American Democracy is Dead

 I'm sorry. I was too sad and - I don't know what word to describe my emotion: resigned, angry, frustrated, and much more - to write last night.

Pro-democracy writers agree that yesterday, April 14 2025, was the day that democracy officially died in the United States of America.

For months they have predicted that when (not if) the Trump regime defied a Supreme Court order that the fascist coup would be complete.

The critical case involves the "detaining" and deporting of one man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident who is married to an American citizen and has three American citizen children, one of whom is autistic. Garcia had a full time job. He has never been convicted or even charged with any crime. He came to America at age 16 fleeing persecution in El Salvador and was granted a court order in 2019 forbidding him from being deported back to that country. The acting Deputy Director of the Department of Justice's office of Immigration Litigation, Erez Reuvini, even admitted in court that his deportation was in error.

In a rare unanimous ruling the Supreme Court sided with the District Court that the government should "facilitate" Garcia's return to the U.S. and ensure that his case is handled properly.

An administration with an ounce of morals and empathy would have immediately apologized and done whatever is necessarry to bring him back. The Trump regime did the opposite. They fought the court orders to have him returned to the the U.S. They even reprimanded Erez Reuveni and put him "on administrative leave" for telling the truth instead of zeaalously fighting for the government's position.

The government's postion is that since Garcia is now in custody in another country that the US has no authority to bring him back. They interpret the word "facilitate" in the Supreme Court ruling to mean that they would supply an airplane should El Salvador choose to return him. Attorney Pam Bondi even said that it is up to El Salvador to return him if they want. Also that the Court has no business interfering with the President's foreign policy.

Yesterday President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador met with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. When asked about returning Garcia, Bukele repied that it would be "preposterous". Why would we want to smuggle a terrorist back into the United States?

The government's positions are what is preposterous. Thom Hartmann in today's substack post lists all the Constitional points that they are violating (see link below).

Judge Xinis wrote in her April 6 ruling “there were no legal grounds whatsoever for [Abrego Garcia’s] arrest, detention, or removal.… Rather, his detention appears wholly lawless.” It is “a clear constitutional violation.”

Heather Cox Richardson quotes Adam Serwer in the Atlantic: "the rhetorical game the administration is playing ... is an expression of obvious contempt for the Supreme Court - and for the rule of law,"

National Public Radio Journalist Steven Inskeep points out the ludicracy of the government's position that they have no authority to ask for Garcia's release. : 

“If I understand this correctly, the US president has launched a trade war against the world, believes he can force the EU and China to meet his terms, is determined to annex Canada and Greenland, but is powerless before the sovereign might of El Salvador. Is that it?”

I would add that if it was the son of Trump or Bondi that was kidnapped and deported on false charges, it might be a different story. 

The U.S. has a contract withi El Salvador to house these prisoners and is paying them $6 million. if you rent a storage locker and place some things for safekeeping and later want to bring one of them back home, is the storage company going to say - "Sorry, can't do it"?

The reason the Trump regime is fighting his return is to establish that he has the power to arrest and deport anyone he wants, including American citizens. No evidence or even criminal charges are required - just his whim. No one is safe it they displease the president. Trump even told Bukele that "home grown criminals" are next and to build more prisons. All it takes to become a criminal in Trump's eyes is to criticize him (see my April 11 post "A New Low").

Hartmann put it this way: Yesterday was the day democracy in our nation officially died.

Sources

https://hartmannreport.com/p/this-is-how-democracies-die-one-man-6ae

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-14-2025