It is with regret that I write another missive about the sad state of our union here in the United States. It was only this past December when I wrote about the dangers that another Trump presidency would bring. Little did I know how disturbingly the tides would already have turned: the state of the Union is far worse than I imagined. Indeed, Trump has already dismantled many protections of and access to freedom of speech, civil rights, education, healthcare, and immigration.[1] The immigration detention facility called Alligator Alcatraz, a detention camp run by the Baker Correctional Institution, is just one of the more unsettling expressions of cruelty under this administration.[2] “Challenged by attorneys and pressed for answers by federal judges in Miami, the DeSantis and Trump administrations have released documents that they say establish the state’s legal authority to hold hundreds of immigrant detainees for the federal government at a detention camp deep in the Everglades.”[3]
We live in a state of cruelty. As the National Catholic Reporter recently editorialized, “We are becoming the global face of the cruel man currently in the Oval Office. … Never before has intentional cruelty and intentional destruction of democratic institutions and norms been wedded as national policy. Cruelty this truly is, with no other apparent motive than to demean others and to save what amounts to a paltry sum in federal spending. For those of us in the Catholic community, cruelty should be especially alarming. And a call to action… It is time to name the result of the chaos for what it is — unbounded cruelty.”[4] Some of the manifestations of this cruelty are deportations, a breakdown of relationships with global partners, and a jeopardization of democracy itself.[5]
While Democratic lawmakers have condemned Alligator Alcatraz,[6] I wonder, where are the Republican Senators and Representatives? Surely many of them are outraged over his behavior. As Illinois Senator Dick Durbin notes, “For a hundred days, President Trump and his administration, mainly billionaire buddies like Elon Musk, have brought us chaos, wreaked havoc, and sowed division. President Trump has undermined the Constitution, our system of checks and balances, and the rule of law. And through it all, I’m sad to report, my Republican colleagues have remained silent.”[7] And each week the skies grow darker. Consider Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein, sex offender and human trafficker, alongside the failures of the Republican Congress to challenge Trump’s wanton philandering and disdain for –dare I say—most of us.[8] “The same party that branded itself as protectors of children and champions of ‘law and order’ is now shielding the powerful from scrutiny, even when it involves the abuse of minors.”[9]
Many of Trump’s initiatives are directed dangerously toward dismantling both the nation and its foundational openness to welcome those seeking opportunities as well as refuge from the storms in their natal homes. In place of Trump’s disregard (if not outright disdain), the Welcoming Network recognizes “that all people, including immigrants, are valued contributors and vital to the success of our communities and shared future. … we work to help communities develop the roadmap they need to create welcoming policies and share new approaches to inclusion to create an environment where everyone can truly thrive.”[10]
In place of diversity (from racial to gender, ethnic, disability, religion, and other identities), Trump unilaterally designated English as the official language of the United States. And, with an ‘Executive Memo’ from Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the Department of Justice has implemented the executive order.[11] Further, “Trump’s chaotic and cruel agenda is also undermining the rights of people around the world, creating instability and uncertainty that harms safety and security not just of people globally but also those in the U.S., and undermines their prosperity.”[12] The overall welfare of the nation is at stake.
Trump is particularly extreme in his distaste for DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) initiatives. He issued executive orders to shut them down; among those orders are: “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”[13] and “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”[14] Dare I say, most of us hold diversity in our global and local communities as a great good and worry for our colleagues, friends, and neighbors whose access to safety is jeopardized by these orders.[15]
Project 2025 presents the architecture of this Administration’s agenda to dismantle democracy (and the United States) as we know it. The “ultraconservative social policies based on Project 2025’s recommendations would lead to the demise of New Deal and Civil Rights Era protections for vulnerable and marginalized Americans.”[16] Further, among the plans, the Project points to dismantling DEIB programs, eliminating or reducing funding Title I for low income schools, and “intends to eliminate earmarked funding and thus strip disabled people of access to valued educational institutions” and academic support for students with disability.[17] Moreover, Project 2025 jeopardizes access to Long Term Services and Supports for millions of low-income individuals, including both children and adults with disabilities and older adults. These policies will lead to budget cuts, increased uncompensated care, and worse health outcomes for many.
Alternately, we ought not to be still or silent. We must (at least) try to temper the effects of Trump’s cruelty against ourselves, vulnerable family members, and friends. Attorney Meena Jannath, a movement lawyer, notes that “Our charge in these times is to support each other in building protagonism –a sense that we have agency to contest fascist narratives about how the world is and should be. It needs to be a collective, creative and responsive process that takes in what’s going on out there and alchemizes it into a more expansive imagination of what could and should be.”[18]
As in the days of slavery and through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to today’s protests, we will not comply with this regime, we will speak up and speak out today in thought, word, and action. The time for civil disobedience rejecting draconian policies against educational DEIB initiatives may be now. What will you do to disrupt the momentum of Trump’s cruelty?
Works Cited
Albert, Victoria, “Florida to Open ‘Deportation Depot’ Immigration Detention Center,” The Wall Street Journal 1 August 14, 2025), https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/florida-immigration-detention-center-deportation-depot-8b189714?mod=WTRN_pos1
Amnesty International, “President Trump’s First 100 Days: Attacks on Human Rights, Cruelty, and Chaos” (April 30, 2025), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/president-trumps-first-100-days-attacks-on-human-rights/
Anderson, Sarah, Karen Dolan, Reyanna James, Lindsay Koshgarian, and Ismael Martinez, “The High Moral Stakes of the Policy Battles Raging in Washington,” Repairers of the Breach (June 30, 2025), https://ips-dc.org/summary-high-moral-stakes/.
Broder, Tanya, and Ben D’Avanzo, “What New Federal Notices Mean for Immigrants’ Program Availability,” National Immigration Law Center (July 23, 2025), https://www.nilc.org/articles/what-new-federal-notices-mean-for-immigrants-program-eligibility/.
Cuevas Ingram, Joanna E., and Ben D’Avanzo, “Trump Administration’s Attempts to Dismantle Language Access Do Not Erase Civil Rights Law,” National Immigration Law Center (August 7, 2025), https://www.nilc.org/articles/trump-administrations-attempts-to-dismantle-language-access-do-not-erase-civil-rights-law/.
Ceballos, Ana, Ana Claudia Chacin, and Siena Duncan, “Who runs Alligator Alcatraz? DeSantis and Trump administrations respond in court,” Miami Herald/Herald Times, Tallahassee Bureau (August 8, 2025),https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article311638696.html.
Dougherty, Hugh, “Elections: The Predator and the President,” The Daily Beast (June 5, 2025), https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU08/20250227/117951/HHRG-119-JU08-20250227-SD006-U6.pdf
Durbin, Dick, “Durbin Calls Out Republicans ‘Silence of the Lanbs’ During Trump’s First 100 Days in Office” (April 30, 2025), https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-calls-out-republicans-silence-of-the-lambs-during-trumps-first-100-days-in-office.
Editorial, “Silence in the Face of Trump’s Cruelty is Complicity,” National Catholic Reporter (February 6, 2025), https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/editorial/editorial-silence-face-trumps-cruelty-complicity.
Goodman, Melvin A., “The Meltdown of the United States,” COUNTERPUNCH (April 17, 2025), https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/04/17/the-meltdown-of-the-united-states/
Herchenroeder, Katie, “Florida Elected Officials Finally Get Into ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Democrats Describe Conditions as Vile,” Vanity Fair (July 13, 2025), https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/florida-elected-officials-visit-alligator-alcatraz?srsltid=AfmBOopPB-SLBYedqGU1WlUCk2gbvEblDEvmGvr0Qugj3hQsn7zy1wF-
Ives-Rublee, Mia, and Casey Doherty, “The Top 5 Ways Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled People,” Center for American Progress (October 28, 2024), https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-top-5-ways-project-2025-would-hurt-disabled-people/.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, “Trump Administration Civil and Human Rights Rollbacks” (no date, accessed August 11, 2025), https://civilrights.org/trump-rollbacks/.
Proue, Jacob, “We will not forget Republicans’ silence,” Pierce County Journal (July 23, 2025), https://www.piercecountyjournal.news/stories/letter-to-the-editor-we-will-not-forget-republicans-silence,144854
V (formerly Eve Ensler), “We Do Not Comply: How do we disrupt the momentum of Trump’s cruelty?” The Guardian (Sunday, July 27, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/27/trump-cruelty-israel-immigration-healthcare
Welcoming America, “About Welcoming America” (2025), https://welcomingamerica.org/about/.
The White House, Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”(January 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/.
The White House, Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” (January 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/#:~:text=(b)%20Each%20agency%20and%20all,business%2C%20documents%2C%20and%20communications.
Wilson, Mel, “Project 2025 on Social Safety Net: A Social Work Perspective,” National Association of Social Workers: Our 2025 Social Justice Priorities (n.d., accessed August 11, 2025), https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Social-Justice/Social-Justice- Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled PeopleBriefs/Project-2025-on-Social-Safety-Net-A-Social-Work-Perspective.
[1] See The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, “Trump Administration Civil and Human Rights Rollbacks” (no date, accessed August 11, 2025), https://civilrights.org/trump-rollbacks/.
[2] See Victoria Albert, “Florida to Open ‘Deprtation Depot’ Immigration Detention Center,” The Wall Street Journal 1 August 14, 2025), https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/florida-immigration-detention-center-deportation-depot-8b189714?mod=WTRN_pos1
[3] See Ana Ceballos, Ana Claudia Chacin, and Siena Duncan, “Who runs Alligator Alcatraz? DeSantis and Trump administrations respond in court,” Miami Herald/Herald Times, Tallahassee Bureau (August 8, 2025),https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article311638696.html.
[4] Editorial, “Silence in the Face of Trump’s Cruelty is Complicity,” National Catholic Reporter (February 6, 2025), https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/editorial/editorial-silence-face-trumps-cruelty-complicity.
[5] See Melvin A. Goodman, “The Meltdown of the United States,” COUNTERPUNCH (April 17, 2025), https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/04/17/the-meltdown-of-the-united-states/
[6] Katie Herchenroeder, “Florida Elected Officials Finally Get Into ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ Democrats Describe Conditions as Vile,” Vanity Fair(July 13, 2025), https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/florida-elected-officials-visit-alligator-alcatraz?srsltid=AfmBOopPB-SLBYedqGU1WlUCk2gbvEblDEvmGvr0Qugj3hQsn7zy1wF-
[7] Dick Durbin, “Durbin Calls Out Republicans ‘Silence of the Lanbs’ During Trump’s First 100 Days in Office” (April 30, 2025), https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-calls-out-republicans-silence-of-the-lambs-during-trumps-first-100-days-in-office.
[8] See Hugh Dougherty, “Elections: The Predator and the President,” The Daily Beast (June 5, 2025), https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU08/20250227/117951/HHRG-119-JU08-20250227-SD006-U6.pdf
[9] Jacob Proue, “We will not forget Republicans,’ silence,” Pierce County Journal (July 23, 2025), https://www.piercecountyjournal.news/stories/letter-to-the-editor-we-will-not-forget-republicans-silence,144854
[10] Welcoming America, “About Welcoming America” (2025), https://welcomingamerica.org/about/.
[11] See Joanna E. Cuevas Ingram and Ben D’Avanzo, “Trump Administration’s Attempts to Dismantle Language Access Do Not Erase Civil Rights Law,” National Immigration Law Center (August 7, 2025), https://www.nilc.org/articles/trump-administrations-attempts-to-dismantle-language-access-do-not-erase-civil-rights-law/. See also Tanya Broder and Ben D’Avanzo, “What New Federal Notices Mean for Immigrants’ Program Availability,” National Immigration Law Center (July 23, 2025), https://www.nilc.org/articles/what-new-federal-notices-mean-for-immigrants-program-eligibility/.
[12] Amnesty International, “President Trump’s First 100 Days: Attacks on Human Rights, Cruelty, and Chaos” (April 30, 2025), https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/04/president-trumps-first-100-days-attacks-on-human-rights/
[13] The White House, Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” (January 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/.
[14] The White House, Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” (January 20, 2025), https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/#:~:text=(b)%20Each%20agency%20and%20all,business%2C%20documents%2C%20and%20communications.
[15] See Sarah Anderson, Karen Dolan, Reyanna James, Lindsay Koshgarian, and Ismael Martinez, “The High Moral Stakes of the Policy Battles Raging in Washington,” Repairers of the Breach (June 30, 2025), https://ips-dc.org/summary-high-moral-stakes/.
[16] Mel Wilson, “Project 2025 on Social Safety Net: A Social Work Perspective,” National Association of Social Workers: Our 2025 Social Justice Priorities (n.d., accessed August 11, 2025), https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Social-Justice/Social-Justice- Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled PeopleBriefs/Project-2025-on-Social-Safety-Net-A-Social-Work-Perspective.
[17] See Mia Ives-Rublee and Casey Doherty, “The Top 5 Ways Project 2025 Would Hurt Disabled People,” Center for American Progress(October 28, 2024), https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-top-5-ways-project-2025-would-hurt-disabled-people/.
[18] V (formerly Eve Ensler), “We Do Not Comply: How do we disrupt the momentum of Trump’s cruelty?” The Guardian (Sunday, July 27, 2025), https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/27/trump-cruelty-israel-immigration-healthcare