Dear Editor,

Did you know the United States is at war with Venezuela? No, I did not either but according to the Trump Administration under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the administration has the authority to round up anyone from Venezuela that they deem illegal in the U.S. who they think are members of a violent gang and ship them to El Salvador because Trump has concocted a war with Venezuela.

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is designed for our government to be able to deport or incarcerate people without due process who have been identified as enemy combatants in the time of war. It has only been used three times in the past and all during actual war time including the War of 1812, WWI, WWII with the internment of Japanese/Americans.

Here's the problem. We are not in war with Venezuela. A list of detainees was finally released with scant information. Those deported did not have due process to determine if indeed they were illegal gang members, no legal representation and no official charges. If you looked like a Venezuelan, you could be swept up in the effort and given no opportunity to make your case.

One such case is Venezuelan professional soccer player, Jerce Reyes-Barrio who is in the country legally as a refugee escaping torture from the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Reyes-Barrio does not have a criminal record and was rounded up because he has a tattoo of a local soccer team that was mistakenly viewed as a tattoo of the gang Homeland Security was looking for. His head was shaved, man-handled and sent on plane to El Salvador. His lawyer was not aware that he was picked up until he failed to attend an immigration hearing Monday. The Trump administration refuses to address this injustice. https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/ice-deported-a-venezuelan-soccer-star-who-was-tortured-by-maduro-s-regime/ar-AA1BkbdH?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Isn't providing a refuge for a young person escaping torture from another country exactly what our supposed Christian country stands for? How many others now in this extreme prison was in the United States legally, not a criminal, and were swept up in this injustice? That is what dictators do, not what I ever thought our country would do.

No matter your political party we should all unequivocally say if a Venezuelan is found guilty in a court of law of entering the U.S. illegally and is a member of a violent gang that person should be deported forthwith. The key here is due process was not followed.

The right likes to demonize anyone who publicly stands up for the rule of law as someone who wants gang members terrorizing our country. A person can both want to stop violent crime and punish those perpetrating those crimes and demand that our country follow due process and the rule of law. It is the Trump administration that is stomping on our constitution using Musk's chain-saw to our constitution and the rule of law.

I know everyone has heard of the poem "First They Came", Pastor Martin Niemoller in regards to public apathy during WWII. Here is the website but the point is if we as a society do not speak out about injustice, who will be there to protect us if the need arises. Could you be next? https://www.bing.com/search?q=first+they+came+poem&qs=LS&pq=first+they&sc=12-10&cvid=A8D7D3643D93

For your reference: https://legalclarity.org/what-is-the-simple-definition-of-due-process-of-law/#google_vignette https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/alien-enemies-act-explained

Tales of the Trump Administration

I will end my articles with this segment that continues to show the ineptness of the Trump Administration.

1. Trump announced that as President he was going to release the secured files from the JFK assassination. Thinking that there might be something in those files that would indicate some sort of "deep state" cover-up, Trump ordered those files to be unredacted.

Not understanding why the document was redacted, Trump's unredacted files included the names, addresses and social security numbers of those who worked on the files or were witnesses etc. Many of these people are still alive and their personal information is now in the public. The administration is now trying to re-redact what should not have happened if Trump had any idea what he is doing. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-moves-to-mitigate-release-of-social-security-numbers-in-jfk-files/ar https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/released-jfk-files-reveal-social-security-numbers-of-former-staffers/ar-AA1B

2. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just proved how totally out of touch he his. On Friday, he stated; "Only a "fraudster" would care if they miss a Social Security check, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a new interview this week." https://www.newsweek.com/howard-lutnick-social-security-real-america-2048911

Keep in mind that Lutnick is one of Trump's billionaires setting policy for us regular folks and was one of the authors of Project 2025.

I keep trying not to make these articles long but Trump keeps adding more ridiculousness that needs to be reported.

3. In case you are not aware, Trump has been in a fight with the judicial system concerning his use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to determine whether the action meets constitutional muster. The DOJ is not playing nice and refuses to release any information that the orders from the court were followed. Earlier in the week Trump admitted he sign the declaration of war. On Friday, March 21st Trump made the situation worse by telling the press he had not signed the proclamation of war after even his press secretary confirmed that he indeed signed it.

But wait it gets worse, on Saturday, Steven Chueng of Trump's communication department, in an attempt to clean up Trump's denial, now state that Trump was actually talking about signing the act in 1798. Come-on what they won't do to spin Trump's mouth. No one on this planet would even think that it was possible that he had signed the original document in 1798. Trump was cornered by the press and did what he always does, lie.

Another example that Trump believes that he answers to no one. And Trump supporters wonder why the rest of us are concerned about these actions. https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/trump-says-he-didn-t-sign-proclamation-invoking-alien-enemies-act/article_71d3877a-dee1-57da-8d5e-93522

Rosemary Schwartz

Comments

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GB March 24, 2025, 1:18 pm RS, clearly your interpretation of the "Rule of Law" is different than it is with everyone else.

Trump is doing exactly what he should be doing. It's amazing how you never had a single complaint about the clown show Biden was running. Maybe someone else actually running the country because Biden was mentally incompetent. Now we find out everything with Biden's signature was done in auto pen. Not an authentic signature. Where is your complaints about that con job??
JS March 24, 2025, 2:08 pm blah bhal blah. Good grief what are you trying to say? too long too boring
DL March 24, 2025, 2:42 pm Yes, that is just the tip of the massive corruption, in the recent days. I had no idea that he had actually declared war.
GB March 25, 2025, 7:02 am Democrats have no message except, Trump, Trump, Trump.
Their vision is now based in Socialist ideas and protecting illegal aliens.

It's amazing to watch them rant and rave against cleaning up the massive wasteful spending on transgender studies and woke agendas. The latest was millions spent to study and help transgender farmers in San Francisco. It doesn't take a genius to know how corrupt that agenda is.
No wonder the Democrats fight so hard to keep spending other people's money! Every politician who became rich while serving in political office should be investigated (regardless of party) and if they are found to be corrupt, put on trial and jailed. Every single one of them. Let's start with Pelosi and McConnell. Sanders and the Squad could follow...
CC March 25, 2025, 8:08 am Poor Rosemary. I'm going to keep praying for you.
RS March 25, 2025, 12:16 pm Poor CC. I don't need your prayers. I am fine with telling the truth. Pray instead that our democracy survives Trump.
IK March 25, 2025, 2:30 pm I certainly hope President Trump is paying you rent for living in your brain all this time.
SJW March 25, 2025, 4:31 pm Foxtrot Delta Tango
SG March 25, 2025, 6:07 pm SJW - So original you guys can’t even come up with an original put down gotta steal the FJB LOL
RS March 25, 2025, 6:48 pm SG Cheap shots is all they have. I made it a personal goal to keep writing.

All those sending in your insults, have at it. It only shows your pettiness and lack of seriousness going for the lowest common demoninator. So mature!
Rosemary Schwartz

Rosemary Schwartz
GB March 26, 2025, 7:21 am RS,
You apparently have a lot of time in your life to focus on Trump and write endless rants. You make it clear you are a Liberal Democrat, but have you ever considered getting a job, where you could put those writing skills to work doing something productive that doesn't project your disdain for Trump and Conservatives? Just seems that would be of a benefit to you.
HS March 26, 2025, 11:25 am FJB. Forget Joe Biden. He was who brought The Trump back to the office. So the guilt of your party's mistakes have really gotten to you. Please admit were all flawed and move on in a more positive manner. Only together we can straighten out this mess.
RS March 26, 2025, 11:36 am FYI
I “worked” for over 50 years and I can now do what I want. Although all of us on Social Security may have to go back to work after Trump and Musk decimates the system. But that is another story.

I consider my job now is to keep track of what Trump is doing and inform the public the consequences, kind of a public service.

As a side, I can aggravate conservatives and Trump supporters. From the responses that I am getting, I am doing great job.

Here’s something novel. You don’t like what I write---DON’T READ IT.

Rosemary Schwartz
HS March 26, 2025, 3:36 pm Dear Rosemary : Your words are not in line what many others believe. Just as you they have a right to their opinions. So Rosemary and her critics please keep it up as I like a good debate. Just remember you may be proven wrong. So let's all respect and carry on. GOOD DAY!
RS March 26, 2025, 4:54 pm This is not a debate. A debate is making a case for your point of view backing that up with legitimate sources.

There is one responder who can’t get over the Biden Administration and will not address anything else. That person makes personal negative comments unrelated to the subject.

Others take pot shots at my mental stability because I do not agree with their worship of Trump.

There is no discussion of the issues I raise. No one is making the case for the opposite point of view, just name calling and snarky comments.

If this is really about political dialog, gone would be the name-calling, put downs, replaced by thoughtful argument backed by facts.

The general consensus is anything written by me or for that matter anyone else with a different opinion other than supporting the current administration even when substantiated, is wrong and everything Trump and Republicans do is correct. Facts do not matter. This is not a debate.
Rosemary Schwartz
GB March 26, 2025, 6:14 pm RS, it isn't Trump or Musk who threatens Social Security. It's the swamp in Washington. Musk just uncovered the fraud going on. Billions have been spent sending checks to recipients who either do not exist or have been deceased in some cases for decades. Then the money meant for FEMA to help Americans being funneled to Illegals! Yet not one single complaint from you or your party about it. When someone protests in rage about people uncovering fraud and abuse, they are either corrupt as hell themselves or they are so neck deep in their party they are blind to the truth. This whole issue with fraud and abuse is no longer a Left vs Right issue. It is only about Right as Wrong, nothing else! For once in a long time, we have a President doing exactly what he promised to do and for what he was voted into office to do. Just imaging how much more of a mess he will clean up in the rest of his term.
HS March 26, 2025, 6:54 pm I do agree it's not a debate. Just sometimes questionable dialog. I do like a good debate though.