Donald Trump’s recent actions against Venezuelan migrants represent nothing less than an authoritarian
breach in American politics. By designating the Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua” as a terrorist organization and invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—a relic from an era of existential
threat—Trump is weaponizing the legal system to stigmatize and exclude political opponents and minorities. The real scandal, however, lies in how openly and systematically the Trump
administration tramples on the principles of the rule of law. The deportation of alleged
gang members to El Salvador—despite explicit court orders prohibiting such actions—is an unprecedented act of contempt for the separation of powers. Federal judges like James Boasberg, who stand
in the way of this authoritarian course, are publicly defamed by Trump and dismissed as “left-wing activists.” The administration ignores judicial orders, continues deportations, and sends people
to prisons where torture is a real threat. This is not only an assault on the independence of the judiciary but also on the very foundations of American democracy.
Trump’s rhetoric—declaring Venezuela a “hostile state” and branding migrants as “enemies at war” and
“terrorists”—is deeply dangerous. It evokes the darkest chapters of history: the construction of an external enemy, the conflation of migration with crime and terrorism, and the suspension of
individual rights in the name of “national security.” The use of emergency powers designed for wartime against civilians is an abuse of state authority that should be unthinkable in a liberal
democracy. The political strategy is transparent and deeply cynical: to stoke fear,
stigmatize minorities, undermine democratic checks and balances, and place personal power above the law. Anyone who ignores courts, tramples on human rights, and governs by emergency decree
abandons the principles of democracy. Hundreds of thousands are plunged into existential uncertainty, families are torn apart, and trust in the rule of law is systematically
destroyed.
How should such a policy be described? It is dictatorial, as Trump governs by decree, disregards
courts, and interprets laws at will. It bears totalitarian traits, constructing an all-encompassing enemy image, disempowering democratic institutions, and sacrificing individual rights for the
supposed “good of the people.” And it flirts dangerously with fascist methods: the blanket stigmatization of minorities, the glorification of strength and “cleansing,” the open attack on
democratic institutions, and the use of state violence against the vulnerable are classic hallmarks of fascist politics. So far, the Supreme Court has limited itself to procedural questions and has not addressed the substantive
legality of this policy. This sends a disastrous signal: the executive branch is emboldened to continue undermining the foundations of democracy while the judiciary remains mired in formalities.
The US stands on the brink—and Trump’s Venezuela policy demonstrates just how quickly a democratic system can slide into authoritarianism, even fascism, when political and judicial safeguards
fail.
This policy is not only inhumane; it is an existential threat to democracy and the rule of law. To
remain silent now is to become complicit in the gradual erosion of freedom. Trump’s actions are a wake-up call—for the United States and for democracies everywhere.
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