Strakolo3d ago
Matt Blaze

Remember that the violence and brutality of ICE is outrageous, but it's not the only problem with the administration's immigration enforcement surge. It started out being about the "worst of the worst" (violent criminals), then quickly morphed to include anyone found with a status violation. But now they're CREATING status violations by mass revoking visas (especially of asylum seekers).

Many of the people being targeted and detained followed all the rules and committed no crimes or violations.

Jan 26 at 8:13pmWeb
Show threadMatt Blaze3d ago
So in other words, this is not about deporting "illegals" and criminals. It's about getting rid of "foreigners" - anyone who doesn't fit the narrow, xenophobic MAGA vision of what constitutes an American.
Show threadPeter Ludemann3d ago
@mattblaze At what point will they start deporting Canadian or British Green Card holders? (Asking for a friend)
Show threadTimo3d ago
@PeterLudemann @mattblaze As long as Canada takes back Mr. Wonderful Kevin O'Leary, I'll be fine. Seriously though, I think that will happen eventually.
Show threadLegit_Spaghetti3d ago

@mattblaze The truly, genuinely disturbing part of this horror is that even before the election, they said they'd do this. People held up "Mass Deportations Now" signs at the RNC. This IS what gop voters voted for. This IS what people who stayed home in '24 permitted to happen. Nobody who's had a cellphone or a TV in the past 10 years can claim ignorance.

We all knew where this was headed. But I guess a lot of Americans think this situation is acceptable.

Show threadHuman after all3d ago
@Legit_Spaghetti @mattblaze Time to restrict Americans visa-free rights worldwide
Show threadBruce Acton 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦3d ago
@mattblaze we should do like they do in major sports. We have some malcontents who want to be American, these are mostly white guys from Alberta. Let’s propose a bilateral agreement, we’ll trade you guys all of them and you give us a bunch of people who believe in democracy, universal health care and cool stuff like that.
Show threadBill Zaumen2d ago

@Bwacton @mattblaze When Bush-II was elected, I saw a map showing two new countries for North America: the United States of Canada (Canada + some 'blue' states, mostly on the coasts) and Jesusland, which had large contributions from states where cows outnumber people, plus of course the Bible Belt.

The joke was that we were hoping that Canada would annex some of us.

Show threadAmbulocetus3d ago
@mattblaze That's just the excuse. It's really about terrorizing and punishing people who didn't vote for Trump, and and inciting violence so they can call off the elections. The racism is just so their base will be on board with it.
Show threadBen S.3d ago

@mattblaze it's not about that either, because they're targeting political opposition centers instead of high immigration areas, and they're going out of their way to harass and detain people solely based on appearance.

This is about intimidation.

Show threadThe Gray Witch3d ago
@mattblaze
It has gone beyond that. Causing compliance of whites by fear.
Show threadFrank Bennett 🇯🇵2d ago
@mattblaze As political terror, it'll broaden in scope. But what makes it hard to read next steps is that there isn't a clear and consistent political objective, as there would be in a punching-up independence movement with an armed wing. The only aim seems to be to generally break the will of the nation by punching down. And in a jackboot oligarchy, nearly *everyone* is "down."
Show threadRik D'huyvetters1d ago
@mattblaze indeed, some of us already knew this from the start.
Show threadMatt Blaze1d ago
@Rik_Dhuyvetters If you find my post uninformative, perhaps you’re too smart and well informed for my dumb comments to be of interest to you.
Show threadRik D'huyvetters16h ago
@mattblaze on the contrary, I appreciate your posts, and in hindsight, mine was not one of my best comments, sorry for that. Keep up the good work.
Show threadBill Taroli 1d ago

@mattblaze 1000% I wonder where the MAGA Christian Nationalists would deport a gay neurodivergent father? The ovens?? A firing line?

#USpol #MAGA #ChristianNationalist #Project2025 #LGBTQ #neurodivergent

Show threadFi 🏳️‍⚧️3d ago

@mattblaze

Kinda puts the whole notion of 'crime' into question, when the authorities can just say you're a criminal, effectively retroactively (don't we have something in the constitution about that?) without you having committed any intentional action.

Show threadMatt Blaze3d ago
@munin a big problem here - and a major enabler for this - is that immigration and visas are mostly adjudicated entirely administratively within the executive branch, with little recourse to real courts.
Show threadel Celio 🇪🇺 🇺🇦3d ago

@mattblaze
they are creating more problems, so they can claim they have to use more force.

standard fascist strategy.

Show threadKim Possible 3d ago

@mattblaze correct. No one deserves this kind of treatment. No one.

Now we need no Democrats to vote for the ICE funding bill.

Show threadJack the Frosted Count3d ago
@mattblaze And Elaine Miles, a beloved Pacific Native and landmark of Pac Northwest culture, was born a US citizen.
Show threadMariya Delano3d ago
@mattblaze yep. I have family members on TPS who have no idea if they’ll be allowed to stay in the country throughout the year or what to do instead.
Show threadMatt Blaze3d ago
@mariyadelano I think most people don’t realize how many people - who’ve done nothing wrong - are vulnerable right now.
Show threadMariya Delano3d ago

@mattblaze definitely not. So much has been done to villainize foreigners and turn the act of immigrating into a crime in the public’s eye.

I’ve only seen people change their minds and realize the true extent of things once it affects someone they know, unfortunately.

Show threadMadeleine Morris3d ago

@mattblaze Oh, they're past even that now.

Now it's just anyone who has the temerity to look at them sideways on the street.

Show threadSeán Fenian3d ago
@mattblaze It was never really about illegal immigrants. They were just the sacrificial goats for the introductory sanewashing.
Show threadTyson, Chicken Rancher 🐓3d ago

@mattblaze They've also paused the refugee resettlement program (unless you're a white South African) and paused processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries. It's absolutely about reducing legal immigration.

WSJ free link: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/state-department-to-pause-visa-processing-for-75-countries-be12ac98?st=W8sFg8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Show threadHavyhh23d ago
@mattblaze this is a Dec 2025 newsletter posted by Steve Vladeck, professor and Constitutional scholar. He delves into the duplicities of Trump admin's radical reinterpretation of immigration law, and the mighty pushback from Fed District courts. A bit dense read, but valuable to understand situation
https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/195-the-immigration-detention-flood?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
195. The Immigration Detention Flood

The Trump administration's attempt to quietly—but massively—expand who can be detained pending their removal has been met with overwhelming pushback from a remarkably large number of district courts.

One First