Congressman Dan Goldman has responded sharply and passionately to a recently leaked report by denouncing former President Donald Trump for what he calls a dangerously authoritarian idea that, if implemented, would transfer American citizens to foreign prisons in El Salvador. Goldman’s statement followed reports that Trump had proposed sending “homegrown criminals” to El Salvador in a private meeting with President Nayib Bukele of the Central American nation. There has been a lot of opposition to the concept, which is unfounded in U.S. legal tradition and seems to violate American individuals’ constitutional rights. Goldman has been at the forefront of criticizing it as an indication of totalitarian aspirations.
Goldman didn’t hold back when discussing the wider ramifications of Trump’s comments in a CNN interview. He declared the proposal to be an obvious manifestation of growing authoritarianism in addition to being unconstitutional. “It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. But it’s just another example of Donald Trump’s more authoritarian rhetoric,” Goldman told anchor Wolf Blitzer. He is directing the Justice Department to look into his adversaries. He is now threatening to deport citizens of the United States. Goldman’s worry reflects a rising apprehension among legislators and legal experts who saw Trump’s rhetoric and strategies as a component of a larger breakdown of democratic norms.
According to sources, Trump indicated interest in sending American people he considered “criminals” to El Salvador’s jail system, which is already well-known for its harsh conditions and overcrowding, during their talk in the Oval Office. Trump allegedly hailed the effort and suggested outsourcing punishment for some American residents to Bukele’s mega-prisons, despite the fact that Bukele’s government has come under fire from throughout the world for its brutal, all-out crackdown on gangs, which are routinely accused of breaching human rights. Even while it’s still unknown if Trump plans to publicly pursue this strategy, the idea has rocked the political establishment.
In addition to offering legal justification, Goldman cautioned about the consequences for American democracy. According to him, the concept poses a serious danger to the Constitution and the liberties it protects. Goldman said, “This is the stuff of dictators.” “Presidents that are elected democratically don’t do this. It’s time for the American people to realize that Donald Trump has a habit of undermining our core democratic institutions and principles in order to seize complete control of the federal government.
Goldman’s worries have been echoed by legal experts, who have stated that deporting citizens of the United States is blatantly unlawful. Due process and birthright citizenship are guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, and no citizen of the United States may be ejected from the nation without their rights being violated. Many are concerned that Trump’s return to power would entail the willful destruction of existing legal and political processes because of the idea that he would think about evading these protections. Trump’s track record of pushing the boundaries of presidential power, notably his well-publicized pressure campaigns on the Department of Justice and other organizations during his first term, exacerbates this worry.
When asked about the suggestion, Trump’s current spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, referred to it as a “legal question that the president is looking into” rather than rejecting it outright. The evasive reaction has only strengthened conjecture that this is a possible second-term agenda item rather than merely verbal bluster. Goldman quickly drew attention to the Republican leadership’s silence on the issue, pointing out that many GOP members had given up control and accountability in favor of party loyalty. According to Goldman, “Congress — Republicans in Congress — have fully acceded to his wishes and given Donald Trump all of their own authority.” “We are discussing the courts because there is no check and balance from Congress.”
Indeed, one of the few institutions that may still be able to prevent administrative overreach is the judiciary. However, worries about Trump’s influence persist even there. Trump appointed more than 200 federal judges during his first term, including three justices of the Supreme Court. Critics fear that the judiciary’s makeup now favors rulings that might facilitate rather than impede a future Trump presidency, despite the court’s intended independence.
Deporting Americans under the pretense of preventing crime brings to mind some of the worst periods in history, such as the internment camps of World War II and the authoritarian governments that imprisoned political opponents or dissenters without following the proper legal procedures. Goldman makes a purposeful and unsettling allusion to these tendencies. Even if these suggestions are only rhetorical trial balloons, they could set a disastrous precedent if they are allowed to gain traction. It is not merely a theoretical fear. Numerous democratic backslides have been made gradually in recent years all across the world, frequently as a result of legislative collusion, executive overreach, and legal manipulation.
Democrats are responding by indicating that they are ready to face what they perceive to be an existential danger to the republic. The goal is to raise institutional opposition and public awareness in addition to condemning Trump’s comments. By clearly defining the boundaries between policy differences and authoritarian overreach, it will be evident that some proposals are not just foolish but also essentially at odds with American ideals.
Goldman’s remarks act as a rallying cry for those who think the country is at a perilous crossroads as the political landscape in the United States continues to polarize. “It cannot be stressed enough what a crucial junction our nation now stands at,” the congressman said in his harsh warning. The United States as we know it will disappear if we permit Donald Trump to start sending American citizens to foreign jails where they will be tortured and kept in cells. The struggle to uphold democratic principles has never seemed more pressing to those who share his alarm.