I remember that in Trump's first term there was an article about all the illegal immigrants that were employed at Trump's hotel & golf course in Bedminster, NJ. Sorry, I can't remember where the story was. But you can probably Google it.
Google "bedminster staff fake documents nyt" and you'll get a slew of articles, first 12/6/18. No longer a subscriber, so can't verify which articles I read. Note it was something of a scandal, Trump reacted by firing them and "putting it out there" that he would use e-verify from then on. Appears at least one deported. So the staff made statements against interest, as they knew they risked this.
Where I first heard about it was on the 4 part series with host Chef Andrew Zimmern called “What’s Eating America?” He interviewed a chef who had worked for Donald for many years & even received employee commendations for excellent job performance; but was fired abruptly when Trump entered politics & began immediately firing up his base with talk of “illegals.”
Well, he has to check these himself, as does not like them non-white, fat, ugly. I score two out of three, reason I am mopping my own floors and not the ones of Mar-a-Lago.
In case anybody is wondering, I discovered that some trolls can sneak in under the radar for a few comments before identifying themselves as full fledged MAGAnut cult trolls. Once that happens, I just quietly block them. This way, the troll won't see this comment, and I won't have to stomach any more of his/hers/its drivel.
I’ve noticed that so far, there has not been any big pushes to go raid hog, cattle, & chicken farms; nor any of the giant slaughterhouses & meat processors & packaging plants. No massive raises on all of the giant dairy cow farms either.
We have a niece who went to college in Nebraska. When I visited her there it was really interesting to see thr growth of a Spanish speaking population in a community about one hour from Omaha.
Likely immigrants came for jobs in meat and poultry processing plants.
and the plant said they had e-verified all its employees! ICE is just raiding wherever they want with no evidence. Most if not all of them should be ashamed.
Yes, I was aware of that. The beef, dairy, pork , chicken, & eggs tend to be heavily located in states that are pretty strongly red; which is why they don’t seem to have made the news very much.
Right, I think it’s pretty common knowledge that she can’t tolerate being around him, she only stays because of the money. I’ve heard that it’s in the renegotiated pre-nup that she gets paid an extra fee of at least $145K per public appearance with him.
Course not. The whole point of anti-immigration politics is to ensure there's a large underclass of people with no rights or legal protections who can be easily exploited for labor by people like Trump.
That "underclass" has been in the US for about 30 years or longer. Both parties, Dems and Reps, made money from big employers who needed the labor. There was and is even an "in-between underclass" of legal work-bound non-immigrants, always on the verge of self-deportation. No one ever cared about that.
What Trump does is possible thanks to existing legislation, which he applies cruelly. But there is nothing new under the sun. You are only now seeing it.
... no, I've been seeing it my whole life, thank you very much. I was saying this before "President Trump" was anything but a bad Simpsons joke. All he did was kick it up a notch.
The MAGAT bloodsport betting line to see who achieves the highest annual rate of deportations between PINO/TACO vs Obama 'The Deporter-in-Chief is real. But the matter of criminal vs noncriminal purges is moot. Donny's Team clearly wins the game because all illegal aliens are criminals as defined by Meister Miller Wormtongue. And that makes The Demented King real happy...until of course, as Dr. Krugman notes the costs of food, entertainment, housecleaning and construction triples before the next election.
Prez Obama's deportations also hurt a number of innocent migrants.
Entering the country without proper documentation is a misdemeanor. Working without permission is a civil offense. Hiring people who do not have permission to work is a criminal offense. Ergo, the wrong people are punished (again).
It’s been reported that green cards have been issued to his undocumented workers, which might account for his attitude change on hotel and other service industries John.
Please give me a source for "Green Cards issued to undocumented workers". That seems highly unlikely. Work permits or EAD's could be possible.
Trump industries used(abused) non-immigrant permits for internships, like the J-1 and the H-2B visas to hire people cheaply. But they were not the only one using these options.
Yeah, no. I suggest you sit on your front porch and wait for that to happen. But while you're waiting, you might want to stock up on supplies for the long haul (like, say, for the rest of your life...). ..
Well, I'm going to be sounding like a broken record now (remember those?) but I want to recognise @paulkrugman for giving us a daily dose of his succint commentary and wisdom, and for providing us the rather lively forum for discussion that I - for one, am having a great pleasure to participate in.
Paul had a remark about about the "sane-washing" that certain of the media appear to enjoy, when it relates to the rather non-sane and not at all normal literal words of his Highness.
Paul's commentary - in contrast, is simply and straightforwardly sane, and he is reminding us *not* to excuse, nor ever *normalise* Trump's askew-the-rails statements, ideas and behaviour.
"A “shift” never happened. A chaotic raid at a worksite and a warrantless sweep in our communities have the same outcome. Bullshit rhetoric aside, they’re hunting us down while we’re trying to feed you.
Stephen Miller is running the White House! Trump NEVER intended to in good faith perform the duties of the presidency! And now, his dementia makes him unable to even think straight! “They’re eating their dogs! They’re eating their cats”! I rest my case! Amendment 25!
It's a nice idea, but 25 would give us "President Vance". Oops. What we need is to remove the entire malignancy - the whole misadministration - along with Jackass Johnson and Grassley.
The best bet is for a blue tsunami in 2026 that would make Jeffries the Speaker - and next in line to take over the Oval Office - followed by impeachment and, hopefully this time, extrication.
Edit: Oh yes, and at least the two senior most members of the SCOTUS "gang of six", if not all six.
His dementia is worsening before out eyes! Did you see that pic of him at G-7? His hair (pelt) looked like it hadn't been washed in 10 days and his face looked like he went bobbing for apples in a bucket of burnt umber paint.
people were speculating early in the first day of the G7 meeting that Trump would find an excuse to leave early, because he can't hide his dementia for any longer (and he'd fall asleep.) And ... he did!
I think Heather Cox Richardson 's latest newsletter has a reference to reporters in DC who have noted that Trump infrequently appears in public, and that people are noticing how often he nods off when he does appear (callingthat ace reporter, Jake Tapper!).
If true it's possible that Stephen Miller IS running the WH..
Stephen Miller does not have the wheel at all times like he wants to, though. Good thing they aren't worried about all the hypocrisy, contradictions and backpedaling. He just has to override Trump's incoherent policy declarations by tweet when they're inconvenient.
I have just one small caveat: Trump almost certainly did not write that post. It was written from his official account and it closes with his initials, but even at his most lucid he did not use such sentence structure.
Functionally I guess it doesn't make a lot of difference: one way or another, it's chaos and flailing from the White House. But it is concerning to think that Miller or someone like him may be overriding the president and have this level of ability to communicate in his name.
Indeed! One give-away characteristic that tends to confirm that is that the message is *not* in all CAPS, and it also contains many sentences: Gadzooks, even paragraphs :)
This does not seem at all to be a manifestation of Mr. Trump’s trademark communication.
Yep, the lack of huge swaths in all-caps was the first giveaway. Also, the grammar is decent aside from the initial caps on nearly every noun.
I'm looking at a few of the adjectives and descriptive nouns (Democrat power center? WTAF) along with the excessively biting, grandiose, self-righteous tone. My money is on Miller as ghost writer. He's smart enough to compose such a screed, and displays the utter lack of self-awareness required to realize how little that shit sounds like something Trump would write.
Heather Cox Richardson’s latest piece regarding the White House’s abrupt policy about-face on this: “This shift makes it seem as if White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a white nationalist who insists that the U.S. must deport a million immigrants this year, is determining White House policies…”
You bet this policy shift and that vile post both have Miller’s bloody fingerprints all over them.
Thank you. Here is some help: Priests Standing Up at immigrant court cases- they will be harder pressed to be unjustly cruel:
The CATHOLIC CHURCH STANDS UP AGAINST TRUMP— The first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV has called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them.
Rev. Michael Pham, who was named bishop of San Diego, California, by Pope Leo in May, wrote a letter about the action on Wednesday, along with Rev. Felipe Pulido and Rev. Ramón Bejarano, both appointed by the previous pontiff, Pope Francis.
That won’t work any more, George. Why? Because as the Immigrants get word that they have a lifeline in the Catholic Community..Worldwide condemnation spreads quickly.. and they will run to the church to report their friend loved ones were refused due process. It is a powerful tool put into their hands.
Ah, a Good question. Might I hope it gives them pause to consider… and perhaps if they attend their chosen church regularly, they may now hear sermons that speak of the reason behind the new Pope Leo’s actions…”For I was hungry, and you fed me. For I was homeless and you sheltered me. For I was without clothes, and you clothed me.” Hearts can open, if they are truly followers of Christ…What say you?
But there has already been a suggestion that, as he is still an American Citizen (despite being now a sovereign monarch in his own right), he owes US taxes and could be taken to court for not declaring all of the Vatican's income as his. It's not going to happen, but it makes a nice contra-conspriacy theory.
Perhaps the heralded male followers of Trump who have time to listen to Joe Rogaine three hours a day can replace them on the farms and cleaning offices in the cities…the rest of the incels can join the Army and invade Greenland and Canada.
He's a lying, treasonous grifter who truly hates America and is trying to destroy it and line his own pockets along the way. He also appears to be in serious cognitive decline, so his terrible people are now running the show. This is not America. Most Americans are not so consumed by hatred, nor do they want to destroy our institutions or be ruled by a king. The GOP has enabled and allowed this and they must be held to account one day, as well as the leaders and the followers who are going to claim they are just following orders.
About 16% of American jobs are held by foreign-born workers, and unemployment is about 4%. There simply are not enough native-born workers to fill all the jobs America creates.
Tell that to the Dems, who called my H-1B husband a "job stealer" and told me I could not work here as that would mean another job lost for a US worker. I really wished economists would get their stories straight. I also wished you told us what you want before we immigrate, not afterwards.
You can read about Giovanni Peri’s research on how native born workers’ wages in southern Florida went up in the aftermath of the Mariel boat lift. Or any number of studies showing that immigrant labor makes the overall economy grow faster (producing more or higher paying jobs for native born Americans) than it would due to our aging native born workforce. Or just reread the original comment you replied to.
I sing in a church choir that is mostly MAGA and so was not surprised to hear one of the sopranos say something like... but he is going after criminals.
These people live in a news desert of their own choosing. Sadly they see Democrats as utter failures when in office despite all evidence to the contrary.
MAGA are in essence programmed to hate the other - the "libs" who they believe have destroyed America. The soprano about is solidly middle class - a retired nurse with a retired husband. They live is a beautiful home.... so are far from experiencing ruin.
Sorry but I said a little more but it is hopeless. And a choir, especially a small choir, must work to keep harmony. I have sung in this choir for 23 years and this woman has been in it for at least 18 years. And really - I would become an arrogant ass to rebuild her completely wrong world view.
It's not always realistic, or even human, Ed, to reject the people you know because they've adopted MAGA views. There are a lot of good people who are bamboozled by a steady diet of bullshit from Fox News and the like. You pick and choose your moments or you risk losing friends or family.
I consider even non maga republicans as complicit when they don’t take a stand against it. Really, it’s their monster; it’s really on them to act against the craziness and cruelty. I do to wonder if the real risk is keeping in contact with maga people. You have to consider that they may be far more radicalized than what they show in public. The Minnesota murder’s roommate seems to have been clueless about how dangerous he was.
Sorry but I only go to sing in the choir. The choir director is great. I am not a believer and don’t go except to choir rehearsal and performance. But in churches now - in suburban America - even NJ, MAGA is all over. One man I have sung with since 2001 is a conspiracy cook. (Did not know this for years);
One person in my Sunday School class confided to me that the reason ehg prices were so high is that Biden had ordered all the chi kens be killed. What is weird is that he is the ni est guy in person and volunteers at our church's food pantry.
And worse still there is some truth to it - that is the chickens that were infected were killed. But this is protocol not biden’s policy. The woman is my age and we both grew up in NJ in industrial suburbs. She is a sweet person but.... clearly clueless. And the man who is a conspiracy nut has been a good husband and father, stable worker. Great singer to sing with.. It is terribly say.
I realized the same thing. Seemingly ‘normal’ people have condensed this thorny issue to ‘getting rid of bad immigrants’ and nothing will dissuade them. And the incalculable damage being done in a larger scale. It literally does not exist for them.
As uncomfortable as it will be to do, at some point you are going to have to chose- speak up or allow the maga brainwashing to go unchecked. By going along you are helping it remain in place whether you like it or not. Your voice is needed not just for your choir….
Keep your choir and friends. I find that there are occasions when a little sanity can be slipped in. Confrontation won’t work. Sometimes you can slip on a “that isn’t my experience. I know someone….”
The teachings of Jesus are a good antidote to the hate.
Unless you watch the propaganda you aren’t at risk fo believing the lies.
So sad Terry, many of us are feeling alone and overwhelmed these days. You can get help for your trauma and your toil of love. Here are some contacts: Older adults in the U.S. experiencing mental trauma due to political stress, societal changes, or the emotional burden of caring for ill spouses have access to several organizations and support systems. These resources offer mental health support, counseling, peer groups, and specialized trauma-informed care.
National and Community Organizations
1. National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA)
• Focus: Advocacy, resources, and support for older adults with mental health needs.
• Services: Information on diagnosis, treatment, and caregiver support; advocacy for improved access to behavioral health services for older adults; resources addressing the unique challenges faced by seniors, including those related to political and societal stressors.
• Website: NCMHA Resources
2. Administration for Community Living (ACL)
• Focus: National network of agencies supporting older adults and people with disabilities.
• Services: Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and caregiver support programs. These organizations provide counseling, support groups, and respite care for caregivers, addressing both emotional and practical needs.
• Website: ACL Aging and Disability Networks
3. Jewish Federations of North America – Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma
• Focus: Trauma-informed care for older adults, especially those with a history of trauma.
• Services: Person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care for Holocaust survivors and expansion of this model to other older adults with trauma histories, including support for family caregivers.
Mental Health and Caregiver Support
4. Caregiver Support Groups and Mental Health Services
• Focus: Emotional and psychological support for caregivers, including those caring for ill spouses.
• Services: Counseling, therapy, peer support groups, and respite care. These services help caregivers manage stress, reduce isolation, and develop coping strategies for both personal and political distress.
• Examples: Local Area Agencies on Aging, caregiver resource centers, and organizations like the Family Caregiver Alliance.
5. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Focus: Peer support and mental health resources for those experiencing stress, including political and societal distress.
• Services: Free support groups, peer warmlines, and recovery learning communities. NAMI also offers post-election and political distress support resources.
Coping with Political and Societal Stress
• Professional Guidance: Therapists and counselors are increasingly addressing political distress as a clinical issue, offering strategies to set boundaries, manage anxiety, and process emotions related to political events.
• Community Support: Organizations and mental health professionals recommend joining support groups, engaging in community activities, and seeking counseling to help process political and societal changes.
How to Access Help
• Find Local Resources: Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or use the ACL’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers to locate services in your area.
• Join Support Groups: Many organizations offer both in-person and online support groups for caregivers and older adults experiencing mental health challenges.
• Seek Trauma-Informed Care: Look for organizations or providers trained in person-centered, trauma-informed care, especially if you or your loved one has a history of trauma.
Good advice Doc. but this is no longer something that can be ignored. Absolutely take precautions and distance yourself, but at a very minimum, call outs and stands for our innate rights are required now. That said, your call for caution is much appreciated. As we have seen, they will use force and pick up the gun. Gandhi stressed that peaceful resistance is an act of bravery and self-respect, not weakness. He called for people to face oppression without resorting to violence, even if it meant imprisonment or death. We already have examples.
This is one of the bedrock stances of MAGA - that the country is filled with criminals and terrible people who are out to get them, specifically. It's a combination of egotism and fear: they really think they're so visible and important that other people notice them, and that they're targets because of it.
"But this means sending people who may well be innocent — and legal residents — to horrifying gulags."
Back when the Constitution still mattered, we had this thing called the Eighth Amendment, which held (among other things) that "cruel and unusual punishments" shall not be inflicted.
Seems like deporting immigrants whose only "crime" has been a technical violation of their immigration status (which is really a "violation," like a routine traffic ticket) would qualify as a cruel and unusual punishment.
Particularly when they are deported to a foreign gulag.
Joseph I read several days ago that these deportees being sent to the South Sudan, as well as their federal guards, are being held up in Djibouti in unpleasant circumstances.
South Sudan is no ‘garden spot.’ I was there in 1954 while making a documentary SUDAN: LAND OF CONTRASTS. It’s been a troubled spot since February, 1955. The discovery of oil has enhanced its economic traction.
The travel advisory that the US Department of State recently gave for this country: "Updated to reflect ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to continued security threats in South Sudan."
"Do not travel to South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict."
Yes, he absolutely has done this and we need to rescue them.
I’m wondering where he is sending these latest immigrants rounded up in L.A. and elsewhere. I haven’t read any details of where they are and I’m worried he may be deporting to El Salvador or even Sudan under the radar…
An autopsy of Trumpkopf will find no brain. An autopsy of his henchman Miller will find no heart. King Scarecrow and his Tinman. That would leave Rubio as the Cowardly Lion, Bondi as the Wicked Witch of the East and Noem as Wicked Witch of the West.
Winston As a 12 year old I had the privilege of spending 30 minutes alone with Frank Morgan 9Wizard of Oz). A delightful individual who would never given Trump a brain, Miller a. Heart, or Rubio courage.
As for Bondi, the house would have crushed her MAGA gown while Toto’s pee would wash away Noem.
The surprising thing is that MAGA has spared Silicon Valley’s habit of bringing in immigrants for prestige jobs, immigrant doctors, etc. That’s entirely *legal* immigration but it’s interesting after Vivek Ramaswamy insulted Americans’ job skills and work ethic, they let the matter drop. Shows you how much influence Musk and friends still have.
It is not that easy anymore to bring an H-1B worker in. For several years already USCIS holds a lottery for under-the-cap permits, because of the high demand. There is a 1-in-3 chance the petition for a worker will be processed. Only 85,000 H-1B's are available under the cap. These are mainly filled by males (about 80-90%), mostly from India. (Jobs at colleges, universities, etc. are outside of the cap.)
Trump and his crooked cronies rig elections! Starting with Jeb Bush STOPPING the counting of votes in Florida in 2000 to illegally hand the presidency to his doofus brother! And it has continued for 25 years of Republican election fraud!
Hell, even Tricky Dickie's election was fraudulent. So was St. Reagan's. Let's not forget the deal his campaign cut with Ayatollah Khomeini to hold the hostages until inauguration day.
I wish Paul Krugman would interview an agricultural economist next. Estimates of the impact on the food supply and on the ability of farmers to stay in business with so many shocks (I.e. tariff induced losses of export markets, labor suppl reductions,,SNAP benefit limitations) is critical information to have.
PK thank you. Dismantling the myth of the criminal immigrant is one of my passions. Specifying the huge contributions immigrants make continues to be essential. Trump/Maga have succeeded in brainwashing the entire country with falsehoods and negative spin about immigrants. We need to change the narrative and get creative about path-to-citizenship solutions.
You cannot be law-abiding when you are present in the U.S. without a valid visa or other status, working without permission to work and then without paying taxes. Illegal aliens are law-breakers and should not be rewarded with citizenship or permanent residency for breaking numerous laws for years on end.
What dismantling? Family-based immigrants are welcome, work-based immigrants are not. The US does not want more immigration. And that is OK. The issue is that this country is not honest about it. Keeps talking about our "essential contributions". Any idea how many legal non-immigrants I have seen that had to self-deport?
Congress had 30 years to reform a broken immigration system. But nothing happened after the "anti-immigrant" legislation of 1996. That is an important source of the current misery. Without it Prez Trump c.s. could not do what they are currently is doing in such a cruel way.
Has ICE made a visit to any of Trump's hotels, golf courses and what about Mar-A-Lago?
I remember that in Trump's first term there was an article about all the illegal immigrants that were employed at Trump's hotel & golf course in Bedminster, NJ. Sorry, I can't remember where the story was. But you can probably Google it.
The New York Times. Long time employees, who had been furnished with fake documents by the Trump Org, came forward out of disgust with his rhetoric.
Link, please?
Google "bedminster staff fake documents nyt" and you'll get a slew of articles, first 12/6/18. No longer a subscriber, so can't verify which articles I read. Note it was something of a scandal, Trump reacted by firing them and "putting it out there" that he would use e-verify from then on. Appears at least one deported. So the staff made statements against interest, as they knew they risked this.
Thx. Followed the thread. But really, is anyone surprised?
Yes, spam can be bad for my health. So I won't click on your link. And neither should others!
Report the comment. I can’t because thanks to a Substack bug, report doesn’t work from an iPhone.
Done.
Nor with my Android phone, alas.
Check your settings I report all the time
It’s a fact Trump uses undocumented workers! Hy no raids on HIS businesses/resorts?
We will all assume that this is a rhetorical question. ;)
That's Kennedy you were thinking of.
Kenedy was ok with the help. We welcomed folks back then.
Where I first heard about it was on the 4 part series with host Chef Andrew Zimmern called “What’s Eating America?” He interviewed a chef who had worked for Donald for many years & even received employee commendations for excellent job performance; but was fired abruptly when Trump entered politics & began immediately firing up his base with talk of “illegals.”
I remember that Zim piece as well P. J. He was an interesting character in the Twin Cities for years, as a weatherman!!
They were from Costa Rica. And he used them for jobs that cost a lot, like bulldozer operations.
As I recall, he also favored undocumented immigrants from Eastern Europe...
Like the Polish immigrants he hired to destroy the the Bonwit-Teller scuptures.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/donald-trump-bonwit-teller-friezes-met-2132673
Right? Trumpkopf is well known for hiring undocumented workers - just so he can get away with indulging in wage theft.
Don't do as I do; do as I say.
That's the tyrants credo!
He probably uses the construction whereby you hire a firm that is legal. That firm then hires another form, that hires the illegal migrants.
He does, but he hires his domestic help directly.
Well, he has to check these himself, as does not like them non-white, fat, ugly. I score two out of three, reason I am mopping my own floors and not the ones of Mar-a-Lago.
He doesn't like them, but he likes exploiting them. Actually, he likes exploiting everyone.
He is a true American. That is why so many voted for him.
In case anybody is wondering, I discovered that some trolls can sneak in under the radar for a few comments before identifying themselves as full fledged MAGAnut cult trolls. Once that happens, I just quietly block them. This way, the troll won't see this comment, and I won't have to stomach any more of his/hers/its drivel.
I’m guessing HIS corporate donors that own farms, buildings, hotels etc will not be affected.
I’ve noticed that so far, there has not been any big pushes to go raid hog, cattle, & chicken farms; nor any of the giant slaughterhouses & meat processors & packaging plants. No massive raises on all of the giant dairy cow farms either.
We have a niece who went to college in Nebraska. When I visited her there it was really interesting to see thr growth of a Spanish speaking population in a community about one hour from Omaha.
Likely immigrants came for jobs in meat and poultry processing plants.
They did indeed raid a meat-packing plant in Omaha.
and the plant said they had e-verified all its employees! ICE is just raiding wherever they want with no evidence. Most if not all of them should be ashamed.
And this occurred after a Democrat, the first in decades, was inaugurated as mayor of Omaha.
Huh. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
Isn’t Omaha blue?
Omaha voted blue didn’t it?
But migrants were hunted in the strawberry fields. Located in CA.
Yes, I was aware of that. The beef, dairy, pork , chicken, & eggs tend to be heavily located in states that are pretty strongly red; which is why they don’t seem to have made the news very much.
Au contraire, this is already happening... Farms and meat processing plants ...
Meat processing plants, where? Any others beside Omaha?
For some reason, he appears to have exempted Texas and Florida, perhaps because they are solidly red states.
He's been totally transparent about it. He's only going after blue states and blue cities.
Exactly. It's a war. Trump's screed that Krugman posted says it all, filled with falsehood, the usual pretext for action.
Hi
tRump could have an entire Mexican Drug Cartel in residence at Merde à Lardo and ICE wouldn't get within 10 miles of the place.
Well T-Rumposaurus purportedly has a special weapon that establishes a certain perimeter
One hears quiet talk of a certain unpleasant odour, which it seems *nobody* wants to be around.
(Apologies to those still having breakfast. This is rather less tasteful satire on my part.)
When Jimmy Fallon asked Adam Kinzinger about it, Adam said it smells "like armpits and butt".
I think that Adam was just being polite about it :)
Melania has some clauses written into her nuptial agreement at this point I believe.
Likely, she rubs Oil of Wintergreen under her nose whenever she is required to be near hm.
I do fear that we are descending into a less laudable realm of discourse now. Ah well, it's all part of our human condition I suppose :)
I just read that Melania has spent 14 days at the White House since the Inauguration, which, if you're counting, was 147 days ago ...
She charges roughly 200, 000 an appearance, so they are limited to important events.
Right, I think it’s pretty common knowledge that she can’t tolerate being around him, she only stays because of the money. I’ve heard that it’s in the renegotiated pre-nup that she gets paid an extra fee of at least $145K per public appearance with him.
Course not. The whole point of anti-immigration politics is to ensure there's a large underclass of people with no rights or legal protections who can be easily exploited for labor by people like Trump.
That "underclass" has been in the US for about 30 years or longer. Both parties, Dems and Reps, made money from big employers who needed the labor. There was and is even an "in-between underclass" of legal work-bound non-immigrants, always on the verge of self-deportation. No one ever cared about that.
What Trump does is possible thanks to existing legislation, which he applies cruelly. But there is nothing new under the sun. You are only now seeing it.
... no, I've been seeing it my whole life, thank you very much. I was saying this before "President Trump" was anything but a bad Simpsons joke. All he did was kick it up a notch.
The MAGAT bloodsport betting line to see who achieves the highest annual rate of deportations between PINO/TACO vs Obama 'The Deporter-in-Chief is real. But the matter of criminal vs noncriminal purges is moot. Donny's Team clearly wins the game because all illegal aliens are criminals as defined by Meister Miller Wormtongue. And that makes The Demented King real happy...until of course, as Dr. Krugman notes the costs of food, entertainment, housecleaning and construction triples before the next election.
Prez Obama's deportations also hurt a number of innocent migrants.
Entering the country without proper documentation is a misdemeanor. Working without permission is a civil offense. Hiring people who do not have permission to work is a criminal offense. Ergo, the wrong people are punished (again).
Good that you saw it, but have you ever shared this view with your Representative in the House or your Senator?
We’ve known for ages that undocumented workers were hired to build his Manhattan towers and then went unpaid.
We'd never hear about it if it happened, I'm sure.
That's a big if. You just know they have explicit instructions to leave Trumpkopf properties alone.
I was wondering the very same thing John.
But I think I can already guess the answer :)
It’s been reported that green cards have been issued to his undocumented workers, which might account for his attitude change on hotel and other service industries John.
Did he pay for special “silver cards” for them - not as nice as the trump Gold immigration card, but lets you work for a pittance.
These do not exist. Many migrants would go for this, or better, are already doing this, working for a pittance.
Please give me a source for "Green Cards issued to undocumented workers". That seems highly unlikely. Work permits or EAD's could be possible.
Trump industries used(abused) non-immigrant permits for internships, like the J-1 and the H-2B visas to hire people cheaply. But they were not the only one using these options.
Yes, funny how Florida and the states where Trump has golf courses don't merit visits from ICE.
Also to cities such as Houston, El Paso, or any red state locations?
Yeah, no. I suggest you sit on your front porch and wait for that to happen. But while you're waiting, you might want to stock up on supplies for the long haul (like, say, for the rest of your life...). ..
They have hardly been doing any raids at all in red states, especially at big businesses like meat packing plants
Nothing wrong with short, Paul, as long as it’s accurate. ✅
Well, I'm going to be sounding like a broken record now (remember those?) but I want to recognise @paulkrugman for giving us a daily dose of his succint commentary and wisdom, and for providing us the rather lively forum for discussion that I - for one, am having a great pleasure to participate in.
Paul had a remark about about the "sane-washing" that certain of the media appear to enjoy, when it relates to the rather non-sane and not at all normal literal words of his Highness.
Paul's commentary - in contrast, is simply and straightforwardly sane, and he is reminding us *not* to excuse, nor ever *normalise* Trump's askew-the-rails statements, ideas and behaviour.
This was a nice
succinct article. 😊
Brevity is a virtue.
Nor with long. 😁
When isn't it?
What exactly are you implying, O nameless Female sock puppet?
But this from United Farm Workers:
https://bsky.app/profile/ufw.bsky.social/post/3lrrpacey2k2a
"A “shift” never happened. A chaotic raid at a worksite and a warrantless sweep in our communities have the same outcome. Bullshit rhetoric aside, they’re hunting us down while we’re trying to feed you.
Who’s actually in charge?"
Stephen Miller is running the White House! Trump NEVER intended to in good faith perform the duties of the presidency! And now, his dementia makes him unable to even think straight! “They’re eating their dogs! They’re eating their cats”! I rest my case! Amendment 25!
It's a nice idea, but 25 would give us "President Vance". Oops. What we need is to remove the entire malignancy - the whole misadministration - along with Jackass Johnson and Grassley.
The best bet is for a blue tsunami in 2026 that would make Jeffries the Speaker - and next in line to take over the Oval Office - followed by impeachment and, hopefully this time, extrication.
Edit: Oh yes, and at least the two senior most members of the SCOTUS "gang of six", if not all six.
Plus, DJT appointed all those cabinet officers—they’re loyal and Woukd never vote him out.
All handpicked, straight from the Project 2025 crew.
His dementia is worsening before out eyes! Did you see that pic of him at G-7? His hair (pelt) looked like it hadn't been washed in 10 days and his face looked like he went bobbing for apples in a bucket of burnt umber paint.
He looked very bad when the Canadian President was speaking. Slouching a great deal. And he left a day early to "deal with the Iran/Israel war."
people were speculating early in the first day of the G7 meeting that Trump would find an excuse to leave early, because he can't hide his dementia for any longer (and he'd fall asleep.) And ... he did!
He looked even worse later. The Times has a video clip of him hunched over as he walks and dropping papers. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/world/europe/trump-starmer-trade-uk-g7-summit.html
Maybe if we are lucky... (fingers crossed).
I think Heather Cox Richardson 's latest newsletter has a reference to reporters in DC who have noted that Trump infrequently appears in public, and that people are noticing how often he nods off when he does appear (callingthat ace reporter, Jake Tapper!).
If true it's possible that Stephen Miller IS running the WH..
I'm sure that he touches up Trump's shitposts on Truth Social. The syntax isn't totally chaotic as you would expect for full Trumpian.
I read recently that Trump has a staffer who posts for him on Truth Social. Not Miller, but an aide.
Stephen Miller does not have the wheel at all times like he wants to, though. Good thing they aren't worried about all the hypocrisy, contradictions and backpedaling. He just has to override Trump's incoherent policy declarations by tweet when they're inconvenient.
"Who’s actually in charge?"
The inmates of the asylum.
"Asylum"
Yes, that's a very apt choice of word for it Winston.
Sadly, there don't appear to be any professionals in the room capable of helping these forelorn souls.
That's because they're beyond help.
ICE is pretty much a rogue agency, no one has any control over them.
Depends on the day of the week.
2/3 of Trump's wives were immigrants, confirming your point that immigrants take jobs that nobody else wants!
Now that's funny!
I would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, sinners are much more fun (Billy Joel).
🤣
I have just one small caveat: Trump almost certainly did not write that post. It was written from his official account and it closes with his initials, but even at his most lucid he did not use such sentence structure.
Functionally I guess it doesn't make a lot of difference: one way or another, it's chaos and flailing from the White House. But it is concerning to think that Miller or someone like him may be overriding the president and have this level of ability to communicate in his name.
Indeed! One give-away characteristic that tends to confirm that is that the message is *not* in all CAPS, and it also contains many sentences: Gadzooks, even paragraphs :)
This does not seem at all to be a manifestation of Mr. Trump’s trademark communication.
Yep, the lack of huge swaths in all-caps was the first giveaway. Also, the grammar is decent aside from the initial caps on nearly every noun.
I'm looking at a few of the adjectives and descriptive nouns (Democrat power center? WTAF) along with the excessively biting, grandiose, self-righteous tone. My money is on Miller as ghost writer. He's smart enough to compose such a screed, and displays the utter lack of self-awareness required to realize how little that shit sounds like something Trump would write.
And yes. If we're trying to identify the Goebbels in this landscape, Miller seems the obvious pick.
Talk about the hard cases in the asylum. Yikes!
Goebbels was the propagandist, Himmler handled "deportations."
Yikes!
And of course cosmetic surgery was not really available in that era,
so he wasn't able to doll himself up for his pictures in the media :)
Possibly a little Steven Cheung in the mix?
You've got to feel a little sorry for that poor wraith. Talk about a living Hell!
Though I have zero pity for any of those ass hats
Pity is definitely a reach for people who are making such apparently conscious choices.
I can certainly go with 'lament' and sadly I do have to admit 'disdain.'
Good call
Heather Cox Richardson’s latest piece regarding the White House’s abrupt policy about-face on this: “This shift makes it seem as if White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a white nationalist who insists that the U.S. must deport a million immigrants this year, is determining White House policies…”
You bet this policy shift and that vile post both have Miller’s bloody fingerprints all over them.
Thank you. Here is some help: Priests Standing Up at immigrant court cases- they will be harder pressed to be unjustly cruel:
The CATHOLIC CHURCH STANDS UP AGAINST TRUMP— The first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV has called for priests, deacons and parish leaders to accompany migrants to court and stand in solidarity with them.
Rev. Michael Pham, who was named bishop of San Diego, California, by Pope Leo in May, wrote a letter about the action on Wednesday, along with Rev. Felipe Pulido and Rev. Ramón Bejarano, both appointed by the previous pontiff, Pope Francis.
https://www.newsweek.com/pope-leos-first-us-bishop-against-trump-ice-migrant-crackdown-2084985
Leo has only been Pope for a little over a month now, and I like him already. And I'm not even Catholic, or Christian for that matter.
Thank you, Pope Leo!
Pope Leo, Hand picked by Pope Francis—Born and raised in America, he is proving his roots are strong—Standing Up for the weak, taking on the Unjust.
Just like the Bible says--not like what Trump says.
That's leading by example. What a fine day it is:-)
ICE simply won't take them to court.
That won’t work any more, George. Why? Because as the Immigrants get word that they have a lifeline in the Catholic Community..Worldwide condemnation spreads quickly.. and they will run to the church to report their friend loved ones were refused due process. It is a powerful tool put into their hands.
But what do MAGA Catholics think? They exist, I’ve encountered them.
Ah, a Good question. Might I hope it gives them pause to consider… and perhaps if they attend their chosen church regularly, they may now hear sermons that speak of the reason behind the new Pope Leo’s actions…”For I was hungry, and you fed me. For I was homeless and you sheltered me. For I was without clothes, and you clothed me.” Hearts can open, if they are truly followers of Christ…What say you?
But there has already been a suggestion that, as he is still an American Citizen (despite being now a sovereign monarch in his own right), he owes US taxes and could be taken to court for not declaring all of the Vatican's income as his. It's not going to happen, but it makes a nice contra-conspriacy theory.
Good luck extraditing him from Vatican City.
Perhaps the heralded male followers of Trump who have time to listen to Joe Rogaine three hours a day can replace them on the farms and cleaning offices in the cities…the rest of the incels can join the Army and invade Greenland and Canada.
Sardonic!
Thank you
He's a lying, treasonous grifter who truly hates America and is trying to destroy it and line his own pockets along the way. He also appears to be in serious cognitive decline, so his terrible people are now running the show. This is not America. Most Americans are not so consumed by hatred, nor do they want to destroy our institutions or be ruled by a king. The GOP has enabled and allowed this and they must be held to account one day, as well as the leaders and the followers who are going to claim they are just following orders.
About 16% of American jobs are held by foreign-born workers, and unemployment is about 4%. There simply are not enough native-born workers to fill all the jobs America creates.
Oh, didn't you know? They're all sitting at home drawing checks from Medicaid.
Tell that to the Dems, who called my H-1B husband a "job stealer" and told me I could not work here as that would mean another job lost for a US worker. I really wished economists would get their stories straight. I also wished you told us what you want before we immigrate, not afterwards.
There are - just not below a living wage.
There aren’t enough native born, able bodied workers to replace “illegal” immigrants working here. There just aren’t. At any wage.
I don't believe that.
What you believe is irrelevant. What the facts say is.
Show me the evidence.
You can read about Giovanni Peri’s research on how native born workers’ wages in southern Florida went up in the aftermath of the Mariel boat lift. Or any number of studies showing that immigrant labor makes the overall economy grow faster (producing more or higher paying jobs for native born Americans) than it would due to our aging native born workforce. Or just reread the original comment you replied to.
I sing in a church choir that is mostly MAGA and so was not surprised to hear one of the sopranos say something like... but he is going after criminals.
These people live in a news desert of their own choosing. Sadly they see Democrats as utter failures when in office despite all evidence to the contrary.
MAGA are in essence programmed to hate the other - the "libs" who they believe have destroyed America. The soprano about is solidly middle class - a retired nurse with a retired husband. They live is a beautiful home.... so are far from experiencing ruin.
I hope you confronted him:her right then and there. Bringing ignorance out into the light.
Sorry but I said a little more but it is hopeless. And a choir, especially a small choir, must work to keep harmony. I have sung in this choir for 23 years and this woman has been in it for at least 18 years. And really - I would become an arrogant ass to rebuild her completely wrong world view.
find anothehr church because you just make it ok to be maga if you stay.....
It's not always realistic, or even human, Ed, to reject the people you know because they've adopted MAGA views. There are a lot of good people who are bamboozled by a steady diet of bullshit from Fox News and the like. You pick and choose your moments or you risk losing friends or family.
I consider even non maga republicans as complicit when they don’t take a stand against it. Really, it’s their monster; it’s really on them to act against the craziness and cruelty. I do to wonder if the real risk is keeping in contact with maga people. You have to consider that they may be far more radicalized than what they show in public. The Minnesota murder’s roommate seems to have been clueless about how dangerous he was.
THEY reject you and al you stand for yet you still allow the into your life? THAT is a tad sick....
Sorry but I only go to sing in the choir. The choir director is great. I am not a believer and don’t go except to choir rehearsal and performance. But in churches now - in suburban America - even NJ, MAGA is all over. One man I have sung with since 2001 is a conspiracy cook. (Did not know this for years);
One person in my Sunday School class confided to me that the reason ehg prices were so high is that Biden had ordered all the chi kens be killed. What is weird is that he is the ni est guy in person and volunteers at our church's food pantry.
And worse still there is some truth to it - that is the chickens that were infected were killed. But this is protocol not biden’s policy. The woman is my age and we both grew up in NJ in industrial suburbs. She is a sweet person but.... clearly clueless. And the man who is a conspiracy nut has been a good husband and father, stable worker. Great singer to sing with.. It is terribly say.
Not so, my Episcopal church, with an excellent semi-professional choir, is as traditionally liberal and anti-MAGA as anyone could want.
Well I meant Catholic curches. Full of anti abortiin etc
I realized the same thing. Seemingly ‘normal’ people have condensed this thorny issue to ‘getting rid of bad immigrants’ and nothing will dissuade them. And the incalculable damage being done in a larger scale. It literally does not exist for them.
There’s not much you can do with hardcore MAGAs.
Call them out to make them public and commit openly to their hateful beliefs.
I wouldn’t do it in a social setting like a choir.
It wouldn’t do any good anyway. MAGA will only change if they suffer due to Trump—like getting cut off Medicaid.
As uncomfortable as it will be to do, at some point you are going to have to chose- speak up or allow the maga brainwashing to go unchecked. By going along you are helping it remain in place whether you like it or not. Your voice is needed not just for your choir….
Sorry but I am old, tired and caring for a bed ridden wife. I have enough on my plate. I need an outlet. Maybe after my wife dies.
Keep your choir and friends. I find that there are occasions when a little sanity can be slipped in. Confrontation won’t work. Sometimes you can slip on a “that isn’t my experience. I know someone….”
The teachings of Jesus are a good antidote to the hate.
Unless you watch the propaganda you aren’t at risk fo believing the lies.
So sad Terry, many of us are feeling alone and overwhelmed these days. You can get help for your trauma and your toil of love. Here are some contacts: Older adults in the U.S. experiencing mental trauma due to political stress, societal changes, or the emotional burden of caring for ill spouses have access to several organizations and support systems. These resources offer mental health support, counseling, peer groups, and specialized trauma-informed care.
National and Community Organizations
1. National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging (NCMHA)
• Focus: Advocacy, resources, and support for older adults with mental health needs.
• Services: Information on diagnosis, treatment, and caregiver support; advocacy for improved access to behavioral health services for older adults; resources addressing the unique challenges faced by seniors, including those related to political and societal stressors.
• Website: NCMHA Resources
2. Administration for Community Living (ACL)
• Focus: National network of agencies supporting older adults and people with disabilities.
• Services: Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and caregiver support programs. These organizations provide counseling, support groups, and respite care for caregivers, addressing both emotional and practical needs.
• Website: ACL Aging and Disability Networks
3. Jewish Federations of North America – Center on Holocaust Survivor Care and Institute on Aging and Trauma
• Focus: Trauma-informed care for older adults, especially those with a history of trauma.
• Services: Person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) care for Holocaust survivors and expansion of this model to other older adults with trauma histories, including support for family caregivers.
Mental Health and Caregiver Support
4. Caregiver Support Groups and Mental Health Services
• Focus: Emotional and psychological support for caregivers, including those caring for ill spouses.
• Services: Counseling, therapy, peer support groups, and respite care. These services help caregivers manage stress, reduce isolation, and develop coping strategies for both personal and political distress.
• Examples: Local Area Agencies on Aging, caregiver resource centers, and organizations like the Family Caregiver Alliance.
5. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Focus: Peer support and mental health resources for those experiencing stress, including political and societal distress.
• Services: Free support groups, peer warmlines, and recovery learning communities. NAMI also offers post-election and political distress support resources.
Coping with Political and Societal Stress
• Professional Guidance: Therapists and counselors are increasingly addressing political distress as a clinical issue, offering strategies to set boundaries, manage anxiety, and process emotions related to political events.
• Community Support: Organizations and mental health professionals recommend joining support groups, engaging in community activities, and seeking counseling to help process political and societal changes.
How to Access Help
• Find Local Resources: Contact your local Area Agency on Aging or use the ACL’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers to locate services in your area.
• Join Support Groups: Many organizations offer both in-person and online support groups for caregivers and older adults experiencing mental health challenges.
• Seek Trauma-Informed Care: Look for organizations or providers trained in person-centered, trauma-informed care, especially if you or your loved one has a history of trauma.
It's a nice idea, but would be an exercise in futility. These MAGAnuts are beyond reason and beyond reach.
Yes. It's probably best to maintain a safe distance from persons who are setting themselves on fire.
Some of these folks do seem quite determined 'flamers.'
Sorry: I'm allowing myself to be drawn in :)
Good advice Doc. but this is no longer something that can be ignored. Absolutely take precautions and distance yourself, but at a very minimum, call outs and stands for our innate rights are required now. That said, your call for caution is much appreciated. As we have seen, they will use force and pick up the gun. Gandhi stressed that peaceful resistance is an act of bravery and self-respect, not weakness. He called for people to face oppression without resorting to violence, even if it meant imprisonment or death. We already have examples.
Amen
This is one of the bedrock stances of MAGA - that the country is filled with criminals and terrible people who are out to get them, specifically. It's a combination of egotism and fear: they really think they're so visible and important that other people notice them, and that they're targets because of it.
"But this means sending people who may well be innocent — and legal residents — to horrifying gulags."
Back when the Constitution still mattered, we had this thing called the Eighth Amendment, which held (among other things) that "cruel and unusual punishments" shall not be inflicted.
Seems like deporting immigrants whose only "crime" has been a technical violation of their immigration status (which is really a "violation," like a routine traffic ticket) would qualify as a cruel and unusual punishment.
Particularly when they are deported to a foreign gulag.
Are we still sending people to gulags? I’m not sure what is meant when articles report that we are “deporting” people. Where are we sending them?
South Sudan for some of them.
I don't think that destination was based on any of the deportees actually being from South Sudan.
https://apnews.com/article/deportation-immigration-south-sudan-department-of-homeland-security-a09612dbd055c5d1d88902c415bdf3e6
That article is a few weeks old; hopefully the several court orders against the deportations have returned the process to sanity.
Joseph I read several days ago that these deportees being sent to the South Sudan, as well as their federal guards, are being held up in Djibouti in unpleasant circumstances.
South Sudan is no ‘garden spot.’ I was there in 1954 while making a documentary SUDAN: LAND OF CONTRASTS. It’s been a troubled spot since February, 1955. The discovery of oil has enhanced its economic traction.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011.
The travel advisory that the US Department of State recently gave for this country: "Updated to reflect ordered departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel due to continued security threats in South Sudan."
"Do not travel to South Sudan due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict."
Thanks so much for clarifying for me. Much appreciated.
I’ve haven’t read about any more shipments to the El Salvador prison.
The Trump Administration has sent some immigrants who are entirely innocent to notorious foreign prisons from which the only exit is in a coffin.
Yes, he absolutely has done this and we need to rescue them.
I’m wondering where he is sending these latest immigrants rounded up in L.A. and elsewhere. I haven’t read any details of where they are and I’m worried he may be deporting to El Salvador or even Sudan under the radar…
Let’s hope they’re being deported to their homelands.
For some of the asylum seekers, that’s a death sentence.
Apart from the misery and economic havoc Caving Don and his cronies will inflict - I'm curious which faction is going to win this fight.
My guess is - caving Don will do a weekly flip flop. Hey people, it's flip flop week again!
An autopsy of Trumpkopf will find no brain. An autopsy of his henchman Miller will find no heart. King Scarecrow and his Tinman. That would leave Rubio as the Cowardly Lion, Bondi as the Wicked Witch of the East and Noem as Wicked Witch of the West.
Does a big white house fall on them?
We can only hope.
Republican congress-flying monkeys
Your remark reminds me of that scene in 'Young Frankenstein' when Eyegor (Marty Feldman's character) comes back with the wrong brain.
After breaking the glass with the genius's brain in it, he grabs the next one along on the shelf.
Gene Wilder's character (Dr. Frankenstein) then asks him:
"Well whose brain is *this* then?"
Eyegor:
"Abby something. Oh: Abby Normal."
That was classic.
Winston As a 12 year old I had the privilege of spending 30 minutes alone with Frank Morgan 9Wizard of Oz). A delightful individual who would never given Trump a brain, Miller a. Heart, or Rubio courage.
As for Bondi, the house would have crushed her MAGA gown while Toto’s pee would wash away Noem.
The surprising thing is that MAGA has spared Silicon Valley’s habit of bringing in immigrants for prestige jobs, immigrant doctors, etc. That’s entirely *legal* immigration but it’s interesting after Vivek Ramaswamy insulted Americans’ job skills and work ethic, they let the matter drop. Shows you how much influence Musk and friends still have.
It's all about prostituting the job market - and 'holding the line on "upward salary pressures"'.
It is not that easy anymore to bring an H-1B worker in. For several years already USCIS holds a lottery for under-the-cap permits, because of the high demand. There is a 1-in-3 chance the petition for a worker will be processed. Only 85,000 H-1B's are available under the cap. These are mainly filled by males (about 80-90%), mostly from India. (Jobs at colleges, universities, etc. are outside of the cap.)
Many are angry about it, but there’s not much they can do.
Trump comes from Cop Fed Television. So who rigs elections Don?
Trump and his crooked cronies rig elections! Starting with Jeb Bush STOPPING the counting of votes in Florida in 2000 to illegally hand the presidency to his doofus brother! And it has continued for 25 years of Republican election fraud!
Hell, even Tricky Dickie's election was fraudulent. So was St. Reagan's. Let's not forget the deal his campaign cut with Ayatollah Khomeini to hold the hostages until inauguration day.
In 2011, Alabama cracked down on migrant workers...and the tomatoes rotted in the fields and the farmers lost their shirts. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/oct/14/alabama-immigration-law-workers
I wish Paul Krugman would interview an agricultural economist next. Estimates of the impact on the food supply and on the ability of farmers to stay in business with so many shocks (I.e. tariff induced losses of export markets, labor suppl reductions,,SNAP benefit limitations) is critical information to have.
PK thank you. Dismantling the myth of the criminal immigrant is one of my passions. Specifying the huge contributions immigrants make continues to be essential. Trump/Maga have succeeded in brainwashing the entire country with falsehoods and negative spin about immigrants. We need to change the narrative and get creative about path-to-citizenship solutions.
You cannot be law-abiding when you are present in the U.S. without a valid visa or other status, working without permission to work and then without paying taxes. Illegal aliens are law-breakers and should not be rewarded with citizenship or permanent residency for breaking numerous laws for years on end.
What dismantling? Family-based immigrants are welcome, work-based immigrants are not. The US does not want more immigration. And that is OK. The issue is that this country is not honest about it. Keeps talking about our "essential contributions". Any idea how many legal non-immigrants I have seen that had to self-deport?
Congress had 30 years to reform a broken immigration system. But nothing happened after the "anti-immigrant" legislation of 1996. That is an important source of the current misery. Without it Prez Trump c.s. could not do what they are currently is doing in such a cruel way.