Here’s the thing about Donald Trump 2.0: The slapdash chaos of his first term has solidified into something more deliberate. He’s no longer just winging it like an insult comic. Now, he’s got a plan, and the theme is callousness.
Take, for example, the Venezuelan immigrants he sent to an El Salvador “detention center.” One of the “dangerous criminals” was a 31-year-old gay barber and makeup artist named Andry — with no indication of any gang affiliation or criminal activity.
Not exactly Pablo Escobar, but the point was never really about deporting violent criminals. The point was a warning to anyone who wants to come to America: Don’t come here. Or, if you’re already here, get out.
Or take Rumeysa Ozturk, the Turkish grad student at Tufts. One minute, she’s walking down the street; the next, masked agents are stuffing her into an unmarked SUV like she’s some cartel boss. She’s now in a Louisiana detention center, waiting to be deported. Her crime? Co-writing an op-ed critical of Israel.
It’s not my politics, but it’s also not a crime. At least, it didn’t used to be. Regardless, even if one believes she should be deported, Ozturk could have been peacefully detained in a more civilized manner. But then, you’ve got to break some eggs if you’re going to make an omelette, right? That’s what the current administration seems to think.