Los Angeles still needs federal funds to finish cleaning up the devastating fires from January.
We got ICE instead.
We got the California National Guard, too, as Trump jumped at the chance to finally play Fascist-in-Chief. It’s not legal, of course, but what does that matter to Felonious the Filth?
Is this bullshit? Absolutely. Boston may run on Dunkin, but Los Angeles runs on immigrants (approximately 33% of our population).
And the immigrants ICE is targeting? Many are legal. They’re getting arrested at work, which means these immigrants ARE WORKING. Even the waste of flesh that’s running ICE admits they aren’t the criminals Trump promised to target while lying his ass off as usual campaigning last year. These immigrants pay taxes, which is why ICE now uses the IRS to find them. Some have had the visas they worked so hard to get capriciously revoked. Some are being deported due to administrative and clerical errors.
ICE lies in wait in the fashion district and elementary school graduations. Cuz that’s where hardened criminals like moms and little kids hang out, apparently.
ICE is so proud of their work ripping apart families that they now cover their faces. Couldn’t get those MAGA fuckers to wear a mask during an actual pandemic, but now a mask is better than being identified. “Proud” boys, my ass. I guess they’d rather not have their own families see them sending other families to concentration camps.
Maybe it’s a good sign that our American-grown Nazis wear masks. Keep ICE ashamed and afraid.
ICE is SO bad that initially, both our notoriously racist and corrupt Los Angeles Police Department and Sheriff’s Department put out statements on Saturday saying, “We are absolutely NOT with them!” (Admittedly, that was short-lived. The LAPD is already climbing back on the authoritarian bandwagon.)
For those of you who’ve reached out, asking if we’re okay or telling me to stay safe, I appreciate your concern. We’re fine. The city isn’t engulfed in flames, no matter how many times the media shows a single burning Waymo car. The protestors are peaceful (with the exception of the inevitable masked agitators always looking for trouble, like during their attack on the UCLA encampment).
Today the biggest protest is in downtown LA, demanding the release of union leader David Huerta after his bullshit arrest by federal agents on Friday.
The ICE/police/military response of rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash bang grenades are nowhere near us, at least for now. News 9 from Australia is in more danger than we are.
And if protestors shut a freeway down? It’s for a good fucking reason.
What you probably aren’t seeing are attempted ICE raids at our schools, or the 4th grader at a local school who was deported. Or the fear in the eyes of so many Latinos, even folks who’ve been here for generations. You’re not seeing much about the Asians who’ve been targeted, nor the international students at the University of California campuses who’ve arbitrarily had their visas revoked.
No wonder LA is protesting. The loss of anyone’s right to due process is the first step on the road to authoritarianism.
So, yeah, I’m gonna cheer on protestors closing those freeways.
What Los Angeles-hating MAGA never seems to realize is that the fascists will eventually come for them, too.
Maybe Buyer’s Remorse MAGA should also be out there protesting the use of the National Guard on American citizens.
While they still can.
Ugh. What an absolute shit show. I’m glad you’re not caught up in it, but still, that’s too close for comfort. Even from here is too close for comfort.
If there’s one silver lining, you nailed your title.
Thanks. It was pretty much a gimme title. I would rather be caught up in the shit, doing my part, then stuck writing about it because of physical limitations. But we all fight in our own ways.
Agreed. Particularly about the title.
The reports I’m seeing are horrifying. Stay safe!
I’d kind of rather be unsafe and feel like I am doing something. But physical protesting isn’t an option right now unless I wish to be a speed bump, sadly.
I was thinking about you and your Asian-American (is that even a descriptor?) husband. Seems like they are grabbing anyone. Stay safe. We have it here too but it’s not on the news and not as big.
They’re grabbing anyone who isn’t white and even a few folks who are white! Had to laugh at the German immigrant in New Hampshire who voted for Trump and got detained. FAFO!
All of us have ancestors (some more recent than others) who were immigrants. I sure hope my grandparents weren’t treated so poorly.
Sadly, treatment in the US had a lot to do with skin color. Still does.
I liked this. I know about the distorted coverage. (Portland in 2020 didn’t bear much resemblance to its portrayal in national media.) I don’t wish this on anyone, but I know they were going to do it somewhere. Glad they picked the fight where folks aren’t going to just back down.
There’s a lot of mariachi music and dancing going on.
The moron in chief needed something to distract from his disastrous tariffs and the petty bromance break up and thought, “ I hate Gavin Newsom, let’s invade California” It’s a slippery and dangerous slope, even the Marines he wants to deploy are against it. That man does nothing but stir discontent and fan hatred, he won’t be satisfied till half the country is in flames.
Deep down, Trump knows he sucks. It’s why he can’t bear any criticism.
“Keep ICE ashamed and afraid.” This is a good take on the masks. I’m amazed by what is happening, but also wonder if this will be a turning point we need to stop The Donald. The focus on the violence and illegality might be the nudge Americans need to come to their senses.
Americans may come to their senses, but will it be enough to stop the slide into fascism?
Oh my gosh. What an awful mess. One of the dad’s of students at my husband’s school got deported. That was so sad.
It’s heartbreaking. It’s unnecessary. Most Americans are here now because an ancestor (or 16) wanted a better life for their kids. And now we slam the door.
Trump is impatient. Things aren’t going well with the tariffs, Musk, and the Big Beautiful Bill. These small rallies in LA were no justification for sending out the not-asked-for National Guard. And now the Marines. I try to visualize this being dialed down, but it’s easier to see it heading in the opposite direction. I think he wants full martial law before the midterms, and I can’t see how we’re going to stop him. I hope somebody will figure it out.
It’ll probably come down to whether or not the folks with guns fire them. I hate this timeline.
That didn’t work in South Korea last December, let’s hope it won’t work in the USA either. I would hate to see that becoming a trend with state presidents in response to (most likely valid) criticism for their bad leadership. So if he wants to be a badass, he’ll pull a Putin, i.e, start a war to show he’s still got it.
I have a lot more faith in the backbone of South Korean politicians than I do in my own. That was some solid fighting and wall-scaling!
I love your posts because they always make me fist pump and say, hell yesh autumn THATS RIGHT! You’re always so spot on and speaking exactly what I think regarding ICE and trump. I was aghast when trump sent in the marines. A lot of people don’t realize that democracy dies when the military opens fires on civilians.
Also, the level of protest in LA would just be another Tuesday for France, where they have strikes and throw Molotov cocktails at historical landmarks when the government even suggests lengthening the work week from 38-40 hours. Trump needs to chill.
Really hoping things de-escalate in LA
Fist pump back at you. Never forget the 77 million Americans choosing not to believe VP Harris when she flat out told them Trump wouldn’t hesitate to set our own soldiers on us.
Clearly we need to burn some more cars and raise our game.
Fist pump back at you. 77 million Americans choosing not to believe VP Harris when she flat out told them Trump wouldn’t hesitate to set our own soldiers on us.
Clearly we need to burn some more cars and raise our game.
Sigh. No words.
I am glad to know that you’re safe, even though I understand how frustrated you are about being unable to get out there and join the fight in person.
The reporting is what’s getting to me – by which I mean the ridiculous, hysterical right wing media version. How they think we’re going to believe them, when we can see the images they’re voicing over prove they’re talking utter drivel. We’re rating Rachel Maddow atm – interested to know what other sources you’d recommend.
Oh, absolutely. The right is now simply making things up. Someone on social media said that being conservative is creating scenarios in your head to be outraged about–like trans women using urinals in women’s bathrooms–and then insisting they are reality.
Absurd. If only we could simply laugh at them, the problem is they’ve become too dangerous.
Thankfully you are okay. There seems to be so much more to it than what’s reported in the news. Following it all from Australia, it seems pretty tense. So much going on its hard to keep up or focus. What’s truth, what’s not, who really knows anymore. Stay safe.
It’s actually not very tense at all, in terms of protests. The National Guard and Marines are just standing around, doing nothing, instead of dealing with wildfires or something useful. However, masked assholes are still driving up to Latinos and yanking them off the street and sticking them in concentration camps. That’s pretty upsetting. Especially since they almost all either citizens or here legally.
Could provide this Canadian more info. sources to add to this reference of yours, AutumnB? https://stopaapihate.org/investigate-asian-deportation/
Completely agree – fantastic post. Just a matter of time before it starts in Britain…ugh!
At least there’s less weaponry in Britain?