Message from the editor:
On Sunday, Aug. 10, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social stating, “The Homeless have to move out [of Washington, DC] IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capit[o]l. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.” Monday morning Aug. 11, Trump federalized the DC police department and activated the national guard to put his plan into action despite data showing a decrease in violent crime in Washington, DC over the previous two years.
S. E. Williams
Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign rhetoric was riddled with outright lies, strategically targeted disinformation, laser-focused threats and disingenuous, pie-in-the-sky promises. Since Election Day, however, it has been death by a thousand cuts for democracy in America.
The first cut was Trump’s victory in the November 2024 presidential election. The next slice with the first executive order he signed right after being sworn in as president on January 20, 2025. Executive Order 14151, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” virtually ended every federal program related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the country.
That was only the beginning. Since January 20, the president has signed more than 120 executive orders, each one slicing, not with surgical precision but like a hatchet being swung helter skelter through government agencies and programs shredding the social safety nets related to immigration, public health, social justice, the environment — and the list goes on.
Among the most egregious actions taken by the administration is the indiscriminate rounding up, detaining, and deporting of immigrants without due process — far beyond the controlled targeted approach he promised during his 2024 campaign. Oh, he may be gathering up some of the “worst of the worst,” as he promised but the majority of those being detained and deported are our friends, neighbors, co-workers and other members of the community. “These aren’t people. These are animals,” said Trump of the immigrant population he’s targeted.
Contrary to what he said, many of these are hardworking contributors to American society, often for decades, with no criminal history — including some in the country legally and others who are American citizens. The conditions of their detainment were already being described as deplorable even before Trump began flying them to foreign prisons in third world countries or most recently, celebrated the opening of “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades, Trump’s latest storage sight for individuals caught in his immigration snare.
When Trump began his roundup and arrest of immigrants, we always knew it was only the beginning — the early stages of activating his racist “fever dream” toward a pre-civil rights-era, White racist America, free of people of color and anyone else he deems as less than “well born.”.
Executive Order 14321
To spin off a line from the famous poem by Martin Niemöller: First they came for the immigrant. I did not speak out because I was not an immigrant.
In silence, we now witness the horrors of this roundup every day. We stomach the dehumanization of our brothers and sisters — the mistreatment of babies and children — as if they are not human, as if their lives, their connections to their family and community, don’’t matter. And yet, we call ourselves a Christian nation.
Now, Trump has taken the next step in his purging of America. On July 24, he issued another of his infamous executive orders amidst a cacophony of distractions designed to keep America’s head spinning — wondering what to focus on and/or questioning whether to focus on anything at all. But we all know on some deep level: ignoring this madness will not make it disappear.
The July 24 Executive Order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on American Streets,” empowers the administration to come for “the homeless, the drug addicted, the mentally ill.” The President has promised to force them into rehabilitation and/or treatment.
Who will speak for these individuals? Will citizens ignore the issue because they see dehoused people as a blight on the community? Will we toss away our compassion — along with their rights, close our mouths and turn the other way?
“A castaway in the sea was going down for the third time when he caught sight of a passing ship. Gathering his last strength, he waved frantically and called for help. Someone on board peered at him scornfully and shouted back, ‘Get a boat!’”
Daniel Quinn
Will the families of these individuals be notified? Will those captured and detained be forced to take psychotropic drugs to control their mental illness without their consent or the consent of a loved one? Where will these so-called “ long-term institutional settings” be located? How long can individuals be held? Can you imagine Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco with this authority? San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus? What about Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin? Do you want him with that kind of power? You know his track record on overcharging Blacks. What about District Attorney Jason Anderson in San Bernardino? He’s been clear about his passion for the death penalty.
How long can those who may be impacted by this Order be held against their will? Will they be charged with any crime? Will it be a felony? Will they be charged with any fees? Will they ultimately be moved to a facility surrounded by an alligator moat in the middle of nowhere? This is a very slippery slope. Again, I ask, “Who will speak for these vulnerable individuals who have no political power or voice?” Another big question is: “If this process is implemented on a national level, who will treat those caught in its web?”
A McKinsey report last year predicted that by the end of 2024, the U.S. was expected to be short nearly 64,000 doctors nationally; while nurseslab.com projected a shortage of 78,000 nurses across the country.
And, what about the children?
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024. This represents a 33% increase over 2023, and is “the largest single-year increase of any group.” Will these children be taken from their parents and placed in cages on cement floors? Trump’s own Department of Health and Human Services reports how unhoused children are “more likely to experience chronic diseases, behavioral health concerns, developmental delays, hunger, and malnutrition than those who have homes.” In addition, will these children now be further traumatized and left to the whims of an unstable and racist president? Acknowledging that the safety of all children is our collective responsibility It is important to note how most homeless children are children of color.
“Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order,” Trump proclaimed. “Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor to other citizens. My administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety,” he concluded in the July 24 Executive Order.
Trump’s myopic perspective on what constitutes “humane treatment” is far from a benchmark for us to measure against. We’ve seen how he treats immigrant children. We watched as he gave a green light to Israel to perpetuate genocide and watch with horror as children are literally starved to death in the West Bank. But I’ve seen this over and over again in my lifetime.
Ann Oliva, spokesperson for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, wrote in response to Trump’s recent order, “Institutionalizing people with mental illness, including those experiencing homelessness, is not a dignified, safe, or evidence-based way to serve people’s needs.”
Yes, it is true that some in the unhoused community have mental health concerns. Others may be addicted to drugs. And certainly, many have simply experienced periods of bad luck or fallen on hard times.
We also know, for example, that about 30% of renters in parts of the inland region spend 50% or more of their income on rent, placing them at risk of becoming dehoused. Although I was unable to locate any data showing a direct connection between those who are rent burdened and homelessness, research does show that those spending more than 50% of their income on housing are at increased risk of eviction and instability.
Will we now sit back as the president once again unleashes havoc and uncertainty in our communities as they sweep up the homeless, the drug addicted, the mentally unwell? Will officials be as indiscriminate about who they seize, confine and label as homeless, drug addicted, and/or mentally ill?
Who will be funded to do this work? Imagine the sheriffs and district attorneys in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties being funded and empowered with this authority. The very thought of it is unnerving.
Paraphrasing Niemöller again . . . First they came for the immigrant, and I did not speak up because I was not an immigrant. Then they came for the homeless, the drug addicted, those with mental health concerns. I did not speak up because I had a home, I did not use drugs, and my mind was clear. Who will be next?
We must not wait until officials begin grabbing people off the streets in response to Trump’s new edict. Let’s question state and local officials about how they see this playing out in our communities. We should push for public oversight and full disclosure of who is being confined and why, as well as a process for accountability. We should work to stop this and at the very least demand full and complete transparency.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.