DHS Goes After First and Fourth Amendments With Expanded Social Media Surveillance

According to Buzzfeed, DHS is ready to put digital Star of David armbands on every immigrant, every naturalized American and every natural born American who converses with anyone in the aforementioned groups. According to Brian Schwartz, of Electronic Frontier Foundation:

We see this as part of a larger process of high tech surveillance of immigrants and more and more people being subjected to social media screening,” Schwartz told BuzzFeed News. “There’s a growing trend at the Department of Homeland Security to be snooping on the social media of immigrants and foreigners and we think it’s an invasion of privacy and deters freedom of speech.

This policy will begin on October 18th.

Last week, this chilling new rule was published in the Federal Registry which means this is not just fake news, or a Trump tweet that his staff can massage, spin or deny was said.

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If you weren’t born here, DHS is coming for your social media activities. It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen or not. Even if you are a natural born citizen, DHS will surveil all your social media activities if you at any time communicate with someone who wasn’t born here.

That’s what Trump calls “MAGA”. It’s what decent people would call a kick in the gut of the 4th Amendment. It’s what I would call a digital Star of David Armband. It’s just the latest in a litany of attacks on the soul and character of America, that only Vladimir Putin and the idiots who remain dedicated members of the Trumpist cult could love.

Just this week, Trump attacked the first amendment rights of athletes cuz, white men don’t want to know nuttin about civil rights issues. It so ruins the moment of a football game. People in wheelchairs who were begging Republicans for their lives – for the third time in as many months, were arrested. And now this.

And it’s only Wednesday.

I’m still shaking my head, feeling sick in my gut – again – because that is what life is like under Trump.

Ok, the closest to a smile came when I realized Melania Trump will be the first First Lady to be under surveillance – simply because she wasn’t born here. Yet whatever we may think of Melania Trump, the fact is this measure strikes at the heart of what made America, America. It’s a direct assault on the constitution and has nothing to do with respecting this country, the law or anything else.

This is not normal and this is not a dream. It is, however, the latest in daily warnings over the past 8 months, following the multiple warnings during the 2016 election. Trump is not making America “great again” or greater than it was, or just plain great. He is ruining this country – while Vlaidimir Putin continues to pull his strings.

I’m reminded, again, of Martin Niemöller’s now inspiring and applicable quote.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Adalia Woodbury

Former contributor.