We’re Finally Seeing the “Evidence” Against the Migrants Deported by Trump. It’s Unbelievable.

[struth]

Struth again--playing constitutional scholar with a deck of flashcards and a bumper sticker understanding of due process. Let’s walk through this slowly, since nuance seems to keep slipping through your grip like a wet bar of soap.

“We have due process,” you say, as though just invoking the phrase is a magic spell that makes any state action righteous. But due process isn’t a decorative flourish--it’s the bedrock requirement that government action be fair, transparent, and grounded in evidence, not assumption, stereotype, or executive fiat. You can’t just slap “we have due process” on a boot and use it to kick people across a border.

You then pivot to, “The act allowing the deportation of aliens we are at war with is perfectly constitutional.” Really? You’re dusting off the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as your golden idol? The same act used to intern Japanese-Americans in World War II? That relic? Yes, it's still on the books, but deploying it in modern domestic gang cases is like using a cannon to swat a mosquito--and completely misrepresents the actual state of war powers and immigration law.

And finally, this gem: “If the gang wants to challenge being on the terrorist list, they can challenge it.” As if gangs are monolithic entities with a legal team on retainer. As if being labeled a "terrorist" organization doesn’t have enormous consequences that are often applied unilaterally, without trial, and with sweeping collateral damage to anyone remotely associated. That's not due process--that's guilt by proximity.

Let’s be clear: the Constitution doesn’t say “close enough.” You don’t get to trample people’s rights and then shrug, “They can sort it out later in court,” while they sit in a detention cell or get dumped in a country they haven’t seen since childhood.

Your argument isn’t constitutional. It’s authoritarian cosplay--spray-painted with just enough legalese to convince yourself you’re standing on principle when really you’re just standing on someone else’s neck.

We have due process.

And yes the alien enemes act hasn’t been ruled unconstitutional

 

[BluesLegend]

So once again, you have nothing but cheap insults, and calling me a liar. The whole world is laughing at you when your cheap ConMan president

If Canada is such a second right loser country why is Trump desperately trying to take us over?

You elected a convicted felon, rapist, and fraud artist who went bankrupt seven times, and you think you’ll be good for the economy.

I'm not calling you a liar, that is self evident by your posts. Why don't you concern yourself with finding a Canadian PM who's not gay as hell and stay out of our affairs.

 

[Seymour Flops]

I love it when your side claims I can't possibly me an independent thinker unless I think the same as you do.

Yep.

I thought about being a non-conformist in college, but their requirements for the uniform were too strict.

 

[struth]

View attachment 1093142

To cure the 'if' bit, that is the reason for due process.

What if?

 

[Crepitus]

Do your realise how many Republican Sheep on here will be talking stupid on this thread.

Uh, all of them I think.

 

[Crepitus]

It gets old, the attacks from the right who accuse we Democrats of 'hating America' because we back Boasberg. 'You support terrorists', they keep shouting. The reply is 'no, we support due process'. Without it, we lose our republic, so it is out of LOVE for America that we back the judge, for all he is interested is that those souls get a fair hearing, so that the innocent aren't sent to some prison where their hope of freedom will be lost, probably in a hellish place for a long long time. Consider this story, which emboldens our case for 'due process'.

So it has happened that the Trump administration, that erstwhile bastion of misrule, embarked on a ruthless campaign to uproot hundreds of Venezuelan migrants scattered across this vast land. They did so with the stealth of a jackal, executing deportations without notice or the dignity of due process. These unfortunate souls were dispatched to the unforgiving confines of a prison in El Salvador--a fate as ironic as it is tragic. Now, the curtain is finally lifting on the evidence marshaled against these exiles, and it is nothing short of preposterous.

Take, for instance, the case of Jerce Reyes Barrios, a professional soccer player--yes, a player who fled the suffocating grip of dictator Nicolás Maduro in search of freedom, only to find himself ensnared by the very apparatus designed to protect him. Barrios had settled in the United States, eagerly awaiting an asylum hearing when ICE agents descended upon him like vultures. The accusation? That he was a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, a claim rooted not in hard evidence but in the flimsy fabric of xenophobic hysteria.

What, pray tell, constituted the evidence against Barrios? Two items, both laughable in their absurdity. First, a tattoo on his arm--an innocuous crown perched atop a soccer ball, allegedly emblematic of gang affiliation. The truth, as his attorney Linette Tobin clarifies, is that this tattoo is a tribute to the Real Madrid soccer team, a fact as lost on the powers that be as a whisper in a tempest. Secondly, there exists a photograph in which Barrios is gesturing with both hands--a gesture misconstrued by the ever-suspicious agents as a sign of gang allegiance. Yet, in the world of American Sign Language, this very gesture signifies “I love you,” or is often embraced as a symbol of rock 'n' roll.

Such grotesque misinterpretations seem to be a recurrent theme among those caught in this legislative nightmare. Consider another migrant, referred to as E.V., whose tattoos depict anime, flowers, and animals, yet were grotesquely rebranded as indicators of gang ties. According to his attorney, the crown adorning his skin is not a badge of criminality but a heartfelt homage to his late grandmother.

The Kafkaesque nature of this ordeal escalates as we delve into the tales of others similarly victimized. One, known as J.A.B.V., bore tattoos of a rose, a clock, and his son’s name--all benign symbols that ICE agents twisted into evidence of criminal affiliation. Despite having lived without a criminal record, he was nevertheless shipped away on the flimsiest of charges. L.G. endured a similar fate, his tattoos--one a rosary, another his partner’s name--branded as marks of gang loyalty. The absurdity reaches new heights with Anyelo Jose Sarabia, who was accused based on a tattoo of a Bible verse and a rose adorned with petals of money.

One cannot help but feel a twinge of irony: many of these individuals sought refuge from Tren de Aragua, only to be demonized as members of that very gang. A particularly poignant case involves an unnamed migrant who had applied for asylum, fleeing from the very harm he now faces, yet was unceremoniously deported while living in a New York homeless shelter with his family.

The administration seems to operate under a perverse presumption that any Venezuelan migrant bearing tattoos must be, by default, a member of Tren de Aragua, guilty until proven innocent--a condition that becomes impossible in the absence of due process. Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, under the ludicrous belief it permits the expulsion of noncitizens without judicial oversight, exposes a shocking disdain for constitutional principles. The Department of Justice, ever the willing accomplice, hastens to bypass the courts, claiming that Trump’s decisions exist in a realm beyond judicial scrutiny.

This is not the first time such absurdity has reared its head. During Trump’s initial tenure, ICE made a habit of accusing noncitizens of gang membership based on little more than inked skin. A federal judge once accused ICE agents of perjury regarding the tattoos of a DACA recipient, ultimately liberating him from unlawful detention. The lesson learned, it seems, is that when afforded the privilege of due process, these victims can challenge the flimsy fabrications that the government spins around them. In response, the authorities have concocted new legal theories, intent on preventing judicial review of their actions.

The question remains: did ICE specifically target these men based on their tattoos, or were they rounded up first, with excuses fabricated later? These details warrant scrutiny, and soon the victims’ lawyers will be entitled to interrogate the architects of this dystopian scheme. What is essential now is that judges have the opportunity to sift through the so-called evidence, allowing the scales of justice to balance before this grotesque theater evolves into a full-scale assault on the constitutional rights of all immigrants.

As we observe this unfolding drama, one cannot help but wonder where the limits of absurdity lie in this creeping authoritarianism. In the grand tapestry of American governance, this chapter stands as a cautionary tale of a nation grappling with its conscience amid a cacophony of injustice. The time has come to demand accountability, lest we descend further into a quagmire of Trumpian madness and, yes, I'll say it, it needs to be said, it needs to be shouted on rooftops across America, TYRANNY.

I've been shouting a simple message since I joined this forum short while ago, it's called 'due process'. Some said the 'gang members' got DP, but, alas, I wouldn't trust ICE nor Trump to uphold 'due process', when Trump as literally defecated all over it, for some time, now.

As the delegates finalized the U.S. Constitution, Franklin, who was 81 years old at the time, exited the hall. According to historical accounts, a woman--often identified as Elizabeth Willing Powel, a well-known Philadelphia socialite and wife of Samuel Powel--approached Franklin and asked:

"Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?"

Franklin responded: "A republic, if you can keep it."

IF WE CAN KEEP IT.

I'd like to know who on this forum understands that, without upholding the core principle of due process, we won't 'keep it', it will be lost, we will become a republic of the banana variety? Please stand up a

Oh, I suppose I could holler 'I told you so', as, it seems, my chicken little predictions are coming to pass, and, are neither chicken, nor little. So......

What will keep our republic--our democracy--from falling apart? Pray for the following:

1. A balance of power among co-equal branches of government.
   We've lost Congress--too many members have donned kneepads for Trump--leaving us to rely almost entirely on the judiciary to hold the line.
2. A vigorous, independent press.
   The free press is not the enemy of the people--it’s the watchdog that keeps power in check and truth in circulation. It's the one institution that stands between tyranny and you, the citizen, it's the first amendment, and it's the first for a reason, where the second is important, but nothing protects us from tyranny more than a vigorous & free press. Note that I didn't say 'honest' or 'unbiased' because of the three, 'honest, 'bias', and 'vigorous' only the latter is not subject (as much) to interpretation.
3. A military that honors its oath.
   When they swear to defend the Constitution, it’s not just words. It’s a commitment to the rule of law, not to any one man or party.
4. A judiciary that defends the Constitution and the law.
   Judges who stand firm, even under pressure from a hostile executive branch, are the last bulwark of democracy. They must be willing to sacrifice popularity, power, or position in defense of constitutional principle.
5. We, the people.
   A republic doesn’t sustain itself. It lives or dies by the engagement, courage, and conscience of its citizens. If we stay silent while democracy is dismantled, we become accomplices. But if we vote, speak out, protest, organize, and refuse to surrender truth to propaganda--we become the immune system of the republic. No constitution, no court, no press can save democracy if the people don’t care to.

We’re Finally Seeing the “Evidence” Against the Migrants Deported by Trump. It’s Unbelievable.

We’re Finally Seeing the “Evidence” Against the Migrants Deported by Trump. It’s Unbelievable.

The Trump admin said a soccer player had a gang tattoo. It’s a tattoo of Real Madrid’s logo.

slate.com

After the Trump administration rounded up hundreds of Venezuelan migrants around the country—without notice or court hearings—and sent them off to a prison in El Salvador, we’re finally getting details on who was deported and why. And the more we learn, the more obvious it becomes why the government is so eager to expel these individuals without any semblance of due process. It claims that these men are terrorists by virtue of their alleged membership in the Tren de Aragua gang—but evidence of this affiliation is weak to the point of nonexistence.

Consider Jerce Reyes Barrios, one victim of the deportations: a professional soccer player who had fled Venezuela after protesting against dictator Nicolás Maduro and was living peacefully in the U.S. until the government snatched him up and deported him to El Salvador. Linette Tobin, Barrios’ attorney, submitted a declaration in federal court that detailed the disturbing reasons why her client was targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After entering the U.S. last year, Barrios was scheduled to have an asylum hearing in April. But on Saturday, he was arrested and held at a San Diego detention facility after ICE agents accused him of being a member of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang that President Donald Trump has been fixated on to fulfill his mass-deportation plan.

It was never anything but a side show for the faithful.

Gotta keep them tRumplings fired up or they might start to think for themselves.

 

[Crepitus]

Stupid, like fire-bombing Tesla dealerships and trying to get as many terrorists into the country as possible?
Stupid, like vaccinating people to make them sicker and make their kids come down with Autism?
Stupid, like whacking off kid's tallywhackers so they can't reproduce, while flooding the country with unvaccinated foreigners?

YOu need to back off the faux niws, kid.

That stuff'll kill ya.

 

[Seymour Flops]

I just want some clarity from the Democrats on here. You kind of seem to imply something, but not come out and say it.

So, straight answer: Is your goal for those men sent to that El Salvadore prison to be brought back to the United States and released on some kind of bond or monitoring?

 

[ThisIsMe]

So try to do something that’s not realistic and bound to fail as opposed to actually dealing with the problem.

What are you… a Republican?

What's realistic is cutting spending. Something you dems are opposed to.

 

[scruffy]

We have due process.

And yes the alien enemes act hasn’t been ruled unconstitutional

Illegal presence is sufficient for deportation.

There is PLENTY of precedent.

 

[struth]

Illegal presence is sufficient for deportation.

There is PLENTY of precedent.

Correct that alone is deportable

 

[Coyote]

They didn’t come in under due process, so why should they go out under due process?

I can never decide whether you are just clueless or genuinely cognitively stunted. Then I remembered, you’re a troll.

Due process applies to everyone. Even freaks like you.

 

[Coyote]

Actually many did. Asylum laws are due process

They don’t understand that because they don’t have a clue about what our asylum law actually is.

 

[Coyote]

Sadly, as when Lesh was adopted, they had to be paid to take them.*

They truly do not understand how bad it would be for Democrats in 2026 if one of their judges manages to bring back any of these thugs and they go back to hurting innocent people.

*Just kidding, Lesh! I’m sure you were a likable kid, not like now.

If you think due process should only be selectively applied…what will you do when someone decides it doesn’t apply to you?

The problem with rightists right now is they do not think beyond the immediate, about the consequences of the precedents they are racking up.

 

[Seymour Flops]

If you think due process should only be selectively applied…what will you do when someone decides it doesn’t apply to you?

I don’t think due process should only be selectively applied. The key is due process. Whatever process a particular individual in a particular circumstance is due.

Under expedited removal, illegal, alien, or not do a full court trial. Under the enemy aliens act, enemy aliens are not due a full court trial. If you were to read the enemy aliens act, you might actually find some valid criticism of the way the trump administration handled it.

But if you listen to the lies of the media, such as how it only applies when there is a declared war, you will not find the truth.

The problem with rightists right now is they do not think beyond the immediate, about the consequences of the precedents they are racking up.

are you concerned that someday a rogue administration might use the power of the department of justice, for example, to go after political enemies?

We had four years of that without me setting any precedent for it. so I don’t think I’m the problem.

 

[Coyote]

They aren't being charged with a crime. They aren't imprisoned. Going home is not a punishment. What kind of due process do you imagine these invaders are entitled to? A chance to deny they are here illegally?

Due process. They came seeking asylum, there is a legal process to be followed and part of it also includes not returning someone to a country where they are in danger of being killed if that is “home”.

What is wrong with due process?

 

[Coyote]

I don’t think due process should only be selectively applied. The key is due process. Whatever process a particular individual in a particular circumstance is due.

Under expedited removal, illegal, alien, or not do a full court trial. Under the enemy aliens act, enemy aliens are not due a full court trial. If you were to read the enemy aliens act, you might actually find some valid criticism of the way the trump administration handled it.

But if you listen to the lies of the media, such as how it only applies when there is a declared war, you will not find the truth.

are you concerned that someday a rogue administration might use the power of the department of justice, for example, to go after political enemies?

We had four years of that without me setting any precedent for it. so I don’t think I’m the problem.

First off, the use of the enemy alien act is complete BS.

 

[Rawley]

One professional soccer player was caught because he had a soccer ball with a crown tattoo. It was similar to a gang tattoo. That was all the evidence they had, and he didn't have a chance to contest the decision in court.
View attachment 1093129

Deported soccer player wrongly accused of gang membership over tattoo, lawyer says

Jerce Reyes Barrios' attorney said his tattoo was designed to look like the logo of his favorite soccer team, not a gang symbol.

www.usatoday.com

Biden's ICE locked him up last September. In case you haven't figured it out, there is more to this guy's story than his layer is telling you.

 

[BULLDOG]

Biden's ICE locked him up last September. In case you haven't figured it out, there is more to this guy's story than his layer is telling you.

So tell me about it. What proof do you have that he is a gang member?

 

[Rawley]

So tell me about it. What proof do you have that he is a gang member?

Me? None. But there is clearly a reason Biden had him locked up since September.