During the Gulf War (1990-1991), George W Bush unleashed the famous military doctrine of “Shock and Awe” to destroy the alleged existential threat of Saddam Hussein.
The “shock and awe” strategy is a military doctrine designed to overwhelm an adversary with a display of overwhelming force and power to paralyze its will to resist and destroy its ability to respond effectively.
It is the same philosophy behind the wave of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump just hours after assuming power for the second time:
Declaration of a national emergency, sending troops to the border to “repel” migrants, disappearance of the CBP One mobile application for asylum seekers, reestablishment of the “Remain in Mexico” program, annulment of birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants, suspension of the refugee program and imminent start of the first raids in large cities in the country.
It remains to be seen whether the new president will have the political capital to maintain these programs or whether his government will emerge victorious from the lethal lawsuits that have already begun to be filed to counteract some of his executive orders.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit in New Hampshire on Monday night challenging the executive order to stop the automatic granting of citizenship, which goes into effect on February 20.
“Denying citizenship to children born in the United States is not only unconstitutional, but a reckless and callous repudiation of American values,” says Anthony Romero, director of the ACLU. “This order repeats one of the gravest mistakes in American history, by creating a permanent underclass of people.”
As Democratic Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth state: “We all agree that our border must be secure and we must expel from our country any dangerous individuals who are here illegally. But suspending the legal refugee admissions program and attempting to deprive American-born children of citizenship are ineffective and unconstitutional measures.”
Migrants do not represent an existential threat to the United States. Quite the opposite. During the pandemic, they were recognized by Trump himself as “essential” workers who risked their lives to produce the vegetables, fruits, and basic products on our tables.
No one disputes the right of the United States to enforce outstanding deportation orders, or its right to know who enters and who leaves, punish criminals, and safeguard the territorial integrity of the country, but these policies must be carried out in accordance with the law, due process, and with dignified and humane treatment.
