Seven of us from The Valley piled into two cars on Tuesday, August 12, to go to a protest at the Burlington airport (BTV)
We met up with hundreds of others from all over the state who were equally horrified and angered by the fact that ICE agents have been sneaking people out of the airport at very odd hours and through secret doors without due process. It’s called human trafficking and this has been videoed by some ardent activists.
The airport had previously claimed no knowledge of any ICE activities but clearly that’s not possible and it’s alarming if it’s true and alarming if it’s not.
After two hours of some pretty emotional testimonies from concerned citizens, hopefully BTV is feeling exposed and reconsidering its policy. Bottom line though, this is yet another consequence of a president and a regime who makes up its own reality and deports people based on fabricated numbers to appease a base. To what end is a mystery to me.
These are often people who came to this country seeking a better life, not necessarily because they chose to leave their homeland, usually because they had to. Once here, these are also the people feeding us and doing work that most Americans just plain don’t want to do. They keep this country running and they are immigrants just like all of us.
There’s more to this deportation story, but it is just one in a long string of abuses coming from a regime that is fast approaching authoritarian rule. Between the power grabs, the lies, defying court orders, tariff ping pong, rolling back environmental progress and protections, defunding anything good and beneficial like planned parenthood, public radio, park services, U.S. aid, threatening and coercing colleges/universities, legal firms, and anyone else who speaks the truth and disagrees with Trump’s version of the world – these are all strategic steps that are tightening the rope that is strangling our Democracy.
It's is so important now more than ever for all of us to stand unified, resist and do not bow down or turn away from all that is happening under Trump rule. I know it is hard; some of us are tired and overwhelmed. It’s still summer and everyone just wants to get on a bike, in a boat or in the water. I get it but there are still meaningful things we can do and feels a lot better than burying your head in the sand. This is time that calls for all hands on deck in order to turn things around and envision a different future.
There are a few things you can do:
Reach out to your local Indivisible group (IMRV) or other local and state groups.
Postcarding.
Talk with neighbors about the state of things.
Go to a rally protest; they are frequent and all over.
Email and/or call the governor and legislators.
Put a sign on your lawn, your business, your car.
Write a letter to the editor.
Callie Willis
Warren
