According to President Donald Trump, the United States is at war, both abroad and at home.
Trump notified Congress this week that he has “determined” that the U.S. is at war with drug cartels in Latin America. The U.S. killed another four people in another strike in the Caribbean on Friday.
Of course, Trump has no authority to simply “determine” that the U.S. is at war — particularly not against gangs that experts say don’t even constitute armed groups under international law.
The people Trump has targeted in the Caribbean are at most criminal suspects, not “enemy combatants.” These killings are murder, and Congress must exert its authority to stop them.
Here at home, Trump is waging a “war from within,” as he put it, telling military leaders on Tuesday he plans to use American cities as “training grounds” for foreign wars.
The administration announced that it is deploying more troops onto our streets, this time to Portland, as ICE continues military-style raids that are terrorizing communities around the country.
As part of “Operation Midway Blitz” in Chicago this week, armed ICE agents in military fatigues descended on an apartment building from a Black Hawk helicopter, throwing stun grenades and dragging entire families out onto the streets in zip ties in the middle of the night.
“They just treated us like we were nothing,” one resident said. “It felt like we were under siege,” another witness recalled.
Meanwhile, Trump has issued new directives cracking down on his political opponents under the guise of combating “domestic terrorism” and political violence.
This week, Trump unveiled a presidential memorandum granting his administration sweeping authority to prosecute groups it deems are anti-American, anti-capitalist, or anti-Christian, or hold “extremist” views on issues like gender, race, and migration justice.
Already, the administration is targeting the Open Society Foundations, which has supported a wide range of human rights and democracy initiatives nationally and globally, including FCNL’s work.
With the twin threats of authoritarianism and militarism on the rise, we will continue to speak out in solidarity with those being targeted and to urge Congress to act with moral courage to defend democracy, peace, and human dignity.
Elsewhere
Shutdown is a Moment of Moral Reckoning
The federal government shutdown on Wednesday, October 1 after Congress failed to pass spending legislation to fund essential programs and services. Now people are suffering and the Trump administration is illegally slashing funding and firing people.
As FNCL General Secretary Bridget Moix put it, “This is a moment of moral reckoning.”
Here are three things you can do to call on your members of Congress to negotiate an end to the shutdown:
Remembering the Trauma of Indian Boarding Schools
This past week, September 30, the U.S. and Canada observed Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools. For over a hundred years, the U.S. government ripped Native children from their homes and sent them to abusive “boarding schools,” many of which were run by churches. This attempted forced assimilation sought to erase Native identity, languages, and cultures. Many of these children never came home.
World Quaker Day: Love Your Neighbor
World Quaker Day is coming up this Sunday, October 5, with the theme of Love Your Neighbor – mirroring FCNL’s core message: “Love Thy Neighbors (no exceptions).” A lecture from FCNL’s Alicia McBride explores more deeply what love of neighbor can look like in this present political moment.
New on FCNL!
- Bridget Moix, FCNL’s general secretary, met with President Pezeshkian of Iran in New York to urge peace. Check out her reflections on the meeting.
- The Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance held a fly-in where leaders from across faith traditions lobbied Congress to protect and extend foreign aid to people who desperately need it. FCNL’s Priya Moran explored the impact of the event.
