Trump’s disdain for the Constitution is clear

The Supreme Court via a 7-2 ruling blocked the Trump administration from going forward with arbitrary, unconstitutional deportations of Venezuelans being detained in northern Texas. The court made clear that deportations had to follow the law – due process is required.

The President’s response on social media:

“The Supreme Court has just ruled that the worst murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and even those who are mentally insane, who came into our Country illegally, are not allowed to be forced out without going through a long, protracted, and expensive Legal Process, one that will take, possibly, many years for each person, and one that will allow these people to commit many crimes before they even see the inside of a Court.”

That “long, protracted, and expensive Legal Process” is known as “due process of law” It is well ingrained in our Constitution in the fifth and fourteenth amendments. It is a process Trump has personally used to his benefit all his business and political life. Without due process, there is lawlessness. Without due process, there is dictatorship. 

Contrary to Trump’s irrational rant, neither he nor his accomplices have presented any evidence that the people he wants to deport are dangerous criminals. Some may be, but that is a decision for a judge to make based on evidence, not on Trump’s bizarre social media posts.

In March, the Trump administration did deport more than 230 men to a prison in El Salvador, without the due process that the Supreme Court is insisting on.  

So, we have a President who feels he can act as judge, jury and executioner and with those actions perform arbitrary denial of life, liberty, or property by the state outside the sanction of law.

Thankfully, a solid majority of the Supreme Court has expressed disdain for Trump’s total disregard of the Constitution that he has sworn in his Oath of Office to preserve, protect and defend:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

A preserver of the Constitution Donald Trump is not.

Ed Shaffer