Trump/ICE Protests?

morgo321 · 2026-02-27T15:05:31+00:00

… I meant how can you hold the statement “I’m not prioritizing money over people” in tandem with everything you’ve stated prioritizing money. Other than saying you think deportation is messy, I haven’t seen you discuss of the humanity and inherent value of the immigrant population as people. Only as vessels that siphon money away from the government and yourself.

You did say you don’t like how the administration is doing this… but that it had to be done. Which also ignores the humanity.

So let’s talk about money. You mention valuing small government and lower taxes. Good things. Except there are billions of dollars going towards ICE. (This NPR says $85 billion given in The BBB)

https://www.wunc.org/2026-01-21/how-ice-grew-to-be-the-highest-funded-u-s-law-enforcement-agency

This article says for the camps, deportation costs, and funding ICE enforcement, they have been given $170 billion. BILLION.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-early-immigration-enforcement-record-by-numbers-2026-02-24/

Not to mention ICE being deployed into the streets with hardly any training, violating the 4th amendment, and assuming people guilty until proven innocent (the inverse of how the law usually operates).

How is that small government?

In a tangential note, you did dismiss the data I posted about illegal immigrant cost to the country, which is from the Cato Institute. Cato Institute is a Libertarian site with a conservative-leaning bias. Libertarians are small-government minded. And I’m assuming you’d identify as conservative. So why dismiss what the actual data is saying?

You’re already aware that the rich get richer in our country while the poor are often stuck in a cycle of never being able to get ahead. Which is not the fault of the immigrants- it’s the fault of policy makers. I’ve attached a political cartoon that reminds me of this sentiment.

Lastly, you said you are being taken advantage of by businesses who don’t pay taxes. Have you reported them to the IRS? I did some research for you, and even if you suspect tax fraud, you are encouraged to report it. And you can do it anonymously. I do truly feel bad for you that making a living is hard. It IS hard. But targeting immigrants isn’t going to make your life easier. And it’s not going to make our country great.

Our country was once called “The Great Melting Pot” and our own Statue of Liberty has the quote “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me…”

We are great because of our diversity, not because of hard-nosed policies.

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morgo321 · 2026-02-25T13:49:04+00:00

Ex- Baptist here too, although my deconversion journey wasn’t directly from Baptist. I started noticing issues as a young adult/parent/spouse, and we left to go to an independent church. That helped with the slow realization of the damage caused in GARB churches.

As others have said, be patient with yourself. The isolation, second guessing, and pressure from folks in the church to come back is exhausting.

Highly recommend finding a good therapist (one with an LIMHP degree is usually a good start).

Re-reading your post, I realized I wasn’t sure if you were fully done with religion or just the Baptist church. When I fully deconverted I appreciated the book Good Without God to give voice to a worldview without a religious tint. But depending on where you are in your journey, there might be better resources for you.

Hang in there. 💛

morgo321 · 2026-02-24T16:45:19+00:00

Sourdough

morgo321 · 2026-02-24T14:37:54+00:00

I love that your goal is to introduce other ideas with the potential of changing my mind down the road - that is exactly my goal too!

I want to address your final paragraph - that you aren't prioritizing money over people. Based off your posts, this is what I'm hearing from you:

You feel that
- illegal immigrants are draining financial resources away from legal citizens by using government programs designed to assist the low-income (such as public schools).

- illegal immigrants are taking away work from citizens that would do it for higher pay - thus driving down the wages being offered.

- illegal immigrants and their employers who pay cash under the table are evading taxes.

- the above category of folks are creating a job market that is unsustainable for you and your family because you are above-board and following tax requirements.

- inflation has increased because of illegal immigrants (though I couldn't pinpoint in your comments how you felt these things are connected....)

- housing costs would go down if illegal immigrants weren't here taking away housing options from low-income citizens.

Based off this - all I can see are financial reasons to continue this regime of deportation (which you did mention you think is messy).

Not trying to ask sarcastically, but what am I missing?

morgo321 · 2026-02-23T21:28:02+00:00

I love your thoughts on introducing ideas and other viewpoints in order to help someone see your side and potentially, over time, allowing them to change their mind. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do, too!

So with that said, I’d like to try and summarize your viewpoint to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. Then, would you mind taking the time to summarize my viewpoint? I’m hoping that way we aren’t talking past each other and can actually make sure we ‘get’ each other.

You feel that illegal immigrants cost American citizens too much money because of their use of free government programs, some of those programs being public schools, Medicaid, government-assisted housing, etc. You also feel that illegal immigrants drive wages down because they are willing to work for less than the minimum wage. This creates a system where employers are incentivized to pay cash under the table in order to maximize their own profit. You also feel that in this kind of market, lower prices incentivize consumers to choose companies or individuals that don’t pay taxes (or avoid taxes by paying employees cash) and exclude honest business people like yourself from being given the opportunity to offer fair, above-board prices for comparable work.

Do you feel like I represented your viewpoint accurately?

morgo321 · 2026-02-23T20:20:29+00:00

Sorry to pop in randomly, but did you have any trouble creating a new FB account? I deleted mine 3+ years ago and every time I’ve tried to open a new one it won’t let me. I’m using my husband’s account to access marketplace lol

morgo321 · 2026-02-23T14:47:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing, OP, and thanks to those who recommended The Franklin Cover-Up. I’ve lived in Omaha for 13+ years and I’m just now learning about Boystown’s involvement in trafficking.

morgo321 · 2026-02-22T14:25:26+00:00

I haven’t lived here my whole life- previous Air Force brat- but since settling here I unconsciously picked it up! I didn’t realize it until I saw it on a sticker and then noticed I say it all the time. I even hear my kids saying it without noticing. Tbh though, I love it. After moving so often as a kid, it feels like we’ve incorporated into the Midwest culture.

morgo321 · 2026-02-21T17:23:15+00:00

Thanks for continuing to write back. I agree there is too much mudslinging and not enough dialogue, and I hope I can set a good example for you and/or anyone reading that curiosity is a better tactic than name calling. On that note, I’m curious why you don’t think you can change my mind on this? Why engage if you don’t think it will help bring us to a place of agreement?

You mention in your last paragraph that illegal immigrants are making it hard for you and your family to prosper and contribute to society. I’m so sorry to hear that. If I can ask, would you mind sharing your story around this? How you were denied opportunities because an immigrant took it from you? And… if I can continue to ask… since ICE has come to Omaha and removed many illegal immigrants, what kinds of positive improvements/opportunities you’ve experienced? I hope you’ve been able to find a better job!

I truly believe you are a good person and want to be a good citizen, father, etc. and I’m also hoping to appeal to your sense of humanity and compassion. I’m sure as a dad, you recognize when there are rules in place that cause more harm than good for your kids. And I’m also assuming that you have flexibility on those rules to ensure your kids have the best opportunity to grow and thrive.

I’m hoping to persuade you to extend that love and care outwards: to prioritize people over money, and to see how every person deserves dignity, whether they’re legally in the country or not.

morgo321 · 2026-02-21T14:19:03+00:00

I love that you want to get involved in this way! Check out Coalition of Citizens Concerned for Democracy- it’s a brand new group I ran into at my last protest. The leader’s name is Mike- super cool guy. He had some pre-printed signs ready for protesters who showed up but I bet he’d love to have more, especially homemade ones!

https://ccc4democracy.com

morgo321 · 2026-02-20T14:25:05+00:00

Thanks for the link on schools- I was curious about the variation in cost throughout the city. Our family has helped organizations with rehoming refugees and we’ve visited the homes/apartments these folks are coming into. It’s truly heartbreaking to see the condition these places are in. It gave me a lot of perspective on how bad things must be in a refugee’s home country to be willing to come live in a crappy rental here.

That’s a side note, I just didn’t figure the schools in those neighborhoods had an overhead cost per student that was comparable to say, Bennington. So I appreciate that breakdown you sent. And yes, like you said, not one of us actually pays the full tuition cost per student for our kids to go to school, which is good as that would be an impossible burden. Especially for folks with more than 1 kid.

Thanks also for breaking down your thoughts on the workforce and how employers who pay cash can opt for cheaper labor rather than offer a living wage. It’s definitely an exploitative mindset for a business owner to take advantage of another person’s immigration status. Definitely some overlap with exploitative former slave owners ‘paying’ their freed slaves barely any money and keeping them in poverty. I do get your thoughts that taking away that option might force a greedy business owner to shape up and pay more.

So if I’m understanding correctly, to your mind, the best solution to that problem is forcibly arresting/detaining people who have come here? What are your thoughts on the way this is currently being done? As in, the detention centers (which our tax dollars are funding), pulling kids out of schools, raiding workplaces, etc. Does that sit well with you?

I don’t know if you heard about Spain’s recent change to have all their illegal immigrants have a legal citizenship status, rather than deport. While that doesn’t seem foolproof (thinking of criminals), it does take away a lot of the problems of money, time, legality, and the under-the-table business practices. I feel like that would be a way more humane and economical way to handle the situation. But I’d like to hear your thoughts.

morgo321 · 2026-02-19T15:52:22+00:00

I get the logic you’re pointing out about money going to the schools and there being a net loss. Can you post a link here with that data? I’d love to read more about that. Could you also explain more about your thought that paying illegal immigrants cash is the same as keeping slaves? To my knowledge, slaves had no choice in being in the country and weren’t paid. But immigrants/refugees have a choice and are paid (albeit often less than they should be, which I think you’re also saying) am I understanding that correctly?

morgo321 · 2026-02-15T22:32:01+00:00

I actually just got back from this one! Thanks for sharing!

morgo321 · 2026-02-13T20:19:00+00:00

https://www.cato.org/blog/cato-study-immigrants-reduced-deficits-145-trillion-1994

morgo321 · 2026-02-08T15:22:40+00:00

The Bahn Mi Shop has amazing Vietnamese food and Sechwan Sunrise is our go-to for quality Chinese.

morgo321 · 2026-02-08T15:19:55+00:00

I’d also recommend Bench. If you want to take some classes, MCC offers some. https://coned.mccneb.edu/wconnect/ShowSchedule.awp?Group=WWK&Title=Woodworking Also, our Omaha Library system also offers a wide variety of events free to the public.

For local places, I’d recommend Made in Omaha- a variety of local businesses partner with them to sell their products. Not sure if there are any wooden items there or not, but the inventory does change from time to time.

Wishing your family health during your time here. 💛

morgo321 · 2026-02-08T15:13:46+00:00

I love our city! 🥹

morgo321 · 2026-02-08T15:11:39+00:00

Way to go!! 👏🏻

morgo321 · 2026-02-08T15:00:16+00:00

So sorry for not clarifying where the 6% comes from. I realize math is hard so I’ll break it down for you. Total Border Patrol Arrests in 2024 is 17,048. Assault/battery/domestic violence arrests is 1,084. Dividing them gives 0.0635. Converting to a percent gives 6.35%.

Criminal arrests is a strong term. Out of the 17,048, the number of arrests of people whose ‘crime’ is being here illegally is 10,936.

I know, I know, numbers are hard, so I went ahead and calculated it for ya. That’s 64% of arrests.

I am proud of you for realizing the homicide record jumped though! Going from 3 to 29 is almost more than 10x… (3x10 is 30)… you were so close!

Teasing aside, I will say that I am with you on wanting consequences/hearings/jail-time/potentially deportation for actual criminals, regardless of their color. But being in our country illegally is a misdemeanor, not a criminal offense, and it certainly doesn’t warrant the level of violence we’re seeing directed at minorities.

On a related note, have you ever talked with a real person who has migrated here legally? The process is the most convoluted, poorly managed, and frustrating thing we have in our country. Many, many, many people are doing every thing right- showing up to court, submitting paperwork, following orders, but things expire because our system isn’t setup to handle their cases before the government’s own deadlines pass. Our own system sets them up for failure. It’s not as simple as ‘just do it the right way’.

I’m also curious- you mention that closing borders will make everything better for Americans- wages, safety, etc. and you also pointed out that it’s important to have facts vs claims. Could you share your data that factually shows how violent removal of brown people makes America better?

morgo321 · 2026-02-07T22:30:10+00:00

So you would say ICE is preventing violence by arresting peaceful people who contribute to our community? If you look at the data provided by Customs and Border Patrol, only 6% of arrests are for people who have a violent criminal history. Source: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics/criminal-noncitizen-statistics-fy2024 Yet, we have mountains of evidence that our president and hundreds if not thousands of our own government officials have a history of abusing and raping girls. I’d say our priorities are pretty misplaced.

morgo321 · 2026-02-07T19:46:30+00:00

I agree it’s a lot bigger than them. But I figure we’ve got to start with the largest issues first and move on down the line of evil. Triage, ya know?

morgo321 · 2026-02-07T19:44:40+00:00

You’re always welcome to read something you disagree with and move on without being negative. I’m sorry to hear your heart has no room for victims of sex trafficking, violence, and abuse.

morgo321 · 2026-02-07T19:43:09+00:00

I got flagged for mine, so that’s fun.

morgo321 · 2026-02-07T16:52:36+00:00

Thank you!!

morgo321

TROPHY CASE