What Did They Do Wrong?

Immigration cops target legal immigrants, babies, judges

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Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty. New York City.

Editor’s Note: On June 23, 2025, the day this is being published, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with deporting immigrants to countries that are not their home countries, pausing a lower court’s ruling that had temporarily blocked these deportations. The justices lifted a federal judge’s order that required the government to give migrants facing deportation to “third countries” a chance to demonstrate they would face harm, such as torture, in those locations.

‘Mondays With Maureen Taylor and Marian Kramer’ is a weekly column called: “Ask Welfare Rights.” 

DETROIT, MI. We need an explanation for a few areas of concern.  First, Mickey crossed the border to get to America years ago when he was 3-yrs-old.  His parents went to the Immigration Courthouse and received the documents they needed to apply for asylum.  They have not missed any court dates and have fulfilled every requirement that was spelled out on the papers they received.  On the way to a scheduled appointment to the Courthouse, masked men stopped them, handcuffed them, and whisked them away.  QUESTION:   What did they do wrong? 

Next, a District Judge during court procedures, was told that an immigration arrest would be happening IN her courtroom.  The Judge had concerns about such actions being taken IN her room, so she had the person being targeted removed and escorted to a common space away from her court.  Immigration got their man within minutes, but they were furious as they had intended to send a message to others in the courtroom that they were in charge and not the Judge.  They were so angry, the next day they handcuffed and arrested the Judge while on the bench, to prove a point.  QUESTION:  What did the Judge do wrong?

Then, a young mother with a 1-year-old and a 2-month-old baby who is married to an American Marine, was detained and is still being held & threatened with deportation.  She has complied with all the requirements asked of her.  QUESTION:  What did she do wrong? 

The STATUE OF LIBERTY was heard talking out loud recently as she was wondering what method she might use to return to France since the …’send me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses seeking freedom’… message was no longer important.  The Statue might need a ride, unless she gets deported first.

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Maureen Taylor is a longtime economic justice leader and a leader in fight to stop privitization of water in Detroit, and elsewhere. She is chair of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization.

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