 It is clear that due process and freedom are under attack in the United States. We must understand what is going on and take action here at home. Each of us has the capacity to act. Trump is considering suspending habeas corpus. From The Guardian: "The Trump administration is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus, the legal right to challenge one’s detention, Stephen Miller, a top White House adviser, said on Friday...“The constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus could be suspended in time of invasion. So that’s an option we’re actively looking at. A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not,” Miller said....The suspension clause of the US constitution says: “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.” The writ of habeas corpus has only been suspended four times in US history, most notably by Abraham Lincoln during the civil war. It was also suspended during efforts to fight the Ku Klux Klan in the 19th century in South Carolina, in the Philippines in 1905 and in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor." A new Trump Executive Order calls for 20,000 people to be deputized to work for ICE. From the Executive Order: "No later than 60 days after the date of this proclamation, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall supplement existing enforcement and removal operations by deputizing and contracting with State and local law enforcement officers, former Federal officers, officers and personnel within other Federal agencies, and other individuals to increase the enforcement and removal operations force of the Department of Homeland Security by no less than 20,000 officers in order to conduct an intensive campaign to remove illegal aliens who have failed to depart voluntarily." Note that the order says "other individuals" can be made ICE officers. Just imagine people who will have the power to disappear those they claim are here illegally--Or to disappear just anybody they choose to go after. ICE is now threatening to arrest Members of Congress. What does this all mean locally? What can be done in Houston/Harris County? * We should consider to ourselves and in conversations with others the implications of Trump's actions. If Trump and Miller claim we are being invaded, does that make anybody empowered by ICE a solider? Are local police officers working with ICE also soldiers? Are the police we interact with our normal local police, or do they have the power to send us away without due process? We must each understand as clearly as possible what we are facing. * We can join and organize local demonstrations. Here are three can take part in right now- Each Friday, noon to one, at the Social Security office at 13302 Westheimer at the intersection of Westheimer and Eldridge. The John Cornyn Houston Office Protest, each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. You can park on the side streets along the Black Walnut two blocks down. At Rep. Crenshaw's office each Thursday, 10-11, at the corner of Kingwood and Green Oak. I believe the June 14 No Kings protests in Houston and across the country will be big. Keep an eye out. At bottom line, the next protest will be when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. Each of us has to capacity to organize in some way. Think about what works best for you. * Above you see a picture from U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia and Texas Senator Carol Alvarado marching behind an Abolish ICE banner in 2018. Rep. Garcia is near the center in a white t-shirt & Sen. Alvarado is to her immediate right in a yellow shirt. This energy is required today. The stakes are even higher today. We need leadership from both these officials right now. Houston police are currently working with ICE despite the fact Mayor Whitmire said they would not. Other law enforcement agencies in the county are also working with ICE. Here is how to contact Rep. Garcia. Here is how to contact Sen. Alvarado. Tell them they must step up. Both are close allies of Mayor Whitmire. Tell them Mayor Whitmire must also meet the challenge of moment. * State Senator Molly Cook has talked about the rights people have when dealing with ICE and law enforcement. More is needed with immigrants so vulnerable and with all are rights at risk. Contact Senator Cook and tell her we need to her to start talking about the specifics of who locally is working with ICE and how she will be helping Houstonians resist. The link below has a brief biography of Senator Cook where she is termed a "grassroots organizer." Grassroots organizing is very much needed. Here is how to contact Senator Cook. * Houston City Council Democrats must fully join the fight. They are no safer from what is coming than are any of us. Call and e-mail & ask them to join protests, monitor Houston Police conduct, work to improve voter turnout in all elections, speak strongly on behalf of democracy, ask Council Republicans if they support Trump/Miller and challenge Mayor Whitmire when necessary. (Which is often.) Below is how to contact Houston City Council Democrats. (Here is the link to the contact City Council page.) At-Large-Letita Plummer 832-393-3012 [email protected] At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017 [email protected] District B- Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009 [email protected] District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004 [email protected] District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected] District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002 [email protected] District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002 [email protected] District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected] District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015 [email protected] District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016 [email protected] Here is more information on contacting and following Houston City Council: Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember. The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and the most recent session is available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. * Mayor Whitmire must not be allowed to go on ignoring the gravity of the situation. You can reach Mayor Whitmire at 713-837-0311 & [email protected] I'll be posting here soon about seeing Mayor Whitmire speak at this week's Tejano Democrats meeting. He likes to tell stories about bygone days. It's going to take a lot for him to acknowledge to the public and to himself, that many of the Republicans he tells us to work with are white supremacists and authoritarians. Mayor Whitmire believes in systems that have paid off for him, but that have failed many of us. There is a long struggle ahead. There are many ways to offer meaningful opposition and to demand that the officials we elect have our backs. Which of these ways works suggested here best for you? What can you do that has not been mentioned here? Here is the Houston Democracy Project list of things each of us can do to fight Trump/Musk. Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways. Please help the effort. I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm Neil Aquino. Archives
June 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed
