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As anticipated, McAleenan’s planned remarks were BS so we didn’t miss anything. However, this point particularly irked me...it’s NOT a good thing that Mexico has deployed the national guard to its borders. Living on an insanely militarized border is a daily exercise in terror 
In my daily work, I pass through several militarized checkpoints, staffed by masked soldiers holding high-caliber assault rifles who can arbitrarily decide to search or detain you. There is no due process if you are stopped and I’m not even sure where you would be taken
My neighbor is American, he just moved here with his Mexican wife & kids and doesn’t speak much Spanish. Two nights ago, he was out riding his bike when he was surrounded by military and national guard soldiers. They took him off his bike and tried to shove him in their truck
He resisted being hauled away and spoke English to the soldiers. Finally one realized he didn’t speak Spanish and asked, ‘you have drugs?’ He clearly didn’t, and they likely wanted to avoid the paperwork that comes with arresting a US citizen, so they let him go.
When our neighbor said he had been detained, I thought about what would have happened if the National Guard had taken him. Would they let him make a call? How long would his wife and small kids have waited to hear from him? Days? Longer?
Obvs the migrants in Mexico who are not US citizens have it even worse. The National Guard will roll up in front of migrant shelters in trucks with 40-50 masked, armed soldiers. They work with INM near places where migrants receive services to check documents
Lately, I’ve been passing through more CBP checkpoints on the US side of the border, too, and I’m frightened for the same reasons. Anyone who is detained doesn’t have access to a lawyer in CBP custody either. I’ve had clients who were detained and no one heard from them for weeks
Whatever you think about border security, TRUST ME, you do not want to live in this world of military checkpoints and arbitrary detentions. Recognize that it’s a creeping reality in the US and fight it with everything you have. This is fascism.
