at rallying a political base:

• Demonizing immigrants
• Framing media as "the enemy of the people"
• Painting opponents as radical or dangerous

This taps into us-vs-them narratives, which can be emotionally powerful and keep supporters engaged and loyal, especially when they feel they are part of a movement resisting “the elite,” “the deep state,” or other perceived enemies.

---

4. Undermining Trust in Institutions​

By attacking the press, courts, election systems, and intelligence agencies, the administration may have been working to:

• De-legitimize future opposition wins
• Preemptively discredit investigations
• Strengthen the idea that only Trump can be trusted

This can erode democratic norms and lead to long-term institutional decay, which benefits a populist or authoritarian-leaning leader.

---

5. Grifting and Opportunism​

Not every action needs a master plan. Some critics argue the chaos wasn’t strategic, but more a byproduct of:

• Self-interest
• Poor leadership
• A reality-TV approach to politics
• A desire to stay in the spotlight

But even if not orchestrated from the start, chaos can be opportunistically used once it emerges.

 

[crussell821]

I absolutely.agree. Just watching about ten minutes of Stephen Miller’s press conference (all I could stomach) convinced me that they are enjoying the cruelty. I turned it off when he referred to illegal immigrants as “invaders.” Terminology like that lets them justify the use of the Alien Enemies Act, which only applies to governments invading, not individuals.

JMO

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the cruelty is the point. These are cruel, hateful people, masquerading as patriots and Christians.MOO

 

[Simply Southern]

As an addendum to my prior comment, you list the issues that are a burden on public services like emergency services and policing. As far as I can tell those services are readily available to other people who are not American citizens, eg. tourists and long term visitors with legal status like snowbirds who spend several months in the US in the winter. Are you going to start kicking them out the country, too? I mean, most of them are elderly probably with health issues. They may have health insurances from their countries but they are still going to be utilizing your doctors, hospitals, your ambulance services and policing services. About 1 million Canadian snowbirds enter the US every fall. If a undocumented immigrant and a snowbirder never engage any of those services are they showing respect? Are they getting respect? How does respect enter the calculation? I'd hazard a guess that a large swath of born and bred Americans have zero respect for the rule of law. IMO

I'm confused....how do snowbirds qualify for Medicaid and food stamps? Worked in healthcare over 45 years, snowbirds are always private pay or have travel insurance. Moo...

 

[Simply Southern]

My country is trying to deport an American , currently... He took it upon himself to teach the Chinese how the fly fighter aircraft.. came out to AU, married, had kids here, and now is in the clink awaiting a decision. Problem is, while we want to deport him ( this is the govt line ) we do not want him to face the death penalty in the USA. Which means, if that comes down against, we have to feed him our good beef for the next 40 years.. Should we charge Trump?? I think we ought, him personally, not the US Govt.

Why Trump? He didn't make the death penalty laws, they've been around for years.
Now, I do give the DOJ credit for prosecution and seeking convictions. Moo

 

[Lilibet]

I'm confused....how do snowbirds qualify for Medicaid and food stamps? Worked in healthcare over 45 years, snowbirds are always private pay or have travel insurance. Moo...

@branmuffin never said anything about snowbirds getting Medicaid and food stamps. This was what she was responding to from your post.

“The fiscal burden of illegal immigration is due to several factors. First, because illegal aliens usually havelow incomes, those who do pay taxes pay little, if anything. Second, illegal aliens incur significant coststo the taxpayer on a daily basis, because public services such as policing, K-12 education, emergencyservices, etc., are provided universally.”

She was pointing out that snowbirds and others who are not citizens benefit from public services even though they don’t pay taxes. Maybe you don’t think that’s also a problem because snowbirds spend more money than immigrants?

Your next sentence referred to illegal immigrants getting Medicaid because of lax standards.

“Further, due to loose eligibility criteria – intentional or otherwise– many illegal aliens receive benefits from federal, state, and local jurisdictions, despite the fact thatthey have no legal status.”

But that is not what @branmuffin was replying to. She was not saying that snowbirds get Medicaid and food stamps. Please reread her post and respond to her actual point. Thanks.

 

[Lilibet]

Why Trump? He didn't make the death penalty laws, they've been around for years.
Now, I do give the DOJ credit for prostitution and seeking convictions. Moo

BBM

“Prostitution”? Good old spellcheck.

 

[Simply Southern]

BBM

“Prostitution”? Good old spellcheck.

I just caught that, thanks for letting me know.

 

[Lilibet]

Minors and immigration court.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/17/politics/immigration-court-minors/index.html

 

[keek]

Was this supposed to be for "Truth" Social?

These kind strive to believe really hard, truth and unbiased information does not compute we see.

 

[keek]

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are saying.

I mean, not about very white and english speaking people, but others.

 

[keek]

What in the WORLD does any of this have to do with Mr. Abrego García being sent to El Salvador illegally…where he has probably been killed by the gangs he came here to escape when he was 16? Why do you folks hate this man so much?

Doesn’t it bother you all that over 200 men have been sent to a hell hole in El Salvador without due process? Even if all of these men are gang members (and they are not), how can you guys justify this inhumane treatment? Oh right. Trump says they’re animals, not human.

JMO

I guess it gives them comfort and feeling just in their creepy thoughts of others they don't recognize in their ..circles. It has nothing to do with this.

 

[Simply Southern]

@branmuffin never said anything about snowbirds getting Medicaid and food stamps. This was what she was responding to from your post.

“The fiscal burden of illegal immigration is due to several factors. First, because illegal aliens usually havelow incomes, those who do pay taxes pay little, if anything. Second, illegal aliens incur significant coststo the taxpayer on a daily basis, because public services such as policing, K-12 education, emergencyservices, etc., are provided universally.”

She was pointing out that snowbirds and others who are not citizens benefit from public services even though they don’t pay taxes. Maybe you don’t think that’s also a problem because snowbirds spend more money than immigrants?

Your next sentence referred to illegal immigrants getting Medicaid because of lax standards.

“Further, due to loose eligibility criteria – intentional or otherwise– many illegal aliens receive benefits from federal, state, and local jurisdictions, despite the fact thatthey have no legal status.”

But that is not what @branmuffin was replying to. She was not saying that snowbirds get Medicaid and food stamps. Please reread her post and respond to her actual point. Thanks.

I was referring to comment, Canadians utilize public services. I am welcoming to Canadian visitors and the support they provide for our economy. As far as public services, I guess we could count public parks, beaches, community festivals, etc that are available and welcome to all legal visitors in the US.

I have to agree, illegal aliens are a financial burden to the US taxpayer. Many states are looking hard at their guidelines for food stamps and Medicaid, preparing for significant reduction in Federal financial support.

California to Spend $8.4 Billion This Year on Health Care for Illegal Aliens | The U.S. House Committee on the Budget - House Budget Committee

The Official U.S. Congressional website of The Republican Budget Committee

budget.house.gov

According to the California Department of Finance, the State of California will spend more than $8.4 billion on taxpayer-funded Medicaid health benefits for illegal aliens this fiscal year, over $5 billion more than initially estimated.

Last year, California became the first state to offer free, taxpayer-funded health care through Medicaid to all illegal aliens in the state. This expansion is proving far costlier than originally projected and is already straining the Medi-Cal program that vulnerable Californians rely on for health care.

At a recent California State Assembly Budget Committee hearing, California state budget officials revealed how much the State of California is actually spending to provide health care to illegal aliens.

 

[keek]

One of them lives in the White House.

JMO.

Has a very goldy office now.

 

[Stunned]

Has a very goldy office now.

Indeed he does.

 

[sds71]

Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, was being held in the Leon County Jail Thursday, charged with illegally entering Florida as an “unauthorized alien” — even as a supporter waved his U.S. birth certificate in court.

The man, who was arrested Wednesday after a traffic stop in which he was a passenger on his way to his job in Tallahassee, is set to remain in jail for the next 48 hours, waiting for federal immigration officials to pick him up, even though Leon County authorities dropped his first-degree misdemeanor charge.

Leon County Judge LaShawn Riggans held Lopez-Gomez’s birth certificate up to the light after community advocate Silvia Alba silently waved the document in the courtroom.

“In looking at it, and feeling it, and holding it up to the light, the court can clearly see the watermark to show that this is indeed an authentic document,” Riggans said.

Based on her inspection of his birth certificate and Social Security card, Riggans said she found no probable cause for the charge. However, the state prosecutor insisted the court lacked jurisdiction over Lopez-Gomez’s release because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had formally asked the jail to hold him.

“This court does not have any jurisdiction other than what I’ve already done,” Riggans said.

Riggans said she was very sorry as Lopez-Gomez’s mother left.

U.S.-born man from Georgia held for ICE under Florida’s new anti-immigration law • Georgia Recorder

Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen, was being held in the Leon County Jail Thursday, charged with illegally entering Florida as an “unauthorized alien” — even as a supporter waved his U.S. birth certificate in court. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested Lopez-Gomez after a...

georgiarecorder.com

 

[SouthAussie]

According to the California Department of Finance, the State of California will spend more than $8.4 billion on taxpayer-funded Medicaid health benefits for illegal aliens this fiscal year, over $5 billion more than initially estimated.

Last year, California became the first state to offer free, taxpayer-funded health care through Medicaid to all illegal aliens in the state. This expansion is proving far costlier than originally projected and is already straining the Medi-Cal program that vulnerable Californians rely on for health care.

At a recent California State Assembly Budget Committee hearing, California state budget officials revealed how much the State of California is actually spending to provide health care to illegal aliens.

Probably California is a bad example. California is a "sanctuary state". California protects much of its immigrant population - except the violent ones.

California’s new ‘sanctuary’ law will aid some immigrants, but not all

Here's what California's "sanctuary" law will, and won't, do.

calmatters.org

 

[SouthAussie]

"A U.S. appeals court urged the Trump administration on Thursday to back off from its escalating confrontation with the judiciary while upholding a judge's order to facilitate the return of a man wrongly deported to El Salvador.

In a strongly worded unanimous opinion, the panel of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Trump appeared to be trying to harm public opinion of the judiciary with his frequent invective against judges who rule against him. The panel said he might succeed, but warned his anti-judiciary campaign may backfire if the public begins to doubt he is following the law.

In its ruling, the Richmond, Virginia-based panel rejected the administration's request to stop U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis from probing what the government had done to secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a migrant it acknowledged having deported to El Salvador by mistake.

The panel of judges said Trump's claim to have the right to deport people "without due process and in disregard of court orders" would have implications beyond Abrego Garcia's case.

"What assurance will there be tomorrow that it will not deport American citizens and then disclaim responsibility to bring them home?"

"And what assurance shall there be that the Executive will not train its broad discretionary powers upon its political enemies?" "

https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-challenges-judges-probes-compliance-with-deportation-orders-2025-04-17/