Thread by @philnel

1. The Trump regime feels threatened by crying children because they — and all refugees — refute the Trumpist/fascist lie that humanity depends upon citizenship.

2. As Hannah Arendt wrote of refugees, they “have lost all distinctive political qualities,” “lost all other qualities and relationships—except that they [are] still human.”

3. Refugees and asylum-seekers embody our shared humanity. They prove that humanity does not depend upon nationality. They prove that Trump is a liar and a bigot.

4. We already have ample proof that he is both liar and bigot, but my point is that Trumpists fear refugees because (to paraphrase Agamben) they expose the fiction of nationhood.

5. Refugees and asylum-seekers expose the immorality of basing human rights on nationhood, and challenge not only nationalism but the nation-state itself.

6. (I’m lifting this idea from Giorgio Agamben’s “Beyond Human Rights” [1993], which appears in Means Without End: Notes on Politics [2000].)

7. We should not be fooled by yesterday’s photo-op. Trump will continue his cruelty. He will keep separating families. He has NOT changed his policy. Don’t take my word for it. Read the text of his executive order. vox.com/2018/6/20/1748…

8. It affirms the policy of "detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources” — notice that “together” is qualified by “where appropriate” and “available resources,” thus allowing more separation.

9. Note also that “Alien family” means a "person’s alien child or alien children” and “alien child” means people under the age of 18 who are "not a citizen or national of the United States.”

10. So, media like the @KCStar are being played. This headline is not true. I repeat: read the text of Trump's executive order. vox.com/2018/6/20/1748…

11. And there are NO provisions for reuniting children with their families. The U.S. government is not even tracking them. (How is an infant supposed to find its mother or father?) #FamiliesBelongTogether
newyorker.com/news/news-desk…

12. It is up to us to keep the pressure on. #FamiliesBelongTogether

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13. Join the #FamiliesBelongTogether protests (or organize one) on Saturday June 30. act.moveon.org/event/families…

14. Call your senators and congresspeople. This is the Capitol Switchboard number: [phone]. Or, better, call the local office: attn.com/stories/12951/…

15. Find where children are being detained (imprisoned) in your area, and #SurroundICE #OccupyICE

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16. Tell the truth about immigrants. #ImmigrantsMakeAmericaGreat

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17. Learn the truth about U.S. history. (Tearing children from their parents is not new.) #KeepFamiliesTogether

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18. @Slate has assembled a more comprehensive list of resources. slate.com/news-and-polit… #KeepFamiliesTogether

19. Do not let America stand for this. Silence is complicity. The time to act is now. #KeepFamiliesTogether

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20. And stay vigilant. Unless we stop them, they are coming for naturalized citizens next.

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21. As @sarahkendzior says, “Do not accept brutality and cruelty as normal even if it is sanctioned. Protect the vulnerable and encourage the afraid."

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22. Long-term advice. Remember to VOTE in November, and know that the recent #SCOTUS ruling will make it harder for you to vote. So check the laws in your state, and be prepared to fight for your right.
vox.com/policy-and-pol…

23. We need to #AbolishICE. They are Trump's Gestapo. They delight in terrorizing people.
npr.org/2018/06/20/621…

24. Ultimately, the Trump regime needs to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. #HoldTrumpAccountable
icc-cpi.int/about/otp

25. Why not send a formal complaint now?
Attention: Office Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor
The International Criminal Court
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
or EMAIL: [e-mail]
or FAX: [phone].

26. In case it may be of use, I have also posted the full Twitter essay here: philnel.com/2018/06/21/tru… #KeepFamiliesTogether