America’s immigration system was a landmine, and Trump set it off

Last Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Newark mayor Ras Baraka outside a detention center. Baraka was trying to visit the facility - which opened recently and is operated by the GEO Group, a private prison company - with members of New Jersey's congressional delegation. Baraka was not only denied entry but arrested by agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division, even though he's a US citizen. He was ultimately charged in federal court with one count of trespassing and released from custody after several hours.

Baraka's arrest was just one of many recent immigration-related developments that could have easily taken up a whole news cycle, alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP) interrogating popular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and White House adviser Stephen Miller declaring that the administration is "actively looking" at suspending the constitutional right to habeas corpus. But while Trump's actions may seem unprecedented, he is relying on infrastructure built up over decades, largely with bipartisan support. The difference now is that Trump is using it to target anyone and everyone, including US citizens who criticize his pol …

Read the full story at The Verge.