Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, has used social media to express his views on immigration and politics, generating significant attention. He directly criticized Vice President J.D. Vance’s interpretation of Christian love as justifying restrictive immigration policies, publicly disagreeing with Vance’s “ordo amoris” argument. The Pope’s social media history reveals a consistent opposition to Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including retweets condemning Trump’s actions and comparing them to human rights abuses. This outspokenness has drawn both praise and condemnation, with some right-wing commentators expressing disapproval of the Pope’s stances.
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In preparation for Portugal’s May 18th general election, the caretaker government announced plans to expel approximately 18,000 undocumented immigrants. The process will begin next week with voluntary departure requests for 4,500 individuals, followed by mandatory expulsion orders. This action comes amid a rise of populism in Portugal, with the far-right Chega party gaining significant influence. The current government, following a confidence vote loss, dissolved parliament and called for early elections.
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On May the Fourth, the Trump White House released a graphic depicting Trump as a Sith Lord, wielding a red lightsaber, while the Border Patrol chief shared a video equating the agency to Darth Vader battling “rebel” forces representing immigration and drug trafficking. These depictions, aligning the administration with Star Wars villains, drew immediate criticism, with many pointing out the irony of their self-identification with the Empire. The administration’s social media posts further demonized political opponents as “Radical Left Lunatics” and implied that critics of immigration policies are akin to the film’s antagonists. This “Star Wars” themed propaganda has been widely condemned as inappropriate and tone-deaf.
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This investigation reveals that James Joseph Rodden, an assistant chief counsel for ICE in Dallas, is the operator of the X account “GlomarResponder.” This account has a long history of posting racist, xenophobic, and pro-fascist content, including statements that endorse violence against immigrants. The identification of Rodden as GlomarResponder is supported by extensive evidence, including biographical details, employment history, and social media activity. Rodden’s continued employment with ICE raises serious ethical concerns, given his publicly expressed views and potential for bias in immigration court proceedings.
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During a recent interview, President Trump responded “I don’t know” when asked if he has an obligation to uphold the Constitution, specifically regarding due process for immigrants. This followed his administration’s deportation of individuals, including those with prior legal protection, actions that have been challenged in court. Trump claimed a mandate to deport immigrants despite judicial rulings against his methods, citing the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the issue as differing from his own. He also disregarded the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process for all persons within the U.S., citing the logistical challenges of individual trials.
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The UK’s decision to prevent foreign sex offenders from receiving refugee protection is long overdue. It’s baffling that such a measure wasn’t already in place; the fact that it took this long raises serious questions about the previous system’s effectiveness and priorities. Why were known sex offenders previously granted asylum? This policy shift is a necessary correction, but it highlights a broader issue of how we vet asylum seekers and ensure national security.
This new policy should naturally extend to other serious violent offenders and criminals in general. The question of whether individuals convicted of less severe crimes, like fraud, should be granted asylum is a separate, but equally important, debate.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood