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U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday released its first “weekly list of crimes” committed by undocumented immigrants.
The list, called the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Declined Detainer Outcome Report, is one of his central mandates. On the campaign trail, he promised conservative supporters that he would release the list to “better inform the public about safety threats.”
The report catalogs the legal status, nationality, location and criminal activity of undocumented immigrants.
As many critics have pointed out, however, the list seems more like an excuse for a witch hunt rather than a public service.
It also serves to divert attention away from borderline-criminal actions committed by the Trump administration. Here are a few examples from this week alone.
Killing 230 Iraqi's in Air Raid
Some 230 Iraqi civilians were feared dead, buried in collapsed buildings in the Iraqi city of Mosul after a U.S. airstrike Mar. 22, civil defense agency officials and locals said.
At least 137 people, mostly civilians, were killed when a bomb hit a building in western Mosul, with another 100 innocent people thought to have died in nearby areas, according to Rudaw, a Kurdish news agency operating in northern Iraq. “Some of the dead were taking shelter inside their homes,” Hevidar Ahmed, an eyewitness told press.
The U.S. Central Command, which coordinates U.S. military action in Iraq said in a statement, "We are aware of reports on airstrikes in Mosul resulting in civilian casualties. The Coalition conducted several strikes near Mosul and we will provide this information to our civilian casualty team for further investigation."
Approving the Keystone Pipeline
Trump on Friday announced the official approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, touting the US$8 billion project for “creating jobs” and “reducing the United States’ dependency on foreign oil.” The pipeline, however, presents disastrous challenges for both the environment and Indigenous nations existing alongside it.
Dozens of environmental groups, politicians and scientists have raised the high likelihood of oil spills and contamination along its route. University of Nebraska professor John Stansbury recently conducted a study of its potential damages, revealing that the pipeline will likely experience more than two major oil spills per state during its estimated 50-year lifetime. Each of these spills, according to Stansbury, could let out as much as 180,000 barrels of oil.
These spills would not only devastate the environment. They would also affect the health and wellbeing of Indigenous groups, like the Lakota people, who have lived in the area for hundreds of years.
Moving forward with the Keystone XL oil pipeline despite knowing its potential environmental and health risks certainly warrants criminal investigation.
Placing Sanctions on Iran
Trump’s administration is close to announcing a new set of economic sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran over its defensive ballistic missile activities, the Washington Times reports.
The sanctions, supported by 14 senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties, claim to oppose Iran’s alleged “human rights abuses” and “destabilizing behavior throughout the Middle East.” Trump, who has called Iran the “world's biggest sponsor of terrorism” without providing any evidence, has also called for regime change in the Middle Eastern country.
Renewed U.S. sanctions would have devastating consequences for Iran.
Al-Monitor, a Washington-based Middle East investigative news site, reports that new sanctions could raise the price of basic goods like food and water tenfold, making it impossible for Iranians to survive. The site also says they could deplete key areas of Iran’s infrastructure, making it unsafe to live in and travel across the country.
Moreover, renewed sanctions could provoke political unrest in the country, purposefully destabilizing the sovereignty and independence of the Islamic Republic.
Trump’s plans to subvert Iran with new sanctions not only violates the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement signed between the U.S. and the Middle Eastern country. They also present humanitarian challenges to millions of Iranians that could result in mass catastrophe.
Continued Support for Saudi War on Yemen
Trump recently met with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country is responsible for killing thousands of Yemenis in U.S.-backed air strikes. The two met at the White House in what Saudi Arabia described as a “turning point” from Riyadh's often-fraught relationship with the Obama administration, especially in the wake of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Trump, promising to sign new economic and military deals with the wealthy Middle Eastern country, essentially legitimized its war on the region’s poorest country. Moving forward, Saudi Arabia will have the support of U.S. in its regional imperialist endeavors.
Weeks before former president Barack Obama left office, he suspended the sale of U.S.-made precision guidance munitions to the Saudis, a reaction to thousands of civilian casualties from Saudi-led air strikes in Yemen.
The Saudis now expect such bans to be lifted under Trump. U.S. officials have said the President is considering ending that ban and approving the sale of guidance systems. The State Department has approved the move, which is currently awaiting a final White House decision.
An average of 100 Yemeni civilians a month are dying because of U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.
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