The Dirty War is Here and Now in the United States

In my life over the past half-century, I have been blessed with the opportunity to live on the border, in Mexico, and in Argentina. I have been privileged to speak with many people whom I consider friends and fellow travelers. Some of the most profound conversations I’ve had have been with victims of “dirty wars.” Prime examples include the repression of students during the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968 in Mexico, and the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, who left a wide path of destruction in Argentina from 1976 to 1981. I was in Argentina at the end of the eighties and witnessed firsthand the lingering scars on society.

Tragically, here and now, in the United States, we are witnessing the unfurling of a Dirty War under the Donald Trump regime. This is not to suggest that former presidents were flawless, but at least they managed to keep their skeletons out of the direct spotlight of mainstream media and public discourse. The difference in 2025 is that Donald Trump has no qualms about openly boasting that he is proudly waging a dirty war—a holy crusade in the name of his orange-hued God: "MAGA."

Let’s examine the evidence.

1️⃣ State Violence Against Civilians
Governments engaged in dirty wars target political dissidents, activists, journalists, students, labor leaders, and ethnic minorities.

• Trump is currently threatening to arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom for "interfering" with his plans for mass deportations by ICE.
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• ICE has prioritized detaining activists who protest its lawless behavior, such as Jeannette Vizguerra.
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• Dozens of journalists have been deliberately shot with rubber bullets in recent days. Worse yet, the administration has strong-armed networks like ABC and CNN into paying his library or facing defamation lawsuits.
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• Farmworker labor leader Alfredo “Lelo” Juárez was detained earlier this year for advocating for workers' rights.
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• ICE is now coordinating arrests to target locations heavily frequented by minorities.
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2️⃣ Forced Disappearances
This is the second pillar of any dirty war: kidnapping, secret detention centers, and the vanishing of victims.

• Trump has orchestrated the transfer of migrants to the dystopian mega-prison CECOT in El Salvador. He has even called for sending U.S. citizens to these black sites—located in a country he once called a "shithole."
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3️⃣ Torture and Extrajudicial Killings
Victims are tortured for information or simply executed without trial.

• Trump aide Stephen Miller advocates suspending habeas corpus to expedite what can only be described as a “DisTrumpian” order.
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• Torture, once a dark chapter of Bush-era Gitmo, is now openly defended by Trump, who is asking the Supreme Court to gut the Convention Against Torture.
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4️⃣ Censorship and Propaganda
The regime controls the narrative while hiding its crimes.

• The government has reached multimillion-dollar settlements with ABC over claims that any judge in the past would have tossed out immediately. CBS now faces threats to its licenses due to supposed anti-Trump bias on 60 Minutes.
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• Kari Lake—failed Arizona politician, election denier, and former journalist—now heads the gutted Voice of America, reducing it to just 18 employees and turning it into a right-wing propaganda machine.
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5️⃣ Lack of Accountability
The courts, law enforcement, and military institutions have become complicit or are under regime control.

• The Supreme Court, with justices like Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas compromised by ideological favors, is slowly greenlighting Trump's agenda.

• Law enforcement agencies have merged their efforts with ICE under the 287(g) program.
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• And, of course, the crown jewel of any Banana Republic dictatorship: a $40 million military parade to celebrate Trump's birthday.
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THE DIRTY WAR — HERE AND NOW

To be perfectly clear: Trump’s war is not limited to foreigners. He seeks to silence anyone who opposes his totalitarian and draconian vision. Yes—he has authorized U.S. Marines to detain American citizens.

According to HuffPost:

"The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a battalion of 700 Marines had concluded training specific to the L.A. mission, including de-escalation and crowd control. They would join the National Guard under the authority of a federal law known as Title 10 within 48 hours—not to conduct civilian policing but to protect federal officers and property, the military said.
'Title 10 forces may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances such as to stop an assault, to prevent harm to others, or to prevent interference with federal personnel performing their duties,' the Northern Command said."

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The onus is now on us.
This Saturday, June 14th, is No Kings Day — a day of protest, letter writing, and reflection. If we are to stop this Dirty War, we have a collective responsibility to act—before it’s too late.