Double Punishment, Ethnic Cleansing

There are so many outrages of the Trump regime's racist anti-immigrant purge, it's hard to pick one to talk about. But this story from today's Star Tribune (gift link) exemplifies an aspect that doesn't get enough attention.

I think it's better known here, but not so much anywhere that hasn't been targeted by Stephen Miller's Department of "Homeland Security." Maybe there have been similar stories in L.A., Chicago, and Charlotte, but I haven't heard theirs, just as they probably haven't heard ours. National media have not paid much if any attention to this.

There are immigrants in Minnesota who came here as young children, committed a crime when they were young adults, were convicted, served their time, and have since been productive members of society. They're 10, 20, 30 years out of jail or prison. They're parents. They have jobs. 

And now ICE has detained them. Taken them away from their families, friends, and coworkers who rely on them. Ripped them out of the economic fabric they are part of. Stopped them from paying taxes, for god's sake. 

For what reason? No good reason. Just racism. To fill a quota written down somewhere in Washington, D.C. So some PR flak can say "our brave ICE agents" have detained a violent criminal (who a now a 50-something-year-old public works engineer) for something he did when he was 18, even though he hasn't reoffended since. Or that they detained a drug dealer — really a chef who didn't commit a violent crime even at the time of his felony, and whose conviction is 20 years old. 

These men served their time. The idea is that you are not to be punished twice in this country, as I understand it. 

Both of these men have young kids, and a wife or partner. According to the story, the government wants to deport them to Laos, which neither of them remembers living in. Neither speaks Lao, nor has family there. 

There have been numerous other cases like this in the Twin Cities and in Wisconsin, sometimes for crimes as minor as marijuana possession. These are just the two most recent. 

You can't call it anything but attempted ethnic cleansing.