There can be no secret police in a free country — but in the U.S., masked ICE agents are pulling families off the street without warrants or badges.

There is due process in a free country — but in the U.S., ICE is arresting and deporting ordinary working people based on mistaken identity and fabricated evidence, with no recourse to law.

There is a right to free speech in a free country — but in the U.S., ICE detains students for writing op-eds. President Trump, who pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists, including some cop beaters in January, is now targeting peaceful protesters with military force.

Our nation is not a free country while this continues. Immigrants without papers aren’t the only ones in danger: ICE has ignored military IDs, real IDs and U.S. birth certificates. What’s to stop ICE from arresting and deporting you or me if a cranky neighbor or a disgruntled co-worker points them our way?

Trump has a lot of power, but he still has to follow the Constitution and the law. On Saturday, I’ll stand up with fellow patriots to say that the U.S. is a free country and we have no kings. Will you join us?

Diana Parno

Squirrel Hill

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)