Pearl River Reports on the broad and unconstitutional investigations launched by agents from US Homeland Security read like something from East Germany or the KGB files of years ago. Government agents unbound by law or ethics acting with impunity to surveil citizens involved in the simplest protest and targeting organizations and labor unions as potential activists and supporters involved in a conspiracy of domestic terrorism. All of this state-sponsored abuse was demanded by Trump and his government’s animus against any level of protest and opposition to his ruthless, deadly immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
The story headlined in the Times once again reminded all of us that there are no limits to the extralegal actions contemplated and implemented by Trump and his government. Under this administration, no one can pretend that we continue to be a nation under the rule of law.
Am I exaggerating? Heck, no, and here we go from the report:
As part of their inquiry, the documents show, homeland security used an array of invasive tactics … to gather information on many groups and individuals who were never accused of crimes, crossing the line that has traditionally stood between investigating criminal activity and political dissent. In one instance, officials used administrative subpoenas to obtain more than three years of financial records from the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group, and a labor union, the Communications Workers of America. That time frame went well beyond the civil unrest in Minnesota, which was prompted by the deployment of thousands of immigration agents to the state during the winter. In another, investigators scrutinized three years’ worth of wire transfers made by the nation’s biggest health care workers union, the Service Employees International Union, in what they referred to as an inquiry into “domestic terrorist financing.”
As soon as any of us might think, we have seen the worst of this administration, something bubbles up from their sewer like this to slap us up the side of the head for thinking we’ve seen it all, reminding us that we likely haven’t seen anything yet.
This witch hunt was all in service of the indictment of fifteen people who the US Attorney has accused of being part of antifa, an organizational mirage if there ever was one. Trying to pretend there was a conspiracy involving SEIU, CWA, the teacher’s union, and even the AFL-CIO to foment domestic unrest, rather than to fulfill their responsibilities to protect and advance the interests of their members, many of whom are immigrants, is simply inexcusable.
We are all left with a simple question now. Does this government recognize any rights that we have to oppose or protest their actions? It seems not.
We are left wondering now, who and what is going to protect us from our own government?