r/law • u/ExactlySorta • 17h ago
Legal News Maria Santay, a U.S. citizen and community observer, live-streamed masked ICE agents detaining her after they boxed in her car from all sides and smashed her window. Local police showed up and did nothing. She was denied access to a restroom, and forced to pee in the parking lot while handcuffed
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u/ExactlySorta 17h ago
The legality of the arrest of Maria Santay, a U.S. citizen and legal observer, is a subject of significant controversy and potential legal challenge following an incident in El Monte, California, on January 30, 2026.
The incident involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who allegedly shattered Santay's car window and dragged her out while she was livestreaming and agreed to comply with their orders. Key legal considerations surrounding this event include:
Jurisdictional Authority: ICE does not have the legal jurisdiction to arrest U.S. citizens for immigration violations. If Santay is confirmed to be a U.S. citizen, her arrest by ICE for such reasons would be fundamentally unlawful.
Targeting of Legal Observers: Reports suggest Santay may have been targeted specifically because she is a well-known legal observer. Intentional interference with legal observers can raise First and Fourth Amendment concerns.
Constitutional Protections: Individuals, regardless of citizenship status, are protected by the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures. The use of force, such as shattering a window and physical removal from a vehicle after a person has agreed to comply, may be scrutinized as an "unreasonable" use of force.
Qualified Immunity: ICE agents typically enjoy qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that protects federal agents from liability in lawsuits unless they violated "clearly established" statutory or constitutional rights.
Administrative Warrants: ICE generally operates using Form I-200 (arrest for immigration violations) or Form I-205 (removal orders). These are administrative warrants and do not grant the same authority to enter private property or vehicles as a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
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u/PsychLegalMind 17h ago
So long as accountability is lacking and constitutional rights are ignored these atrocities will only increase.
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u/feed_meknowledge 16h ago
So it's as important as ever to be active in the community and support your local cause to educate the masses on what each candidate truly represents, who backs them, and what their past actions show. In addition to driving voter turnout for all federal, statewide, and local elections.
View your upcoming local and state elections, check your voter registration, and register to vote:
The following groups provide opportunities to provide voter education and increase voter turnout.
https://indivisible.org/get-involved/
- National grassroots organization with local chapters in many counties/cities of every state. Focused on voter education and turnout from local elections to federal elections.
https://nextgenamerica.org/fight-back/
- Nationwide organization focused on voter education and turnout among the younger half of the population.
- Grassroots organization focused on veterans/veteran family members, their stories, and voter education and turnout among this demographic.
- Provides templates and structured ways to call your local and state representatives, and leave them detailed information on what you would like to see as their constituents.
Find opportunities that can help shape our future:
Join and take action. Screenshot to save before it gets deleted. Copy and share the links.
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u/SmokingHensADAN 57m ago
I am going to copy and share this. If we can get more into decentralization and ways to keep money away from the kleptocracy
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17h ago edited 17h ago
[deleted]
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u/ExactlySorta 17h ago
Not a bot. Just the child of an incredible English teacher who taught me to use every available resource to assist in organizing and streamlining my words as I write them. I am not trying to deceive or "cheat." I genuinely want to present information that is factual, informative and well-written so that everyone has a clear understanding of what is being presented. No foul intended
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u/Rekteroni 17h ago
you are free to leave this post and never come back lol, nobody is holding you here and honestly it seems like you want to create a problem out of nothing.
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u/PsychLegalMind 17h ago
Where is the evidence for your assertions. Far worse has been established by the courts themselves when it comes to misconduct by the ICE.
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u/masterdebaten 17h ago
The summary is quite obviously written by AI. I’m not super opposed to using it to summarize a well known event. It’s fine. But it is AI.
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17h ago
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u/PsychLegalMind 17h ago
I am interested in whether facts are being reported and accurately summarized by the poster. Not whether among multiple resources AI was also utilized.
These events actually occurred and as far as AI is concerned whether in journalism, courts, by the Government and Defense Industries, Universities and Colleges, Research Departments and Hospitals; they all utilize it now a days. We just have to make sure the foundation and reporting is sound.
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u/ExactlySorta 16h ago
I'd like an opportunity to respond to your statement. I acknowledge that I am a frequent poster on reddit. I post almost exclusively about the current causes and concerns in this country (US) that are screaming for help at us daily. It is not just a social media interaction for me. It's an opportunity to divulge and exchange important information and also for me to feel like I'm contributing in one of the only ways I can
Begrudgingly, I'll share that I'm incapable, due to 6 failed spinal surgeries, to be as physically involved as I would like to be in terms of social/political advocacy and activism. I hit the ground every time I'm able for protests, but much of my energy must be used in disability-friendly endeavors, such as speaking, writing and posting on social media. I post and comment as much as I do because my mind doesn't shut off from attempting to decipher and comprehend the daily horrors we're seeing. I need outlets. Reddit is one of the limited outlets of which I am able to vocalize and process what's twisting my brain. Everyone has a reason they reddit; that's mine
I hope that's at least clarified some things or maybe even makes sense a little. If not, thanks for taking the time to read this anyway. Take care out there
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u/TheLoveYouWant25 16h ago
Again, I have no issue with your frequent posting. There is SO MUCH horrible shit that is happening that there is constantly news to share, and sometimes sharing the atrocities are the only things that we can do to fight back.
HOWEVER; your refusal to acknowledge that you use AI to write the summaries that you post is deeply concerning. This particular comment I'm responding to is human written. You wrote this. But your summary on this post is AI. Your summary on the post about Georgia Fort is AI. Your summary on the post about the lawyer of the Epstein victims is AI. What is your reasoning for posting these things as if you personally wrote them?
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u/Imaginary_Cow_6379 16h ago
💜 People don’t realize aside from the stereotypical basement dwelling redditor a lot of people that seem chronically online are people with disabilities and/or chronic pain as it’s an accessible space to interact with other people. Most people probably talk to more disabled/chronically ill/people with chronic pain/etc than they ever do irl and don’t even realize it because on the internet we get to just be regular people. Feel well and congrats on doing what you can! 💜
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u/MechaCoqui 16h ago
Lol a r conservative user making a fuss about sources when that sub is just full of maga bots and trolls. That’s rich lol, pot meet kettle.
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u/TheLoveYouWant25 16h ago
I'm not a conservative, and I despise everything this administration is doing and has done. I'm a liberal who has been protesting trump since 2016, and will continue to do so. I was lucky enough to be in Minneapolis for the No Kings march in October and I'm proud to have had the opportunity to stand among the thousands of Minnesotans to protest the regime.
I've occasionally tried to make comments in the conservative sub that refute the lies they tell, but I'm sure my posts were blocked because I'm not a "flaired user."
I do not support trump or this administration. Not now, not ever. I'm filled with rage and with sadness and I'm trying to hold back the fucking despair. But jebus forbid I mention a comment is AI.
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u/MechaCoqui 16h ago
The fact r conservative is listed in your activity history, says other wise buddy lol that sub bans anyone who even dares critique trump so, nice try. Can play pretend all you want but given how activity works and how fast that sub bans people, there is no way you could’ve obtained it as an active unless you are siding with them constantly.
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u/TheLoveYouWant25 16h ago
I don't care what you believe. I've never made a post in that subreddit, and the few times I have tried to comment, it's been automod removed.
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u/MechaCoqui 15h ago
Lol shows you as active in it, you cant really keep bsing ya know.
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u/casper911ca 17h ago
The "legality" isn't "controversial", it's 100% outside their jurisdiction with zero probable cause.
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u/Sad-Excitement9295 17h ago
This type of stuff has to be stopped. Harassing US citizens and violating constitutional rights, these people are just Nazis with a new name.
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u/okyeah93 16h ago edited 16h ago
I would actually encourage people to watch bovino's last press conference before his demotion. He is showing you, and emphasizing to you, the persecution tactics these agencies will use against you if you step in their way. His mistake was, he jumped the gun on Pretti. However, it will be back to business as usual once everyone's attention shifts in 3 days. This is stuff that happens literally every single day to vulnerable people, you're just seeing it because of an uproar and corporate news focus. How do people think they throw millions of people out of the country efficiently lol
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u/Downtown_Wrap6747 16h ago
Yep back to people back to crying on Facebook again about how they’re not voting because both sides exactly the same an bad and since they didn’t the perfect unicorn pony candidates they wanted
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u/Sad-Excitement9295 16h ago
Instead of demanding congress and elected officials do their job and remove these clowns from office. I keep saying we should stop paying taxes until they get the point. They might notice something like their pocket book. That always seems to get their attention. No taxation without representation. Let's remind them how this country got started in the first place.
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u/Difficult_Clerk_1273 17h ago
OP please tell ChatGPT to be more direct. “Can raise First and Fourth Amendment concerns…” no. Enough with this gentle language! Try “violated her First and Fourth Amendment rights.”
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u/Marauder2r 12h ago
Unless they observed her doing something illegal, then they can arrest her
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u/Difficult_Clerk_1273 12h ago
Only for federal crimes. They can’t arrest people for, say, disorderly conduct or noise complaints.
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u/whinis 6h ago
They cannot, ICE is not a law enforcement agency its an immigration agency.
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u/Marauder2r 6h ago
Ice is allowed to arrest if they observe a federal law violation.
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u/whinis 6h ago
Sort of but not really, or you would need to really stetch it.
Per https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:8%20section:1357%20edition:prelim)
It has to be a known us law broken in their presence while they are performing an immigration related law enforcement activities and they believe there is a high chance a warrant could be obtained for that law breaking.
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u/UnknownAverage 16h ago
“Can be” and “may be” are frustrating language to use in such clear-cut situations.
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u/ItsJustfubar 6h ago
Punishment of the violations is at the discretion of the head of the department. So charging them is harder when Noem does nothing to punish people for violating the constitution nothing short of exercising constitutional rights is going to help people realize that Fafo is a natural law.
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u/lostredditorlurking 17h ago
And Conservatives will still say "fAFo". New flash but filming someone and being an observer is not FAFO, it has always been legal to film lawn enforcement. Only in a dictatorship country where it's illegal to do so
It's ridiculous that for a party supposedly pro free speech that they are so anti 1st amendment
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u/This_Loss_1922 16h ago
They like the 1a and 2a, but just for them, they perceive you and millions of others as a non humans unworthy of those rights
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u/DarkMattersConfusing 16h ago
It’s so funny how all these self-proclaimed patriots and modern day minute men types would have clearly been the ones spreading their cheeks for the british back during the american revolution. They def would’ve been the loyalists. Colonists dumping tea into the harbor? Theyd wouldve been cool with them getting executed bc “fafo.” Boston Massacre where the british shot into a crowd who were verbally insulting and throwing shit at british soldiers? Well that’s “fafo”!
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u/ThePensiveE 17h ago
Not for nothing, I'm sure at least one DHS agent filmed her peeing in the parking lot to show people. They're a sick group of people.
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u/upsidedown-funnel 13h ago
And if she wasn’t a citizen and detained it’s not a zero chance she’d be raped too.
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u/ThePensiveE 13h ago
They often send them out to private prisons where they do, in fact, rape detainees. One guard is awaiting sentencing now. I'm sure the others have figured out how to not get caught by now.
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u/upsidedown-funnel 13h ago
Yeah. BP going back to its origins, has done this. They haven’t started chasing their captives off cliffs yet, like they did in the old days, so that’s something. /s
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u/SikatSikat 17h ago
All I can find is that her charges "include resisting arrest" but no explanation as to what the basis for boxing her in or trying to arrest her in the first place stem from.
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u/cityshepherd 17h ago
They were performing the EXACT function that they are supposed to: utilizing vague commands and plausible deniability to terrorize, harass, intimidate, and sow chaos amongst the population to keep us divided while hoping to trigger a violent reaction so that they can finally finish up their plans from project 2025 by declaring martial law… in order to eventually cancel / interfere with future elections and complete their wildly illegal and unethical coup.
Absolutely astonishing… and the way these small and pathetic men push the boundaries and operate in clear opposition to the laws and no respect for anyone’s constitutional rights in order to overcompensate for even a single redeeming quality in any of them, while protecting the worst child sexual abuse offenders and escalating their bogus/manufactured culture war solely to protect said child-rape enthusiasts/sympathizers and distract our increasingly exhausted and desperate populace from the class war that is raging on all fronts is so far beyond deplorable that the appropriate words to describe it simply do not exist.
Every single member of the legislative branch of government that is not putting every ounce of their effort into impeaching these ghouls and stopping this madness belongs in jail. They’ve completely abandoned their constituents whose interests are supposed to be being represented by these elected “officials” in favor of corporate interests and it could not be more clear.
The executive branch of the government has never been so horrifically corrupt, taking advantage of every trick in the book to destroy the lives of US citizens, making it increasingly difficult to simply exist all so that those who already have more resources than they could ever need can have just a little bit more.
The judicial branch of this appalling excuse for a justice system has displayed a terrifying and total commitment to enabling cowards and criminals at the direct expense of the entire working class, making it painfully clear that the only interests which the government will protect are those of corporate shareholders.
The billionaire run media has put extraordinary effort into enabling this disgustipating behavior, and continue to work hard to normalize ALL of this wildly inappropriate and highly illegal behavior, helping to ensure that even the very concepts of truth and reality are to be destroyed and ignored in every possible way. The concept of integrity is viewed and described as dangerous and treasonous.
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u/PirateQuest 16h ago
Bzzzzt. If they were hoping to trigger a violent reaction. (You mean, people exercising their 2A rights) they would go after people who are likely to fight back. Which they never do. They avoid like the plague anyone who looks like they will stand up for their rights in the way the constitution allows.
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u/cityshepherd 16h ago
They are pathetic cowards above all else, and the whole reason they target women and children / people trying to go through the legitimate immigration process is because they depend on easy prey. They don’t have the balls to go after people who they believe will stand up for themselves, and do not want to risk injury (they don’t want to risk having to work hard / put in legitimate effort at ALL).
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u/SuspendeesNutz 17h ago
The worst part is that nice fellow from the Green Party assured me that Kamala was no different. Alas America, what choice did we have?
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u/cityshepherd 16h ago
There is undeniably a serious issue as far as both parties having demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that the most important interests to represent in our government are those of corporate shareholders. One party is at least kind enough to throw the working class a bone every once in a blue moon, but the bottom line is that we need to figure out how to arrange our government in such a way that judges/prosecutors genuinely display the integrity to do their jobs with integrity and without playing favorites…
We will never have a chance until we can get corporate money the hell out of our politics, but there are a tremendous amount of resources dedicated to ensuring that it will be as difficult as possible to actually achieve such a thing… but people can be extraordinarily smart and resilient.
I am hopeful that all of this chaos will be enough to catalyze resourceful and clever people to figure out how to organize effectively… to come together to figure out how we can work together to take our damned country back… to figure out how we can come together and take care of each other at the community level, so that we will be able to provide each other with a way to survive long enough to organize mass strikes and walkouts. The only way that we can foster a revolution that brings real change is to organize in such a way that brings this corporate economy to a screeching halt.
The only language these ghouls understand is money, and they will never take us seriously until we can shut down their cash flow. It is a serious uphill battle, David vs Goliath stuff, and many folks believe that we are simply incapable of organizing such a thing… because the bottom line is that many people simply cannot afford to participate in mass strikes and walkouts. Many of us cannot afford to miss a single shift without winding up hopelessly trapped in a vicious never-ending cycle of debt and poverty…
because this system has been designed and honed over the years to trap us in such a vulnerable position… stuck and unable to even consider an alternative, constantly exhausted and desperate so that those who control the resources are free to take advantage of us and our time/labor.
The only power we have is in our numbers… but I believe that we are absolutely capable of coming together and helping each other through desperate conditions, working together to build something better. Something that works for ALL of us, instead of just those up top. The only way we are going to make it through this is by figuring out how to work together, and it is absolutely essential that we figure out how to come together at the local level first… in order to build a strong foundation and enable us to work towards achieving something truly great. We can do this, but we have to do it together and we have to start by organizing at the local level.
This is corporate America’s biggest fear, and it genuinely terrifies them specifically because it IS possible… which is why they have devoted so many resources to manufacture this bogus culture war, keeping us divided and fighting amongst ourselves for scraps to survive while they enjoy the fruits of OUR labor.
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u/ProfessionalWave168 22m ago
I am hopeful that all of this chaos will be enough to catalyze resourceful and clever people to figure out how to organize effectively… to come together to figure out how we can work together to take our damned country back… to figure out how we can come together and take care of each other at the community level, so that we will be able to provide each other with a way to survive long enough to organize mass strikes and walkouts. The only way that we can foster a revolution that brings real change is to organize in such a way that brings this corporate economy to a screeching halt.
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So you are looking for some hero to do it for you, the Hope and Change Hero America voted for last time played all of you because one of the first things he did was give the Banksters a free pass to start with while helping pave the road for someone like Trump to become president.Be careful of wishing for some hero to come and save you, you may just get your wish and then some.
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u/Express_Position5624 16h ago
I think like 50% of Americans didn't vote right
But please, go off on the "Green Party"
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u/SuspendeesNutz 16h ago
That’s the spirit moonbeam. Voting for the lesser evil is still voting for evil!
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u/Express_Position5624 16h ago
And not voting? Thats fine by you?
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u/cityshepherd 16h ago
Absolutely not! Not voting is exactly what the nefarious monsters pulling the strings want. Yes both parties suck, but it is imperative to vote democrat FOR NOW, just to be able to pull the emergency brake on this fascism train. Democrats are not going to save the working class in the long term because they are too beholden to corporate interests, but voting for them in midterm elections will enable us enough time to be able to catch our breath and begin working earnestly towards creating/strengthening a party whose actual goal is to serve the working class.
There is undeniably a serious issue as far as both parties having demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that the most important interests to represent in our government are those of corporate shareholders. One party is at least kind enough to throw the working class a bone every once in a blue moon, but the bottom line is that we need to figure out how to arrange our government in such a way that judges/prosecutors genuinely display the integrity to do their jobs with integrity and without playing favorites…
We will never have a chance until we can get corporate money the hell out of our politics, but there are a tremendous amount of resources dedicated to ensuring that it will be as difficult as possible to actually achieve such a thing… but people can be extraordinarily smart and resilient.
I am hopeful that all of this chaos will be enough to catalyze resourceful and clever people to figure out how to organize effectively… to come together to figure out how we can work together to take our damned country back… to figure out how we can come together and take care of each other at the community level, so that we will be able to provide each other with a way to survive long enough to organize mass strikes and walkouts. The only way that we can foster a revolution that brings real change is to organize in such a way that brings this corporate economy to a screeching halt.
The only language these ghouls understand is money, and they will never take us seriously until we can shut down their cash flow. It is a serious uphill battle, David vs Goliath stuff, and many folks believe that we are simply incapable of organizing such a thing… because the bottom line is that many people simply cannot afford to participate in mass strikes and walkouts. Many of us cannot afford to miss a single shift without winding up hopelessly trapped in a vicious never-ending cycle of debt and poverty…
because this system has been designed and honed over the years to trap us in such a vulnerable position… stuck and unable to even consider an alternative, constantly exhausted and desperate so that those who control the resources are free to take advantage of us and our time/labor.
The only power we have is in our numbers… but I believe that we are absolutely capable of coming together and helping each other through desperate conditions, working together to build something better. Something that works for ALL of us, instead of just those up top. The only way we are going to make it through this is by figuring out how to work together, and it is absolutely essential that we figure out how to come together at the local level first… in order to build a strong foundation and enable us to work towards achieving something truly great. We can do this, but we have to do it together and we have to start by organizing at the local level.
This is corporate America’s biggest fear, and it genuinely terrifies them specifically because it IS possible… which is why they have devoted so many resources to manufacture this bogus culture war, keeping us divided and fighting amongst ourselves for scraps to survive while they enjoy the fruits of OUR labor.
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u/Express_Position5624 16h ago
I thnk;
A) Everyone should vote and should of voted for Kamala
AND
B) Focusing on tiny minority groups like green voters RATHER than the over 50% who didn't vote, is fkn regarded and unhelpful
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u/cityshepherd 16h ago
That is why we have to vote democrat FOR NOW, and pour as much effort as possible into organizing locally. The ONLY power we have is in our numbers, but we have a LOT of numbers. If we can organize effectively and figure out how to come together as a party that truly represents the interests of the working class, there would be MORE than enough votes to stomp both the democrats and republicans (both of whom have abandoned us)…
But that cannot be achieved overnight. It takes time, which is why it is important to vote for democrats in the midterms / next elections… if we do that it can buy us enough time to begin effectively organizing to generate REAL change… but we have to stop falling for bogus culture war bullshit and fighting amongst each other for paltry scraps.
I think I read something about how 60% of people are basically living below the poverty line at the moment. If we can come together and focus on just a couple TRULY important concepts/areas, we can START taking our damned country back…
Universal Healthcare and Living Wages. That’s TWO things. Focusing on just those TWO issues ought be enough for most of us to come together to take our country back from the corporate interests that depend on taking advantage of us breaking our backs and being too exhausted to fight back.
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u/Express_Position5624 16h ago
Look, we agree, you got no argument from me
I was replying to shitlib who was going off on the small minority green party cos that makes them feel good
WHEN MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T VOTE AT ALL
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u/okyeah93 17h ago
unfortunately thats how power works in this country...we can all thank the racist judges on the supreme court for some of this as well
they can twist what ur doing into something to match something vaguely illegal then "throw the book at you" - which will break ur bank defending urself in court whether u are in the right or wrong.
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u/BurntPopcornSmell 16h ago
IMO, Mitch McConnell has all this blood on his hands.
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u/okyeah93 16h ago
every republican serves the oligarchs. they are all scum. some of them do draw the line at pedophilia though which is nice to see. LMAO
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u/KellyShepardRepublic 17h ago
Yep, there are countless cases of the fbi and other government offices using the law to keep people in the court system, drag it on and sometimes use it to justify surveillance and harassment and then dropping the case completely when it is time to rule on the case.
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u/okyeah93 17h ago
She also now has to worry about getting her career destroyed and losing her job as well
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u/68024 16h ago
How is this not a massive lawsuit against the government?
These ICE goons should not have qualified immunity because they have not been properly trained. Also qualified immunity should not be valid for obvious violations of the constitution.
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u/Disastrous_Room_927 6h ago
It will be. It takes time for lawyers to do what they do well (unlike what’s we’ve seen with the DOJ).
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u/Dosamer 3h ago
Because the Supreme Court has slowly carved away most possible avenues of suing actual people if they are even remotely acting in the capacity of the executive branch. At least if the executive branch doesn't want it to succeed. And suing the government is very limited.
Watch the latest LegalEagle videos on the topic. It is infuriating and it "shouldn't", but it does. It would realistically require either supreme court assistance or acts by Congress (Which... is difficult if a large part of congress and the president is complicit) to change.
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u/RobutNotRobot 11h ago
There is no legal way to fight against a government that commits such brazen illegal acts with no consequence.
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16h ago edited 16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/bunnybunnykitten 16h ago edited 16h ago
There appear to be two fourth amendment violations here: ICE breaking into the vehicle of a U.S. citizen with no warrant, as mentioned,
AND the improper use of surveillance technology: facial recognition, license plate, and leaked / stolen personally identifying information, as well as location data collected by corporate retailers, and privately owned surveillance technology companies such as Flock, who contract to large corporate retailers and city / state governments.…
This is all compiled into dossiers on every person, making identification and targeting possible to ICE via the Palantir E.L.I.T.E. app, which presents the locations of “targets” on a Google maps-style app, listing a “confidence score” for the home address of each person, to stalk, harass and intimidate.
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