THE AMERICAN POSEIDON ADVENTURE

Trump claims he is merely enforcing existing immigration laws that prior administrations failed to enforce for a variety of reasons. Immigration was elevated as a political issue to motivate voters, often by invoking claims of increased crime, despite FBI data showing that violent crime declined in the post-COVID period. Trump promised to pursue violent criminals, and no one, including Minnesota officials, objected to that objective.

But that is not what has occurred. Instead of exposing the system’s hypocrisy or addressing its deficiencies to strengthen the nation, the chosen approach weaponizes government power under the guise of righteousness. The real objective is not public safety; it is the consolidation of political power through intimidation of lawful opposition. Past ICE enforcement efforts were targeted, deliberate, and broadly supported. They were designed as public-safety operations, not public-relations spectacles.

Today’s approach is fundamentally different. Trump is spending billions to militarize immigration enforcement in ways that tear at the social fabric of local communities and disproportionately harm small businesses. This is not the conduct of a leader seeking to improve America. It is the abuse of state power by a cabal operating through a “small man”, one who achieves his ends while others bear the cost, particularly working Americans who depend on a paycheck to survive.

As historian Timothy Snyder wrote in “The Political Logic of Trump’s Violent Lawlessness”:

“…the logic of the killings is as important as the killings themselves. While a truth in itself, the moral horror is also a sign of the administration’s lies and lawlessness, a political logic known from 20th-century Soviet and Nazi totalitarian regimes, and from attempts to replace the rule of law with personal tyranny.”

History teaches that immigrants are often used by politicians and tyrants to gain power. They are easy targets, people without political standing who can be exploited through fear: fear of religion, culture, race, ethnicity, or any other division a demagogue finds useful. Yet America is a nation of immigrants, with the sole exception of our Native American citizens. Our strength has always come from heterogeneity. Diverse traditions, religions, ethics, and cultures have woven a resilient national tapestry ‘e pluribus unum’.

The American promise has long been described as a dream, but it is not static. It unfolds, adapts, and evolves. Our diversity inevitably creates tension, but it also creates strength. Like muscle, a society grows stronger through stress followed by repair. When diverse strands are woven together, each may carry its own vulnerability, but the composite is far stronger than any single fiber alone.

Assimilation, therefore, is not optional, it is essential. When the process is ignored or distorted, society can regress. Such reversions increase tension and ultimately provoke corrective action. History shows that these corrections do come, though the time required depends on the intensity of focus and effort applied by those who recognize the problem.

It is increasingly clear, to most, though not all, that America has made a serious mistake. Our democratic republic does not survive on laws alone. It depends on well-intentioned people to administer them faithfully. Without ethical stewardship, rules on paper become meaningless. When failure occurs, and it inevitably does, the only remedy is for citizens to step forward.

History is filled with moments like this: inflection points where societies must choose whether to drift further off course or actively correct their direction. We are at one of those bends now. Those who understand where America should be heading, who I believe represent the majority, must nonviolently take hold of the ship of state and steer it back toward a moral and humane course.

Immigration is the natural place to begin that correction. If we genuinely want solutions that serve current citizens as well as future, native-born and naturalized Americans alike, the question is simple: where do we begin? I had my own thoughts, but I asked ChatGPT the same question. What it produced was striking, almost as if, once again, wisdom emerged from the mouths of babes.

Here is a succinct, policy-level checklist of the core components of a constructive U.S. immigration policy—designed to balance rule of law, economic vitality, and human dignity:

1. Clear Legal Pathways
   1. Expanded, predictable visas tied to labor-market needs (seasonal, skilled, caregiving, healthcare).
   1. Streamlined, time-bound asylum and refugee processing.
2. Targeted Enforcement
   1. Prioritize violent offenders, traffickers, and repeat serious criminals.
   1. End mass, indiscriminate, and militarized enforcement actions.
3. Due Process & Rule of Law
   1. Guaranteed legal counsel for asylum seekers and detained individuals.
   1. Independent oversight of enforcement agencies; strict use-of-force standards.
4. Efficient Processing Infrastructure
   1. Fully staffed immigration courts and asylum officers.
   1. Firm timelines for decisions to eliminate backlogs and uncertainty.
5. Work Authorization & Integration
   1. Early work permits for asylum applicants.
   1. Federal–state partnerships for language, credentialing, and job placement.
6. Employer Accountability
   1. Mandatory, modernized employment verification.
   1. Meaningful penalties for exploitative labor practices.
7. Border Management, Not Theater
   1. Technology, intelligence, and humanitarian reception centers.
   1. Cooperation with Mexico and regional partners to manage flows.
8. Regularization Mechanisms
   1. Legal status adjustments for long-term, law-abiding residents with community ties.
   1. Protection for mixed-status families and U.S.-citizen children.
9. Economic Alignment
   1. Annual immigration targets linked to demographic trends, workforce shortages, and GDP growth.
   1. Recognition that immigration supports small businesses and local economies.
10. Humanitarian Standards
    1. Safe, humane detention alternatives.
    1. No family separation; trauma-informed care.
11. Data Transparency
    1. Public reporting on enforcement outcomes, crime rates, costs, and economic impact.
    1. Evidence-based policy adjustments.
12. Depoliticization
    1. Immigration policy set by statute and metrics, not campaign cycles or optics.
    1. Insulation of enforcement from political interference.

Bottom line:
A constructive immigration policy enforces the law with precision, supports the economy with realism, and upholds American values with integrity.

If CHAT can do it why can’t we? A policy with ‘precision, realism and integrity. Sounds good to me!

REPUBLICANS & DEMOCRATS = AMERICANS VOTE FOR THE CHAT POLICY!!!!

RESIST!!! & EDUCATE!!!