President Donald Trump's marauding bands of immigration goons have made the United States so unsafe that an allied foreign government issued a travel advisory to warn its citizens about coming here.
Germany updated its travel guidance on Wednesday to tell its citizens that Trump’s federal immigration agents are provoking violent clashes in Minnesota, advising them on what to do if they’re unlucky enough to get caught up in it.
A person holds up their hands as law enforcement deploys a thick screen of teargas on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
"In Minneapolis and other cities, demonstrations sometimes lead to violent clashes with immigration and security authorities," the guidance says. "Be vigilant and stay away from crowds where violence might occur. … Remain calm and follow the instructions of the authorities and local security forces."
The irony is not lost on us that Germany, which has a sordid history with fascist leaders who violently murdered citizens based on their ethnic backgrounds and political beliefs, is now warning about the same thing happening in the United States.
But it’s absolutely true that visiting the United States now comes with risks, as federal immigration agents are racially profiling people—pulling them over and asking for their papers, violently ripping them out of their vehicles, and beating them if they do not comply.
Related | Why Alex Pretti's killing broke Trump’s misinformation machine
Even U.S. citizens and immigrants with valid paperwork have been arrested and held in detention facilities, where they’ve reported deplorable and inhumane conditions.
And in violation of the First Amendment, when brave bystanders exercise their constitutional right to film the agents’ horrific conduct, they are also at risk—both of being beaten or even killed, as we tragically saw with Minnesota residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Meanwhile, Trump can’t stop boasting that his return to office has made the world respect the United States again. He made that ridiculous assertion during a rambling and incoherent speech in Iowa Tuesday, where he declared that he solved inflation.
People visit a makeshift memorial for 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24.
"America is respected all over the world like they've never been respected. One year, I thought it would take us two years," Trump said.
But that is obviously not the case.
An Ipsos poll from April—before Trump's vigilante immigration gestapo descended upon U.S. cities—found that foreigners' views of the United States had fallen since Trump was elected.
"The proportion saying America will have an overall positive influence on world affairs has fallen in 26 out of 29 countries over the last six months," the poll found. "Today, almost two in five (46% on average across the 29 countries) say the U.S. will have a positive influence, down from 59% who said the same in September/October 2024, prior to the presidential election."
We can't imagine what that poll would say if it was taken now, as governments have to warn their citizens about the perils of visiting the United States.
Are we great again yet?
