The Evil Continues: Trump Admin Wants To Traffic US Citizens To Foreign Slave Labor Camps
from the pure-evil dept
Don’t let the White House (or the media!) get away with calling trafficking people they don’t like to foreign slave labor camps “deportation.” As we’ve noted, deportation involves due process. It also (by definition) means removing a foreigner from a country.
As we’ve covered lately, the government’s belief that it can engage in human trafficking to El Salvadoran slave labor camps with no due process was unlikely to stop at just those who were not citizens. After all, it has already involved tons of people who could not be shown to have been convicted of crimes, and in many cases with no actual affiliation with the “gangs” the administration insists they’re members of.
And, when you don’t believe in due process, then there’s no way to prove you’re a US citizen in the first place. The administration’s hatred and mocking of due process already meant that they believed they could disappear US citizens to a slave labor camp without any chance at review.
But now they’ve come out and said it. On Sunday, Donald Trump hinted at it, and on Tuesday, White House chief propagandist Karoline Leavitt said the quiet part out loud, admitting that the White House would like to traffic US citizens to El Salvadoran slave labor camps (where they now claim they have no ability to get someone out, even if they shipped someone by mistake).
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is exploring legal pathways to “deport” U.S. citizens to El Salvador, where the administration has already arranged to house deported immigrants in a prison known for its human rights abuses….
Leavitt suggested the effort would be limited to people who have committed major crimes, but Trump has also mentioned the possibility of sending people who commit lesser offenses abroad.
Let’s be absolutely clear: This isn’t deportation — it’s extra-judicial rendition of American citizens, precisely the kind of authoritarian practice that the Constitution’s due process protections were designed to prevent. The administration’s deliberate misuse of immigration terminology attempts to normalize what would effectively be government kidnapping.
Combined with Trump’s head of human trafficking, Tom Homan admitting that ICE is the main decider in who gets renditioned this way (rather than a judge), and we have a lawless, sociopathic administration that is set to disappear US citizens without due process.
This is something many of us have been warning about for months, and Trump and his minions are now admitting it.
Hopefully, by now, more and more people are realizing that when Trump says stuff like this, he’s serious. He’s not joking. He’s not playing 10-dimensional chess. He’s not trying to make “the woke” upset. He legitimately thinks that people he doesn’t like deserve no rights, no due process, no dignity, and has no qualms at all with shipping them to foreign slave labor camps.
And that’s why people need to speak out and make it clear that this is not just unacceptable and unconstitutional. It is pure sociopathic evil. This is crazed dictatorial “disappear people who annoy me” bullshit.
Yes, many people will try to hide and cower in silence, and that’s what the MAGA crew want. But it’s why we need to be speaking up and calling out what’s happening. The history books will record the unfathomable evil of Donald Trump and his loyalist minions, agreeing to push pure evil in pursuit of power. But those of us living it need to speak out about it now while we still have the chance.
The gravity of this moment cannot be overstated. The administration is not floating trial balloons or engaging in political theater — they are explicitly stating their intent to create an extra-judicial system for disappearing US citizens. With ICE empowered as judge, jury, and executioner, and El Salvador’s prisons serving as black sites beyond US jurisdiction, we’re watching the blueprint for an American gulag take shape.
This represents something beyond a constitutional crisis that transcends typical partisan divisions. When a presidential administration openly advocates for the power to extra-judicially rendition citizens, silence becomes complicity. The time for “wait and see” or “they don’t really mean it” has long passed.
We’ve already seen how quickly “exceptional” measures against non-citizens became normalized. Now, as predicted, those same mechanisms are being turned against citizens. If we don’t forcefully reject this assault on fundamental constitutional rights now, we may soon lose the ability to reject it at all.
Filed Under: deportation, donald trump, el salvador, human trafficking, karoline leavitt, rendition, tom homan, us citizens
Comments on “The Evil Continues: Trump Admin Wants To Traffic US Citizens To Foreign Slave Labor Camps”
The original Nazis preferred Poland for their death camps.
Should we just… pack it up? Like, really, what are you gonna do? Vote against them? We’re not even 90 days into this shit show and they’re already talking about this. Death squads next week? At this rate, do you really have any hope of making it to the midterms?
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Should have been getting ready for death squads by mid ’24.
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To see Trump in El Salvador may be only the solution.
After all, he may have to taste his own medicine to finally know what he’s talking about.
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You still don’t understand who we’re dealing with.
If Trump was thrown in jail, the sole thing he would “learn” is that he’s being unfairly persecuted.
He is literally incapable of any form of unbiased self-reflection.
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He’s the personification of narcissism. He’s the personification of ignorance, greed, and cruelty.
And he’s the perfect representation of his voters.
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Defeatism gets us nowhere. There are a whole slew of tactics that have not even been tried yet: national strike, mass public disobedience, etc.
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You forgot guns.
I didn’t.
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Ironically, Republicans have ensured that every man, woman and child in the US is armed.
I carry now and while I don’t look forward to it, there will be a shoot out when they show up to take me for my leftist views.
Will I win? Probably not, but I’m sure af not going to hold my hands out to be cuffed.
Source: I had family that was a child in Germany during the 40s. There. Will. Be. Violence.
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Reposting something I’ve said elsewhere:
Harvard political scientist Erica Chenoweth coined the 3.5% rule: the observation that when peaceful protests include 3.5% of a population, they almost always succeed in affecting major political change (usually getting significant concessions from their government, but sometimes causing it to collapse).
There were an estimated 5 million protestors this past Saturday. That’s about 1.5% of the US population. Meaning we’ve got a ways to go to hit 3.5 but as of right now turnout is accelerating. That could change depending on what happens in the coming weeks and months, and the “rule” is an observation of what’s happened in the past, not a prediction of what will happen in the future. But it’s something to keep an eye on.
The reason the fascists are moving so quickly is that they’re trying to outrun a backlash that they knew would come. Packing it up is exactly what they want us to do.
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The fascists are trying to speedrun their agenda before their last grip on society bleeds out.
Their leaders are old, their ideaologies are innately doomed to failure, they can’t imprison the human spirit forever.
They will try, and they must be crushed into the dirt of history forever.
And the only way to do this is through voting the fuckers out and putting them on trial to face justice.
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Where are you going to find the voters to do that? Voting against “the others are at fault, root them out” requires people with some bit of political and historical education, and that is not a thing in the U.S.
The whole point and principle of “America First” and “Make America Great Again” slogans and movements is to ignore the complexities of international relations and politics and cause and effect, and pretend that there are simple solutions to complex problems and interactions.
It’s like saying that all that a baseball team needs to be successful is to stop with all the unnecessary complications of gameplay and focus on doing more homeruns.
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What exact “consequences” will befall those raping the country, when judges don’t count, laws are ignored, SCROTUS is rubberstamping fucking obvious illegal actions, and these people wipe their asses with the Constitution.
Are we gonna take them off our Christmas list?
No, they will either be shot or will get away with it.
We passed the point of sanity in 2020, when a group of people attacked the Capitol, in a misguided attempt to steal the election for someone who’s not even a human color.
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I don’t know. My post was about the 3.5% rule. I’m not sure what part of it you’re responding to, or why you put a word that does not appear in my post in quotation marks.
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The consequences, at a minimum, is the change that your entire post is about.
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The 3.5% rule is an observation. There is nothing else to interrogate about it, unless you feel the validity is suspect. Which i don’t, as it is exactly how the fascists took control in the first place.
We need to stop the roll. Whether anyone ever faces consequences for all sorts of things, including the current fascist regime, is another social conversation which needs to be had. That could change too, if enough people want to show up and speak up.
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You’re postulating a world we’re not yet in. Judges do still count. You can tell, because Trump praises or complains about their rulings, still has the federal lawyers trying to convince them, and is still paying them (putting a stop to that would really help the budget). Laws matter too, for similar reasons.
Remember, Trump’s attempt at a coup failed; people still had to vote this person in.
We are in a world of uncertainty right now, so I can’t tell you “exact” consequences. But as long as Trump and Musk feel the need to play-act democracy, hope’s not dead.
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Did you not hear about SCROTUS ruling that Mango is fine deporting anyone he wants?
Did you not hear that SCROTUS literally ruled that bribery is fine, as long as the bribe comes AFTER the action?
Did you not see SCROTUS rule that Presidents are immune to any and all laws?
Did you not see the absolute worst asshole to wear a suit get elected after he clearly stated he would fuck the country?
And you think we’re at the “uncertainty” stage?
I wish.
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Yeah, there are some really bad rulings, but the courts are still being consulted. When dictatorships get really bad, the dictators don’t bother.
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Obviously this isn’t the main point, but the salaries of all federal judges combined is a rounding error in the national budget.
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Voting is the only hope of ending this peacefully.
When people realize that hope is off the table, the question is if they are comfortable enough to give up. Or angry/scared enough to look to other options.
Most Americans don’t carry proof of citizenship on their person. And even if you do, all they have to do is take it from you and voila, problem solved, you’re not a citizen and never were.
Add a healthy dose of not admitting anyone is in their custody and the fact that even before this year ICE was known to have deported people who were veterans, American citizens, and people who had every reason to believe they were US citizens. None of us are safe.
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Indeed. I recently warned someone who booked a holiday to Florida last year to take care because if even immigrants with permission to stay and work could be deported with a mere wave of Trump’s hand, then what of the legal status of temporary immigrants (i.e., tourists)?
'Major crimes' according to WHO?
Leavitt suggested the effort would be limited to people who have committed major crimes, but Trump has also mentioned the possibility of sending people who commit lesser offenses abroad.
It’s important to remember that even if they stuck to ‘just’ selling off US citizens who committed ‘major crimes’ into slavery in another country it’s not that long ago that convicted felon Trump was claiming that boycotting Tesla was terrorism, making crystal clear that while insurrection in his name isn’t a crime(major or otherwise) those that would stand against or even protest against him are considered by the regime as the most heinous of criminals.
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Watch for US citizens to get prosecuted for “major crimes” such as suggesting that the Israeli military shouldn’t genocide innocent people.
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It’s worse, imo.
The Left mainly wants equal rights, universal healthcare, feed public school lunches, and more.
That’s why we’re hated. We want our tax dollars to go to actual government tasks and not yet another fucking tax break for the rich.
The good news is they are fucking with social security. That will start a shooting war when people who were forced to pay into a system suddenly lose their sole means of support.
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I don’t think Trump actually gives that much of a shit about Israel. It’s a convenient excuse to dunk on brown people that his base doesn’t like. I’m fully expecting the heel turn to come any moment now where Das Juden become the new villain, as is tradition. Probably because “THE MEDIA” is “run by jews”. That’s my guess on how it will start. Or maybe because they are hoarding all the money that could be used to make America great or something.
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The low-information voters in the MAGA coalition include the “jesus says buy me a new plane” megachurch crowd and they want Israel to exist entirely for their apocalypse fixation. They don’t care about Israeli or Palestine, jews, gentiles or heretics, they are just marking time and sucking down donations until handsome white american conservative jesus comes back and the world ends.
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I don’t think it’s about Israel per se either and Trump isn’t religious, so the whole “Israel needs to exist for the end times” scenario doesn’t apply to him either. But Israel is like unborn “babies” where Trump can weaponize them against his enemies and claim whatever he wants as a means of hurting the people he wants to hurt. It’s like Lee Atwater’s admission about the word games the Republicans played to hurt minorities and Democrats with the use of dog whistles and codewords.
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It doesn’t really matter, because “major” is not a term that appears in the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution—the one that made slavery explicitly legal, although people commonly think it did the opposite. Here’s the exact wording:
Since that amendment was passed, it’s only been used for involuntary servitude (such as prison labor and military service), not outright slavery. But the possibility has been there, and been largely ignored by lawmakers, for 160 years. If you consider the sheer volume of laws, and their vagueness, plus selective enforcement and law enforcement biases… this could get pretty fucking bad.
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You mean that sheet of paper that Mango and his cabal of assholes wipes their asses with, while SCROTUS passes out handies for a crime well done?
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Yes.
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It’s more of a Schrödinger’s paper: if what’s written is inconvenient to Trump, it’s just an old piece of (toilet) paper, but if Trump can use it against other people, it’s the supreme law of the land. Few people can wield hypocrisy so easily.
What?
The right wingers who have said they want to purge people, kill people, and so on for years are showing their true colors?
Who could have forseen it
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Who's Laughing Now
Just recently, Republicans were criticized here on Techdirt for not being serious. This apparently is quite the turnaround. Certainly illegals are treating things seriously, which is precisely what the voting citizens want.
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The voting citizens want other citizens to be kidnapped to foreign slave labor camps?
Is there anything the 50.01% majority should perhaps not be allowed to vote on?
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I’m sure the normies don’t want legal citizens deported. But they do want the illegal aliens removed, and I think they also want violent criminals to actually fear punishment. For all of this talk about due process, the victims of violent crimes have been ignored. If only there was as much concern for the families as there is for the non-citizens and the gangbangers.
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Illegal aliens? *checks date* That was yesterday. Do try to keep up Koby. Today it’s American Citizens who are guilty of unspecified “major crimes” or possibly “lesser ones”. Tomorrow, who knows? It could be you.
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He doesn’t and won’t ever care, so long as the people he hates—which is basically everyone who isn’t a cishet White conservative Christian—are fucked over on an equal or greater level than he is.
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This is a weird take. We shouldn’t worry about a fascist dictatorship deporting people (who have been convicted of NOTHING) without due process because checks notes we’re not being sad enough about victims?
That’s a total non sequitur. Of course we can comfort and support victims… at the same time as pointing out that “we should comfort victims” is not a justification for “punish people without due process, in direct violation of the Constitution.”
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Except that legal citizens are exactly who is being deported, you unempathetic MAGAt.
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Why did you link to an article about legal Venezuelan citizens? You are arguing legal americans
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I strongly believe that if we are going to get out of this mess, we’re going to have to stop feeding trolls like Koby.
Please, stop.
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Request denied
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And just let their bullshit go unchallenged? Don’t you realize that’s exactly what they want? I am so done giving fascists a free pass, and fuck you for telling me to do just that.
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Your anti-American commentary makes me believe you’re not a citizen.
Please share with me your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number, and Birth Certificate.
If anyone has this information on this suspected illegal “Koby”, it is your duty to share it with law abiding citizens so that we may take the appropriate actions.
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You’re right. Republicans lack integrity, honor, any form of actual sense, compassion or morality.
But, yes, they are serious about shitting on the entire country, because bigotry and greed.
Re: What I don't get
If you crave the governing and judicial and constitutional structures of El Salvador so much, why are you sending others there instead of moving there yourself?
That would be a much better fit for everyone involved.
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I’m going to laugh when your kids watch you die in a foreign prison.
You deserve to be hung.
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It isn’t a turnaround, but you thinking it is just shows you didn’t understand what was said before and what’s being said now. Trump isn’t Republicans and Republicans aren’t conservative commentators. You conflating different people as the same and different situations just shows how simplistic your thinking is.
First, you don’t speak for “voting citizens.” Less than 50% of voting population voted for Trump, so even if voting for Trump was a legitimate proxy for wanting every aspect of everything he does, it still wouldn’t be a true claim. And the point here is that it’s not just undocumented immigrants who are afraid of what the administration is doing. You conveniently, ignorantly ignore that we’re talking about citizens.
Re: Who are we kidding we all know you’re gonna bail
Hey ketamine Koby.
Your presence has been requested in the RFK thread.
Have fun defending that one bro.
Trump will soon be mandating all handicap parking spaces be put in the back of the lot, outlaw Toys for Tots boxes and get a great deal to reopen asbestos factories
I’d be anti-Trump even if the “only” thing he was doing wrong was wrecking my 401K. The prospect of being shipped off to a foreign hellhole despite ya know being a citizen with rights is just icing on the top.
If only I had some Republican Congresscritters to vote against, I would. But I’m in California and we got rid of ours years ago.
Disappearing?
Can we change that for what it is?
This is Kidnapping. And the Person has seen their faces and WONT be allowed to return.
Is this ALL MALES?
All Adults?
Its either random or Not, or Both.
Considering What I have seen of those gangsters, THEY WERE NOT AIMING AT THEM.
‘For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury.
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.’
The Declaration of Independence isn’t supposed to be a fucking checklist.
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It literally IS a checklist of reasons we no longer wish to be part of England.
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They meant a list of things to do, you mean a list of things that were decided should not be done. i think everyone knows what everyone else meant here.
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It’s just a regular list, not a checklist, because nobody was expected to check anything off.
Were it “a checklist of reasons we no longer wish to be part of England”, that would suggest it was created ahead of the King’s objectionable actions. Like, “if the King does 10 of these things, we’ll secede”.
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What do you mean “no longer wish to be part of England”? That implies you are still a part of England, but only UK leaders and other fascists want to be associated with your country.
But what good would it do to “speak out”, besides get one deported to a slave camp?
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Company you don’t need to be ashamed of, including yourself.
The avalanche has already started...
… The pebbles no longer have a vote.
Karoline Leavitt
Where is the link to what she supposedly said?