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Arlene Martínez

@arlenemartinez.bsky.social
498 followers 192 following 45 posts

Comms+ at @goodjobsfirst, the nation's corporate welfare/corporate behavior watchdog. Past: @usatoday @mcall @vcstar @latimes. Bilingüe. Views my own.

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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I would hope someone who needs a place to live wouldn't be able to eliminate someone's G-given right to use their fireplace. And all they have are three stories, which seems unfair too. Most people should have four. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Toronto needs more homes. These neighbours say they're paying the price | CBC News
An elderly downtown couple says they’re shocked and upset that the city has approved a duplex next door to their three-story Victorian home that they say will tower metres above their chimney and rend...
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What we been up to where I be working: goodjobsfirst.org/tax-breaks-a...
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E.J. Fagan @ejfagan.com · 25/09/2026
If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole.
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Nice to see 30 Rock on the top 10. But where is Brooklyn 99? Also, I'd add The Crown.
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Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
BREAKING: two of the SF gay bars that were using facial recognition ID checks just issued a statement saying they're going to stop after a major article about our artist boycott campaign. Big win!
“We have heard the concerns regarding the use of PatronScan at Badlands and Toad Hall in San Francisco, and we are listening. Effective immediately, we are pausing the use of PatronScan while we review our ID verification and security practices,” said Brian Aranda, director of operations at both bars. “The safety of our guests and staff remains a priority, as do privacy and trust“Our security teams will continue to thoroughly check IDs manually during this time. We appreciate everyone who has shared their concerns and remain committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all.”
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Andrew @andrewdotcom.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I’m enjoying @doctorow.pluralistic.net new book. The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI and finding it reassuring that I do still have some semblance of a critical mindset.
Sentence from book summarised as Never forget you are not the target for AI hype. Investors are.
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Join me and my colleague Siobhan Standaert on Saturday 8/8 as we talk about how to research economic development incentives and corporate misconduct (via our Subsidy and Violation Tracker databases) and how to structure better deals for every community. irle.ucla.edu/2026/04/30/c...
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Starting soon @naleoofficial.bsky.social: I'll be talking about the soaring costs of data center tax breaks and how communities can help ensure the best deals for their residents if a data center does come to town. Come on down! #DataCenters #NALEO
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Excited to be joined at #IRE26 by a cracker jack group of reporters sharing tips on covering the growing corporate influence. Learn how to dig into behavior and relationships, even when you're on deadline. Join us Thurs, June 18 at 2:30 p.m.! And don't forget to stop by the @goodjobsfirst.org table!
Concentrated power: Covering the growing corporate influence session image for Thursday, June 18 at 2:30 p.m. at #IRE26
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Groundwork Collaborative @groundwork.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
We used to wait in a line at the ticket office. Now we bid on our phones. The cheapest World Cup opener tickets would cost the average family the equivalent of 7 months of health care premiums. @lindsayowens.bsky.social on how dynamic pricing turned buying a ticket into an auction.
nytimes.com
Why FIFA’s 2026 World Cup is such a rip-off
The price of watching live sport in the U.S. has shifted - and the World Cup is taking full advantage of the landscape
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The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 19/05/2026
Georgia spent about $1.69 a day per person in prison in 2024, and has proposed to spend $1.60 a day in 2027 — less than $.60 per meal. The Food and Drug Administration’s “thrifty plan” estimates that feeding an adult man “a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet” costs about $10 per day.
themarshallproject.org
Rats, Insects and Mold: How Bad Food Leaves Prisoners Hungry and Sick
Georgia spends about 60 cents per meal for prisoners. One man described it as ‘Being hungry all the time, and being fed slop.’
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Center for Labor and a Just Economy | HLS @cljeharvard.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
‪It's 95 degrees in Cambridge today. If you can't imagine spending time outside, imagine being a worker on a shift with no heat standards at your outdoor job. It's dangerous and it's preventable. Check out our latest report with @groundwork.bsky.social clje.law.harvard.edu/extreme-heat...
clje.law.harvard.edu
Extreme Heat is Killing America’s Workers - Center for Labor and a Just Economy
A report from Groundwork Collaborative, Workshop, and Center for Labor and a Just Economy outlines a coordinated campaign by corporations,…
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
It's not too late to apply! Looking forward to being part of this amazing conference.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14/04/2026
🚨NEW ANALYSIS🚨 14 states and scores of localities fail to disclose how much revenue they lose to data center tax breaks. Yet such losses are known to be soaring in states that do disclose, with three states already losing $1 billion or more per year. 🧵 goodjobsfirst.org/data-center-...
I cannot think of an industry less in need of tax incentives. AI is so problematic for so many reasons. Why would we also allow it to defund our public schools, health care, and safety? - quote by Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy
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ITEP @itep.org · 14/04/2026
NEW: At least 88 corporations paid $0 in federal income tax in 2025. That's despite collectively earning more than $105 billion in U.S. income. The list includes Tesla, Palantir, Live Nation Entertainment, Coinbase, United Airlines, Walt Disney, and more. itep.org/88-profitabl...
itep.org
At Least 88 Profitable U.S. Corporations Paid Zero Federal Income Tax in 2025
At least 88 of the largest corporations in America paid $0 in federal income tax for 2025. Corporate tax avoidance has increased at least in part due to President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ...
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Rob Sheridan @rob-sheridan.com · 09/04/2026
"Like Musk, Jack Dorsey, and Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman has benefited greatly from a U.S. tech press pathologically obsessed with mythologizing terrible white men with a lot of money." - @karlbode.com:
karlbode.com
Whoops, The Tech Press Mythologized Another Unethical Asshole
Lazy access journalism is pathologically obsessed with helping unremarkable, unethical weirdos cultivate elaborate supergenius engineer mythologies while covertly undermining the public interest.
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J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.com · 07/04/2026
Gosh, if only there was 50 years of research on this subject, which had reached a definitive conclusion that public stadiums are universally awful public investments....
We live in an era of “hot takes”, where being first to complain is often valued more than being right. But a multi-billion-dollar redevelopment project that could redefine Drew Park and the Dale Mabry Sports Corridor for the next half-century deserves more than a knee-jerk reaction. Let your elected officials and financial analysts do their due diligence, but demand that it be rigorous, transparent and grounded. Then let’s all sit down and determine whether a deal is truly worthy of all our trust.
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Field of Schemes @fieldofschemes.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Hillsborough County previously identified $2.6B worth of roads, sewers, etc. to use Community Reinvestment Tax funds on — meaning diverting $437m to a Rays stadium could require cutting back on building actual public infrastructure.
fieldofschemes.com
Rays stadium votes pushed back to May, as questions grow about sales tax surcharge
While it's way too early to say that Tampa Bay Rays owner Patrick Zalupski's plans for a new stadium on the current cite of Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry Campus are in trouble, the approval proces...
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Sam Pizzigati @sgp.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Virginia’s sales and use tax exemption for the data centers that fuel the AI industry’s huge windfalls for billionaires are now costing the state’s public school students $212 per year. @goodjobsfirst.org goodjobsfirst.org/virginias-da...
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maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
I have a lot to say on the positives of these mass scale peaceful protests. They can not be the only action, but they're important pillars. They're high visibility, can give us all an energy boost, can foster new connections, and are excellent entry points for people who want to start taking action.
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
-The cases found a way around Section 230 -Juries are more willing to sanction social media than judges -the general public has soured on social media -states are responding to this & demanding structural remedies A big multidistrict litigation heads to trial in August. prospect.org/2026/03/26/s...
prospect.org
Social Media’s Endgame Moment - The American Prospect
Even users don’t like it. So when you ask juries to render verdicts, they’re inclined to punish the platforms.
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Groundwork Collaborative @groundwork.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
NEW: Our study discovers that companies boost their profits up to 200% by making it harder for you to cancel subscriptions. Your exhaustion & frustration is what makes these companies profitable. @julianakaplan.bsky.social breaks it down & how it's costing us $165B a year in wasted time & money.
businessinsider.com
Companies are making it exhausting to cancel, get help, or get your money. They profit when you give up.
Companies are making customer service experiences more exhausting. A new report calls it the "annoyance economy" and it costs Americans $165 billion.
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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 23/03/2026
this particular CEO routinely says all kinds of things that don't mean shit! Now I don't pretend to be a Pulitzer winner, but I think if you're doing even baseline actual journalism you might want to include that as useful context for a reader.
The HIll headline: ELon Musk vows to help Flint Homes with Contaminated Water
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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Reminds me of the infuriating Boeing 737 MAX saga, in which the sole person actually prosecuted was the guy in charge of the simulators, which weren't even the problem, it was cheap, lazy engineering. Not one executive even indicted. Boeing itself got a tidy DOJ agreement.
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Kevin Duggan @kevinduggan.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
An Uber-backed group has poured more than $8 million into supporting Gov. Hochul's insurance deregulation push. The big cash drop includes an ad with "testimonials" by New York drivers who were mostly professional actors, Streetsblog found. nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/03/13/h...
nyc.streetsblog.org
Hired Actors, Paid Media: Big Tech Has Already Dumped $8M Into Hochul's Car Insurance Ploy - Streetsblog New York City
Buckets of cash and ads with professional actors are boosting Uber and Hochul's cause.
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The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 13/03/2026
Marimar Martinez was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent. Her lawyer believes that her case should be studied as a “playbook” for D.H.S. violence. “She’s one of the few people who has survived the bullets and can speak out,” he said. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/j0manC
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
The Preschool Teaching Assistant Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist”
When Marimar Martinez was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent, the D.H.S. justified it by calling her a “domestic terrorist.” In the aftermath, she’s been trying to recover her reputation and, with it, a sense of reality.
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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 13/03/2026
it's quite surreal how we've completely normalized the fact that a good 70% of our business, political, and tech press exists exclusively to blow smoke up the ass of the wealthy, creating elaborate mythologies for otherwise unremarkable people
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Patriotic Millionaires @patrioticmillionaires.org · 12/03/2026
The truth is, modest tax increases on millionaires won’t change their lifestyles. But the revenue can make a real difference for working families who rely on public services every day. Fair taxes help build rich, free, & stable communities and economies. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/n...
nytimes.com
Raise Taxes on the Rich? These Rich New Yorkers Are All for It.
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Patriotic Millionaires @patrioticmillionaires.org · 11/03/2026
Do higher taxes cause millionaires to flee? Patriotic Millionaire Craig Kaplan doesn't think so.⬇️ “I can’t imagine anybody who has that kind of income would leave New York over a $20,000 tax increase. It would mean absolutely nothing for me.”
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 11/03/2026
A recent industry piece in @pilotonline.com argues Virginia must preserve its data center tax breaks to protect its “competitive edge.” But if lawmakers stop subsidizing some of the world’s richest companies, will data center companies really flee? The tl;dr: No. goodjobsfirst.org/virginias-da...
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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Imagine the reaction in the US if ~175 schoolgirls had been killed by a targeted Iranian missile. (Or anyone's missile.) This is an atrocity.
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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 05/03/2026
Excellent point, Utah resident Lionel Trepanier: “This is real. This is people’s lives. The choices are being made between, what? Childhood and maternity care and giving a subsidy to the biggest oil producer in Utah?” www.utahinvestigative.org/tax-credit-f...
utahinvestigative.org
Tax credit for huge oil producer raises questions about Utah board’s transparency - The Utah Investigative Journalism Project
The following story was reported by The Utah Investigative Journalism Project in partnership with Salt Lake City Weekly. When Utah officials awarded a tax credit to one of the state’s largest oil comp...
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Remember that Kristi Noem created a bottleneck at FEMA by demanding personal approval of large contracts, but fast-tracked relief for a Florida tourist attraction after a contributor to her campaign made a call.
propublica.org
Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened
The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...
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James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 05/03/2026
Please: LLMs do not 'hallucinate'. They provide incorrect information. They produce erroneous outputs. They don't have any intentionality, or consciousness. This metaphor is becoming increasingly unhelpful.
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Tejal Wakchoure @tejaldehyde.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
I'm moderating a panel at NICAR this week! Come hear @allanlasser.com, @elizabethrenter.bsky.social, @arlenemartinez.bsky.social and I talk about careers and finding your niche in news or news-adjacent roles. Stop by, say hi and bring your questions! schedules.ire.org/nicar-2026/#...
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Americans for Tax Fairness @4taxfairness.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
You paid more for a water at the airport than Southwest Airlines paid in federal income taxes last year. Because they paid $0.
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Everything moves so fast now. It's impossible to give every event the care and attention it deserves, especially when the bar is "at least no one died." But what happened in Portland outside the ICE building was evidence of yet another escalation—and a terrifying harbinger of things to come.
thehandbasket.co
What it's like to see ICE tear gas kids
Attendees at a Portland, OR protest describe a vicious, unprovoked and sudden attack
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
ICYMI yesterday, the author of Searchlight's "Don't say abolish ICE" memo is a senior advisor to Tony Blinken's WestExec, a corporate shadow lobbyist. He works for companies that are immigration contractors. prospect.org/2026/01/19/a...
prospect.org
Author of ‘Don’t Say Abolish ICE’ Memo Is a Corporate Consultant - The American Prospect
Blas Nuñez-Neto is a senior adviser to WestExec, a shadow lobbyist for defense and tech firms.
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Jessica Shortall @jessicashortall.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
This NPR story also contains the most Minnesota lady shit I've ever seen in my life. The feels like tomorrow is -30F (not a typo) and JB does. not. care. about that "little chill air." www.npr.org/2026/01/21/n...
JB: I don't care if it's 20 below. I don't care. We'll dress for it. We'll be here. This is way more important than a little chill air.
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Global Trade Watch @pcgtw.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
From Argentina to Zimbabwe, Big Tech is lobbying to roll back digital regulations across the globe. 🌍 Our new map tracks 200+ policies in 60+ jurisdictions that Big Tech lobbyists have asked Trump to attack. See it for yourself ⬇️
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
People get surprised when they hear Amazon, Meta, Google, Tesla, and other global giants get huge discounts on energy AND also pass off their infrastructure costs to the rest of us AND pay no taxes.
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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Minneapolis public schools canceled classes officials after Roosevelt High School said armed Border Patrol officers came on school property during dismissal Wednesday and began tackling people, handcuffed two staff members and released chemical weapons on bystanders www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol clash disrupts dismissal at Roosevelt
Minneapolis schools closed for the week citing safety concerns after an encounter involving armed Border Patrol agents near Roosevelt High School.
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
@hshierholz.bsky.social nails it: "Today’s affordability debate, however, focuses almost entirely on prices...(but) The roots of today’s affordability crisis actually lie not in recent price spikes, but in the long-term suppression of workers’ pay." www.ms.now/opinion/infl...
ms.now
Opinion | Everyone is talking about affordability – and making the same mistake
"As lawmakers grapple with the cost of living, they need to remind Americans – again and again – that pay is a policy choice," Heidi Shierholz writes.
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MediaJustice @mediajustice.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Data centers like Project Blue and the #StargateProject are some of the most dangerous #AI projects to date — and it’s coming to the SW. Join us on 12/10 as we expose the projects' harms and outline how you can join the fight against #tech corporate greed & their #DataCenters. bit.ly/TheSWResists
Graphic for "The Southwest Resists Data Centers." A light blue sky with clouds hangs behind a massive SW mountain and multiple cacti in front. The date is in the middle, "Dec 10, 3PM PT | 6PM ET."The bitly link is shown to the right of the time: "bit.ly/TheSWResists"
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Our work on data centers in the @nytimes.com. The facilities are heavy water/energy users, and often the big companies behind them get huge taxpayer subsidies. In many states, transparency is so bad the public can't see just how much $ they're giving companies. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/u...
nytimes.com
‘The New Price of Eggs.’ The Political Shocks of Data Centers and Electric Bills
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Arlene Martínez @arlenemartinez.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Good Jobs First Founder Greg LeRoy is stepping down as executive director. Help us find a great candidate to lead this incredible organization! Details on the job and how to apply: www.idealist.org/en/job/ad148...
idealist.org
Executive Director - Job
Good Jobs First is now hiring for the position of Executive Director in Concord. Apply today.
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Sarah Lazare @sarahlazare.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
"The idea that these companies that have their profit wrapped up in the continued sale and use of fossil fuels is outright contrary to the very goals of the Paris Agreement..." I learned a lot from this conversation between @maximillianalvarez.bsky.social and @dharna.bsky.social
therealnews.com
At COP30, humanity must choose: Fossil fuel industry profits or a livable planet?
“The presence of lobbyists and other representatives from the fossil fuel industry… is a huge problem, obviously, for the COP process,” Dharna Noor says. “The idea that these companies that have their...
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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 25/11/2025
Writing doesn't just help you process your thoughts. Neuroscientists have found it physically changes your brain in ways that build resilience and help you handle everyday stress and challenges. buff.ly/8PdXnTT
theconversation.com
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Resilience is often presented as feats of bravery and endurance. But everyday practices like journaling, drafting a text or even writing a to-do list are manifestations of a capacity to adapt.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 21/11/2025
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com The videos of often-violent ICE arrests circulating on social media are “brutal and terrifying,” Sarah Wildman writes. “What should give Americans equal pause is the inhumanity happening beyond the cameras, away from the view of judges and lawyers and the media.”
nyti.ms
Opinion | What Trump’s Immigration Policies Are Doing to People Here Legally
Something new is happening in the breadth and ferocity of efforts to change the makeup of this country.
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