Introduction
As I write this on May 23, 2025, the Trump administration’s actions reveal a disturbing pattern of executive overreach that threatens the core of American democracy. From the deportation of asylum seekers to Costa Rica and El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-prison, to the punitive measures against Columbia University and the targeting of Jewish and pro-Palestinian activists, these seemingly disparate stories are connected by a disregard for constitutional protections and a willingness to suppress dissent-- often in ways that are illegal. This blog post examines these interconnected assaults, highlighting how Trump’s policies erode human rights, academic freedom, and democratic norms, often with bipartisan complicity in certain area, while providing at least some broad guidelines on a path toward meaningful resistance-- something that rests ultimately on the willingness of Americans to fight back.
Thread 1: The War on Immigrants—Denying Due Process and Human Rights
The Trump administration has systematically denied due process to immigrants, deporting them to dangerous conditions without legal recourse. A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report documents the expulsion of 200 third-country nationals, including 81 children, to Costa Rica in February 2025, despite their fears of persecution in their home countries. These individuals were detained in abusive conditions in the U.S., denied credible fear interviews—a basic right under U.S. asylum law—and forcibly transferred to Costa Rica, where 97 were coerced into returning home under questionable circumstances. Similarly, over 200 individuals, including Venezuelans and a Maryland man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia, have been deported to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, known for its brutal conditions, despite court orders prohibiting such transfers. These actions violate U.S. immigration law (8 U.S.C. § 1158), the Convention Against Torture, and the 5th Amendment’s due process clause, reflecting a strategy of deterrence through fear, executed with a lack of transparency and accountability.
Thread 2: The Assault on Universities—Weaponizing Civil Rights to Crush Academic Freedom
Universities like Columbia and Harvard have become targets of Trump’s overreach, with the administration using the pretext of combating antisemitism to deny due process and academic freedom. Columbia University had already suspended Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) in late 2023, following pro-Palestinian protests, a move that signaled its intolerance for advocacy of Palestinian rights. The Trump administration built on this foundation, cutting $400 million in federal funding from Columbia on March 7, 2025, and issuing demands such as placing the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS) department under oversight and restricting protests. Harvard faces a $3 billion research funding freeze and SEVP revocation, threatening 6,800 international students, despite no formal finding of discrimination. These actions bypass Title VI’s procedural requirements and infringe on First Amendment protections for academic freedom, creating a chilling effect on campus activism. The IHRA definition of antisemitism, weaponized to label political speech as discriminatory, is central to this assault, driven by the influence of the pro-Israel lobby, which has shaped both Republican and Democratic policies.
Thread 3: Constitutional Violations—Usurping Congressional and Judicial Authority
Trump’s actions undermine the separation of powers, violating Articles I and III of the Constitution. By cutting congressionally mandated funding to universities without due process, Trump wields the "power of the purse" reserved for Congress, contravening precedents like FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. (2000). His defiance of judicial rulings—ignoring Judge Boasberg’s orders to halt deportations to El Salvador and the Supreme Court’s directive to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return—erodes Article III’s authority, as does his misuse of the Alien Enemies Act to deport non-citizens during a fictitious “war” with Venezuela, despite no congressional war declaration. Trump’s administration has also misinterpreted habeas corpus, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claiming it allows the president to “remove people from this country and suspend their rights,” a gross distortion of the Constitution’s Suspension Clause (Article I, Section 9). These violations consolidate executive power, setting a dangerous precedent for authoritarian governance.
Thread 4: Targeting Dissent—Weaponizing Antisemitism and Terrorism Labels Against Jews and Activists
The Trump administration has weaponized the IHRA definition of antisemitism and terrorism laws to target Jewish and pro-Palestinian activists, particularly those affiliated with JVP and SJP. Kenneth Stern who drafted the IHRA definition has repeatedly warned that it is being weaponized to suppress legitimate free speech and debate about Israel and Palestine, and it was never designed for legal application. The administration labels these groups as antisemitic, supporters of terrorist organizations, and “pro-Hamas,” despite their protected speech activities. Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia, faces deportation for his role in protests, while Jewish critics of Israel, including members of JVP and IfNotNow, are ironically accused of antisemitism. Trump’s attack on Chuck Schumer, calling him a “Palestinian” despite his status as a senior Jewish statesman, underscores this misuse of identity politics to silence dissent. The potential for denaturalization and prosecution of JVP/SJP members under anti-terrorism laws threatens naturalized citizens, with the administration exploring ways to send individuals to CECOT, as Trump has proposed for U.S. citizens convicted of crimes. This violates First Amendment protections for speech and 14th Amendment equal protection guarantees, marginalizing diverse Jewish voices and Palestinian advocates.
The Underlying Theme: Overlapping and Distinct Patterns of Abuse
These threads—immigrant deportations, university interference, constitutional violations, and activist targeting—share overlapping themes but also exhibit distinct motivations, requiring careful disaggregation:
- Overlapping Commonalities: A disregard for constitutional protections unites all these actions. The denial of due process to asylum seekers (e.g., no credible fear interviews) mirrors the lack of procedural fairness in funding cuts to universities, both violating the 5th Amendment. The mischaracterization of habeas corpus to justify deportations, as claimed by Kristi Noem, reflects a broader contempt for constitutional rights, as does Trump’s defiance of the judiciary in ignoring court orders on deportations and university policies. This pattern of scoffing at judicial authority and constitutional limits consolidates executive power, undermining democratic checks and balances across all areas.
- Non-Overlapping Commonalities: The motivations and mechanisms differ. In the cases of university interference and activist targeting, the pro-Israel lobby’s influence—evident in the bipartisan adoption of the IHRA definition by Biden’s task force and Trump’s escalation—drives the suppression of dissent, framing criticism of Israel as antisemitic. This does not apply to the HRW report on immigrant deportations, where the administration’s actions stem from a lack of transparency and a deterrence-focused immigration policy, prioritizing fear over legal obligations. Here, the administration’s willingness to operate without accountability, paying El Salvador $6 million to detain deportees without public disclosure, highlights a distinct but related abuse of power.
Together, these patterns reveal a cohesive strategy of executive overreach, where constitutional violations and suppression of dissent serve to consolidate control, whether motivated by immigration deterrence or the pro-Israel lobby’s agenda.
A Path to Resistance?
The Trump administration’s overreach demands a unified response. Too often the threads I am trying to connect here are treated as parts of multiple, detailed and disparate news stories that can overwhelm readers. But the 4 threads reveal core commonalities-- despite some differences. In response to them, Civil liberties groups, universities, and activists must challenge these policies through litigation, as Harvard has done, and public advocacy. Congress must reassert its authority over appropriations and war powers, while the judiciary must hold the executive accountable. Individuals can support organizations like the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, which are fighting these abuses, and demand that elected officials reject the pro-Israel lobby’s influence in areas where it applies. By recognizing the overlapping and distinct patterns of abuse, we can build a coalition to defend democracy, human rights, and free expression against this rapidly solidifying authoritarian tide.
Conclusion
On May 23, 2025, the Trump administration’s actions—from deporting asylum seekers to punishing universities and targeting activists—reveal a dangerous pattern of executive overreach. While the pro-Israel lobby drives some of these abuses, others stem from a lack of transparency and a disregard for constitutional rights. By understanding these overlapping and distinct patterns, we can better resist this assault on democratic values, protecting the rights of immigrants, students, activists, and all Americans in the face of authoritarian overreach.
Endnotes for Further Reading
- Human Rights Watch, “‘The Strategy Is to Break Us’: The US Expulsion of Third-Country Nationals to Costa Rica,” 2025. A detailed report on the U.S. expulsion of 200 third-country nationals to Costa Rica, documenting abuses and lack of due process.
- “How Trump Defeated Columbia,” May, 2025. A NY Magazine article analyzing the Trump administration’s punitive measures against Columbia University, including funding cuts and demands that undermined academic freedom.
- Nicholas Riccardi, “Trump says he wants to imprison US citizens in El Salvador. That’s likely illegal,” April 14, 2025. An overview of Trump’s proposal to send U.S. citizens to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, with legal analysis of its unconstitutionality.
- Associated Press, “Asylum-seekers left in limbo after Trump’s crackdown,” May 16, 2025. A report on the challenges faced by asylum seekers at the U.S. border following Trump’s suspension of the asylum system.
- Jewish Voice for Peace, “Appalling: Columbia University suspends JVP and SJP student chapters,” March 10, 2025. A statement condemning Columbia’s 2023 suspension of JVP and SJP, highlighting the suppression of Palestinian advocacy on campus.
- Associated Press, “Kristi Noem says habeas corpus lets Trump remove people from the US,” May 21, 2025. An article on the Trump administration’s misinterpretation of habeas corpus to justify deportations, reflecting broader constitutional violations.