
E. Jean Carroll, 2006. Photo by julieannesmo. Creative Commons image.
By Michael Meeropol / The Rag Blog / July 3, 2025
The following is an expanded version of a commentary delivered over WAMC-FM on June 27, 2025 by Michael Meeropol and revised by the author for The Rag Blog. Meeropol will join Thorne Dreyer on Rag Radio to discuss these issues Friday, July 4, 2025, 2-3 p.m. on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin and it will be streamed on KOOP.org.
In my opinion, the war in Iran is an attempt by all three governments to divert their peoples’ attention from domestic issues. The Mullahs who rule Iran are hated by the vast majority of the population — they hold on to power with murderous repressive violence. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel clings to power to keep himself out of jail. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is losing popularity over his domestic policies — the tax and spending bill working through the Senate is very unpopular, the wholesale round-ups of law-abiding immigrants (some of whom actually have green cards, or student visas or pending asylum hearings) continues to lose support.
Here are some details and links to stories about that particularly egregious set of behaviors by our government:
Washington, D.C. — The Supreme Court ruling yesterday offered a green light to the Trump administration’s efforts to deport immigrants to third countries — including war-torn areas — and without due process constraints or basic accountability. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissent, “The government has made clear in word and deed that it feels itself unconstrained by law, free to deport anyone anywhere without notice or an opportunity to be heard.”
The dangerous overreach by President Trump and Stephen Miller does not stop there. The terrifying reality of their disdain for the core pillars of our democracy is playing out in communities across America, as masked ICE agents lacking identification are — often violently — targeting, detaining and deporting students, workers, community members and even U.S. citizens.
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Masked men with guns in unmarked cars. No identification. No warrant. Tearing our neighbors, co-workers and friends off the streets. No due process. Now, they will not only be kidnapped from our streets, but could be deported to a dangerous third country with impunity and without due process.
“This is Trump and Steven Miller’s increasingly vigilante America. They are demonstrating utter contempt for due process and the rule of law. Americans are recoiling as they experience militarized ICE raids and unidentified agents in masks and tactical gear tackle and ensnare long settled residents with families, jobs, lives and stakes in America. What is playing out before our eyes is at odds with democratic norms and basic American values and interests.”
Below find recent coverage on the continued impact of Trump’s anti-immigration policies:
- CNN, “Masked ICE officers: The new calling card of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown,” including:“It has become the new calling card of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown: Federal officers, often masked and not wearing uniforms or displaying badges, arresting people outside courtroom hearings, during traffic stops and in workplace sweeps.”
- Los Angeles Times, “‘Who are these people?’ Masked immigration agents sow fear in L.A., vex local police,” including: “They show up without uniforms. They show up completely masked. They refuse to give ID,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a news briefing after the Dodger Stadium incident. “Who are these people? And frankly, the vests that they have on look like they ordered them from Amazon. Are they bounty hunters? Are they vigilantes? If they’re federal officials, why is it that they do not identify themselves?”
- KTLA, “Masked men in U.S. Border Patrol vests take Santa Ana father after repeatedly hitting him,” including: “In a video circulating on social media, a group of masked U.S. Border Patrol agents is seen striking and subduing a man in Santa Ana before forcing him into the back of an unmarked car on Saturday.”
- NPR, “A journalist known for covering immigration is arrested by ICE” was detained by U.S. Immigration officials after covering a protest in Georgia.”
- The Guardian, “ ‘I’m scared to death to leave my house’: immigrants are disappearing from the streets – can U.S. cities survive?” including: “immigrants with legal status and even U.S. citizens have been swept into Donald Trump’s dragnet.
These stories are all going on while the military actions against Iran are dominating the headlines.
On another important and related issue — the Courts have been trying to rein in some of the extreme actions of the Justice Department as it violates the rights of immigrants — even some legal residents. A whistle blower has just come forward revealing that within Trump’s own Justice Department efforts are under way to create the momentum towards refusing to follow Court orders. This was the basis of a very intense examination of Emile Bove at his confirmation hearing. (Trump has nominated him to a lifetime appointment to an appeals court.)
[For that story, see https://contrarian.substack.com/p/trumps-pick-for-the-third-circuit?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email]
Each regime has reason to divert the attention of the population from significant domestic issues.
The fact that innocent civilians have already died as part of this smokescreen effort means nothing to the decision makers in all three countries. Instead, they hope to build on the legitimate nationalist sentiment in defense of one’s own country to divert public opinion. It definitely remains to be seen whether the quick bombing strike against Iran will garner public support for Trump within the U.S. (It is likely it will if there are no long-term repercussions. After all, the Bush II war against Iraq was popular at first. It was only after four years of insurgency that it became unpopular.)
One of the domestic American political issues being obscured by the violence in Iran is the fact that the appeal from the second E. Jean Carroll case was recently argued and that Ms. Carroll has just published her memoir, Not my Type.
[As a reminder to readers, E. Jean Carroll claimed in an article that back in 1995 (or 1996 – the date remains uncertain) Donald Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf-Goodman department store. Trump denied the story — called her a liar. She sued him for defamation and later under a NY State Law the Adult Survivors Act which created a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault to file civil suits (even after the statute of limitations had expired) against their alleged attackers she sued him for the actual assault. Two NY State juries found for Ms. Carroll — agreed that she had been sexually assaulted (but not raped), that she had been harmed by the assault, and that Trump’s denials had defamed her. She was awarded first $5 million in damages and then in a second trial $83 million because of Trump’s continued defamation. The first $5 million judgement has already been affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The appeal from the $83 million was just argued on June 24.]
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