The harvest rots unpicked: ICE in CA
“Wherever little children are hungry and cry, Wherever people ain't free. Wherever men are fighting for their rights, That's where I'm a-gonna be." - W. Guthrie
Editor’s Note: It’s July 14. 236 years ago, a disorganized group French people — unemployed street people, apprenticed youth, disgruntled low wage workers, radical leaders, survivors of military expeditions who didn’t get medical care or jobs, and many angry women — banded together and overwhelmed an organized police force to let everyone out of a notorious prison — thieves and murderers as well as political prisoners.
This event is celebrated every year as Bastille Day, by revolutionaries across the world. Of course, it didn’t end all that well. It went too far. There were purity tests and a blood bath. An emperor. Some wars of expansion. More death. Another king. And finally, a republic.
We can learn a lesson from the French. A lesson they didn’t quite learn from us.
A government of laws, not men
By Sabra Briere
Anyone who is looking for a ray of sunshine to break through these dark clouds of autocracy that seem to overwhelm us on a daily and hourly basis can find hope, here and there, in the courts. Oh, not all the courts, and certainly not all law enforcement. But when there is a ray of hope, my goodness, it can be blindingly bright.
On July 10, a Federal Court in New Hampshire granted a nation-wide injunction to the current president’s executive order denying birthright citizenship. Signed on January 20 by the current president, the executive order states that the US will no longer “issue documents recognizing United States citizenship” to any children born on American soil to parents who were in the country unlawfully or were in the states lawfully but temporarily.
Judge Joseph Laplante issued the injunction on the basis of a class-action suit filed by ACLUs and a variety of other civil rights organizations. The injunction is on a temporary hold until July 17 to allow the Federal government to try to find a loophole to the ruling try to get the First Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the relief, if it decides to pursue that option. Even with a 7-day delay, the ruling will go into effect well before July 27, when partial implementation of the unconstitutional order might otherwise have begun.
July 11 was a busy day for great decisions. The big bad bill that just passed in MAGACongress included a measure to completely eliminate Planned Parenthood from the list of allowed Medicaid providers — not because PP uses Medicaid funds fraudulently, or to provide abortions, which is already illegal, but just to make all access to reproductive health and women’s health more difficult. Federal District Court Judge Indira Talwani entered an amended temporary restraining order that prevents the current president’s regime from enforcing this measure until at least July 21 because it would severely disrupt patient care. More lawsuits to follow.
The demonstrations in LA against ICE were vigorous, but what was consistently wrong was the was the LAPD fired their non lethal weapons at the press, severely injuring several. Judge Hernán Vera in Los Angeles just ordered the LAPD to stop assaulting, detaining, and using nonlethal ammunition against journalists who are covering protests. He also ordered them to stop trying to limit journalists’ movements by force.
And in another courtroom, a Federal Court issued a temporary restraining order that legally stops all random ICE enforcement actions in a seven (7) county area — including Los Angeles — in Southern California. Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, said there is "a mountain of evidence" to support the claim that agents are arresting people solely based on their race, accents, or the work they're engaged in, in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable government seizure.
Some of the people detained, of course, have not been truly arrested because they were later able to prove they are citizens. Those people have been released, without apology, and without any guarantee that they would not be swept up again in a later quasi-legal raid. Children, old women, working people, students — none of that matters. So-called ICE agents demanded to know what hospital you were born in (do you know that? I bet my son doesn’t.) and asked for passports to verify citizenship (I don’t carry mine around) and — when presented with a Real-ID, rejected its validity and refused to return it.
Here’s part of Judge Frimpong’s order. It’s worth the read — and should make you smile.
As we enter Good Trouble Lives On week, let’s remember that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
On our minds - Immigrants (and those who might be)
By Sabra Briere
Back before the election, entirely too many of our friends and family members had become convinced, somehow, that all immigrants were sneaking across the border, carrying weapons and drugs, hiding in the bushes, carrying fentanyl which they would give to our naive children like candy, and intending to (pick your crime). Or something like that. And they would feast on our pets.
It was a confusing time.
That image of the ‘out of control and dangerous other’ has been used in our country for generations to control the general public and turn us against each other. And somehow, we never learn that it’s a lie.
It was somehow easy for us to agree that the current president and his minions should do what (we were told) President Biden failed to do — round up all these violent criminals and remove them from our country, immediately. But now, reality is setting in. There weren’t that many violent (or even freeloading) immigrants, after all.
Instead, ICE goes after hardworking people who provide services to, well, lots of us. We’ve seen those hardworking people going to immigration court to become citizens, only to be kidnapped. We’ve seen ICE leave children alone in a truck while they kidnap the parent. We’ve even seen the abandoned pets, left home with no one to care for them.
And we’ve seen the neighbors and friends try to intervene.
The result is hearts and minds are changing.
A very recent Gallup poll shows these changes, although we can see them for ourselves. Last week’s Community Conversation — and the one in June — was not only well attended, it generated the most follow-up conversation I’ve heard. And the questions and comments continue to roll in.
The anger at ICE, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Tom Homan, and ultimately the current president is palpable.
The demand for a mass protest has grown.
Today we learn that people unlawfully ‘detained’ have again been released — a military veteran swept up in the raids in Camarillo. But Jonathan Caravello, a math and philosophy lecturer at CalState Channel Islands, remains in custody as near as I can tell. ICE was firing tear gas at demonstrators during those raids in Camarillo, and one rolled under the wheelchair of a legal observer who struggled to breathe or move. Professor Caravello had reportedly rushed over to help when he was tackled by agents. He’s being charged with assaulting law enforcement for throwing the tear gas canister back at those officers.
While Kristi Noem assures us that ICE and Homeland Security will continue to follow the current president’s agenda and will ultimately win in court, let’s hope that even the MAGA members of the Supreme Court cannot ultimately justify their actions.
What can you do?
Here are opportunities to take action that we heard about at our most recent Community Conversation event!
Bob Burnett was born in Hollywood and attended Stanford. He became a denizen of Silicon Valley and helped found Cisco Systems. After retiring he has dabbled in political activism, founding an Indivisible group in Berkeley, and now volunteering here in Sonoma County. He will be writing a regular column. Lucky us.
Trump 47: Five Scenarios
by Bob Burnett
With the passage of Donald Trump’s key initiative, the “big bad bill,” the Administration has completed its goals for the first six months of Trump’s second term: their team is in place, they have reshaped the federal bureaucracy, and they have rewarded their wealthy donors with mammoth tax cuts.
The Trump 47 White House team is much more effective than was the Trump 45 team. Even though Donald Trump is chaotic, his staff has relentlessly moved his agenda forward.
What could derail the Trump juggernaut? Here are five scenarios that describe events that could thwart Trump 47.
1.Natural Disasters: This is the most likely scenario.
Despite Republican science denial, the US will continue to experience extreme climate events. (The horrendous Texas flash floods are a recent example.) This scenario also includes devastating pandemics such as Covid, Dengue, and Ebola.
The Trump Administration is so weak that the US is likely to suffer through multiple climate/health disasters in the next 18 months. These events will be characterized by inadequate preparation, poor communication, insufficient FEMA aid, and multiple calls for prayers.
Scenario 1 will drive down Trump’s poll numbers.
2. Economic Malaise: A likely scenario.
Trump won the presidency because voters believed he would handle the economy better than Kamala Harris. Voters expected Trump to bring down inflation. Instead, inflation has gone up: while energy prices have dropped, food and rent increased.
Trump’s tariffs threaten to derail the economy. Meanwhile, the dollar is weakening and there are signs that the US is no longer regarded as a trustworthy global business partner.
The economy will be a potent midterm political issue for Democrats, increasing the likelihood Democrats win control of Congress.
3. Civil Unrest: This is the scenario Trump expects.
Donald Trump’s strategy for the midterms is to provoke civil unrest (using ICE), declare martial law, and cancel the election. The staged ICE event at LA’s MacArthur Park is an example.
We MUST respond to ICE provocations nonviolently. Indivisible — and the resistance in general — must stand up to Trump but do so with disciplined nonviolence.
4. Terrorist Attack: A possible horrific scenario.
Because Donald Trump declared war on Iran, the citizens of the United States are in danger. Iran is likely to launch attacks on American civilians.
Trump 47 is ill prepared for such an event. The individuals Trump chose to head the agencies responsible for domestic security – Pam Bondi (DOJ), Kristi Noem (DHS), and Kash Patel (FBI) – are incompetent. Trump has weakened our defenses against terrorism. (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/us/politics/trump-loomer-haugh-cyberattacks-elections.html? )
The United States is in a situation eerily like the one that we were in before 9/11/2001. In that case, President George W. Bush was warned of an eminent terrorist attack but did not respond appropriately. In this case, Donald Trump has been warned but is not focused on protecting Americans from an external enemy but instead obsessed with mass deportation.
5. Trump’s Health: A scenario that needs to be discussed.
Trump’s father, Fred, suffered from dementia the last eight years of his life. Donald shows signs of dementia. It is possible that he will be incapacitated during the next 42 months.
If Trump has a major neurological event, we cannot count on the Administration to be honest about it. Trump could be incapacitated for an extended period, and we would not be sure who was making decisions at the White House; it might be Don Junior, Stephen Miller, or someone similarly awful.
Worse yet, Trump might appear normal but suffer from the delusion that his only trustworthy friends are Bibi Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin. Trump’s decision making is always questionable; it will get worse during the next 42 months.
Summary: Donald Trump’s strategy for the midterms is to provoke civil unrest, declare martial law, and cancel the election. We must prepare for this scenario.
During the next 18 months we are likely to experience severe natural disasters. It is also possible the US economy will slide into recession. If we organize effectively in 2026, we should be able to win control of Congress — if there is an election.
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it, and hold on,” Franklin D. Roosevelt
Guest Editorials
Letters from an American
Heather Cox Richardson
[Kristi Noem told Sen. Richard Blumenthal:] “The American people overwhelmingly in the last election said, ‘We want a secure border, we want to make sure no longer are the scales of justice tipped in the favor of criminals….’” A recent video posted to Facebook Reels by the Department of Homeland Security makes it clear Noem’s justification was cover for a violent Christian nationalist vision in which ICE and the Border Patrol are enforcing God’s commandments. A dark film invokes Isaiah 6:8, the Bible verse in which God asks, “Whom shall I send?” and Isaiah answers, “Here am I! Send me.” The exchange is widely interpreted to show volunteers willing to do God’s work.
A poll released Friday makes it clear that the American people do not support such a vision and did not, in fact, expect a Trump administration to deport undocumented immigrants who have no criminal record and have lived in the U.S. for years.
The Contrarian
Jennifer Rubin
Stopping Trump isn’t Enough
It’s time to hold lawbreakers accountable
We are in this fix because Congress is controlled by spineless MAGA lackeys, and an unhinged MAGA majority on the Supreme Court has shielded Trump (and by extension his minions) from criminal liability, given him enough wiggle room to evade lower court orders, and facilitated a huge expansion of executive power. Until voters can throw out MAGA lawmakers, install a constitutionally compliant president, and undertake meaningful Supreme Court reform, creative, alternative mechanisms may be the only way to halt or at least slow down Trump’s ongoing schemes to uproot the rule of law.
America On the Precipice by Richard North Patterson
The Rising Contempt for Government
The GOP’s perpetual mantra is that the government is replete with unparticularized “waste, fraud, and abuse” – a decades old catch phrase almost as tiresome as the "thoughts and prayers" Republicans offer after the latest massacre by gunfire at an elementary school. No doubt there is waste to be found in the recesses of our government, and too often its processes are cumbersome. But it is grossly unfair to disparage the body of dedicated civil servants who make this country work.
Here, as elsewhere, the GOP doesn't care about fairness - let alone that the overwhelming preponderance of federal spending goes to things we all want and need: national defense, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Or that much of the rest goes to interest payments on a deficit largely created by the GOP.
Instead, this parody of federal governance serves their political purpose: portraying government as a vehicle for transferring money from honest taxpayers to moochers who, by implication, are often nonwhite.
In case anyone's wondering, the Guthrie quote is from his song "The Ballad of Tom Joad," which is adapted from "The Grapes of Wrath." It's been recorded a few times, but for me, this is the definitive version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHcwZyl27QI&t=86s
And here's the passage from "Grapes" that it's summarizing:
I’ll be all aroun’ in the dark. I’ll be ever’where— wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop bearin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’— I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build— why, I’ll be there.
Democrat policy regarding labor has not altered one iota of a degree since the Civil War. They have shown who they are; now it is time to believe them.
https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/apple-dont-fall-far-from-the-tree