Snyder: Trump’s mass deportation policy is taking American democracy with it

Uncomfortable but valid parallel with the rise of the Nazis:

…It was foreseeable that U.S. President Donald Trump would seek to exploit such violence. He announced his intention to target “Third World countries,” and blamed all of America’s problems on migrants. He expressed his desire to deport millions of people and to strip citizenship from Americans whom he deems incompatible with “Western civilization.”

For the Nazis, the mass deportations and pogrom of 1938 were steps toward creating a centralized national police agency. In the U.S., something similar is unfolding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement: initially tasked to carry out deportations, ICE has taken on espionage roles and been reinforced by the National Guard. In these respects, it is becoming something like a national police force, with ideological propaganda and links to the armed forces. 

In one way, mass deportations and Kristallnacht advanced the consolidation of the Nazi regime. But this kind of instability was unpopular in Germany – much as ICE raids are unpopular in U.S. cities. The radical next steps were possible only under cover of war. For Mr. Trump, starting a war with Venezuela (or someone) would be the next logical move in advancing regime change at home. It is not hard to see that Mr. Trump understands this, given his escalating provocations since the U.S. began attacking alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean. 

The past never repeats, but it does instruct. The people who want authoritarianism in America know that seizing on the emotions associated with political belonging can lead to turmoil and regime change. And the people who want democracy in America can see the pattern and, by naming it, take the crucial first step toward bringing the process to a halt. 

Source: Trump’s mass deportation policy is taking American democracy with it