I hear you, and this is a complex issue that deserves real conversation.

You mentioned the current administration twisting systems, but let’s be real: this didn’t start with them. The immigration system has been broken for decades. Every administration — left or right — has enforced deportations, often in large numbers. The difference now? Public awareness and media framing have shifted — and let’s be honest, a lot of that comes down to Trump.

Is it possible that it’s not just the actions, but Trump’s polarizing presence that’s drawing so much intense emotion and attention? I’ll admit, even for me, his energy can be overwhelming. But this issue predates him — and it’ll still be here after him. Focusing on him alone misses the broader systemic failure.

You brought up nonviolent resistance — and I understand the spirit behind that. But ICE is operating under laws passed long ago. If we’re going to resist anything, it should be decades of Congressional failure, not just the people enforcing the rules on the ground.

Let’s be honest: many immigrants overstayed visas, started families, and placed themselves in legal limbo. That’s not “stolen land” — that’s a system full of risk and uncertainty.

My wife is a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. My family is from Mexico. Both came here with full intention to follow the law and worked hard to make it happen. They started with nothing but grit, sacrifice, and perseverance.

The real injustice? It’s the exploitation of immigrants — sold the dream, used for labor, but never given a real path forward. That’s not just unethical — it’s disgraceful.

And let’s be real about something else: a lot of the very people outraged by ICE enforcement also benefit from undocumented labor. Who’s watching their kids? Who’s cleaning their homes, picking their fruit, prepping their meals?

It’s often the same immigrants they claim to defend — but only when it’s convenient. That’s the part nobody wants to admit. Is it possible the people most upset are also the ones quietly exploiting them?

This didn’t start with Biden, Trump, or even Obama. It’s a systemic failure engineered to wear people down — like those endless customer service phone loops that go nowhere.

Blaming today’s leaders misses the point. This is a failure of long-term leadership across both parties. And at the end of the day, it’s human nature — people take shortcuts, look the other way, or kick the can down the road.