This is the kind of scenario one might expect in an authoritarian regime – not in a country that calls itself the cradle of democracy: Migrants show up voluntarily for their court hearings, and outside the courthouse, they are detained by heavily armed ICE agents. No warrant, no conviction, no flight. Just the “crime” of showing up and trusting the legal system.
In Phoenix, Arizona, this is now a reality. Multiple times. Among those arrested: mothers, fathers, young asylum seekers. People with pending cases, no criminal record, and no threat to public safety – just the hope for a fair hearing. They came with documents, lawyers, and family. And they were treated like fugitives.
The images are disturbing: A man in a suit – with no criminal history – is escorted by masked tactical agents. Women cry. Children stand in disbelief. Reporters like Ben Brown of ABC15 Arizona try to make sense of the chaos – but what’s happening here defies legal logic.
The message is chillingly clear: If you seek justice, you risk everything. Courthouses have become traps. The rule of law is being weaponized against those who trust it.
This tactic under the Trump administration and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is not just inhumane – it’s strategic. It aims to instill fear. If you don’t show up, you lose your case. If you do show up, you may be deported. It’s a system of intimidation that has long crossed the line from enforcement into repression.
One woman told a reporter: “Well, best not to come here to court. The truth. Don’t come. Don’t present yourself.” And you understand why.
What remains? A country that has discarded its own principles. A government that abuses the legal system. And people who were promised due process – and are now punished for believing in it. To stay silent in the face of this is to be complicit.
Wer schweigt, macht sich mitschuldig.
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