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Hi everyone,
Let’s get straight to the point. This week brought more outrageous moves by the increasingly lawless federal agency ICE. Here are just a few headlines:
Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities [ [link removed] ]
Pastor's wife deported to Mexico alone after 27 years in U.S. [ [link removed] ]
ICE detains Green Card-holder returning from visit to son in U.S. Air Force [ [link removed] ]
U.S. citizen who tried to intervene as ICE questioned another man violently taken into custody [ [link removed] ]
And then there’s this:
ICE detains U.S. Army interpreter at routine asylum hearing [ [link removed] ]
First of all, detaining immigrants who are following the law by attending their court hearings isn’t just callous, it’s idiotic. It discourages them from immigrating “the right way,” which MAGA folks claim is the issue. Instead, they’ll skip their hearings out of fear and disappear into the interior of the country. Just stupid and counterproductive.
But further, the interpreter in this case, Sayed Naser, assisted the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, got left behind after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, somehow fled, and made it to the U.S. border. Once there, he gained entry via the CBP One App (which Trump shut down in January) and has dutifully attended all of his asylum hearings since. Now, he faces deportation back to the Taliban—and a short, hellish future.
This should infuriate every American, and that’s not even mentioning the fact that ICE now operates like a cartel, rather than part of a Constitution-based government.
But so far, MAGA seems unmoved. Maybe this headline will be the only one to make a difference:
ICE agents should continue conducting immigration raids on farms, hotels, and restaurants in a reversal of guidance, officials say [ [link removed] ]
Why? Because not only is what Trump is doing to immigrants inhumane, divisive, and un-American, it’s also gonna mess up our economy. Big time. With no one to pick crops and process agricultural products for sale at market, food producers [ [link removed] ] are struggling. So get ready to pay lots more at the grocery store for milk, beef, onions, peaches, and a whole lot more. And MAGA’s wallets won’t be spared.
Enjoy your weekend,
Joe
In Today’s Issue
The Social Briefing: Heroes of the Week
Good Reads for This Week
What’s Your Take?
What Can You Do?
The Social Calendar
The Social Soundboard
This Week
This Week
SUBSTACK LIVE:
Wednesday, 8pm ET [ [link removed] ] (with Rachel Janfaza [ [link removed] ], click if you missed it)
SUPPORT OUR MISSION: If you enjoy this Substack and want to help me and my small, but fiercely pro-democracy team reach more Americans with our message, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Thank you!
Amid all the bad [ [link removed] ], awful [ [link removed] ], dumb [ [link removed] ], stupid [ [link removed] ], insane [ [link removed] ], sickening [ [link removed] ], despicable [ [link removed] ], embarrassing [ [link removed] ], irresponsible [ [link removed] ], demoralizing [ [link removed] ], infuriating [ [link removed] ], outrageous [ [link removed] ], terrible [ [link removed] ], horrible [ [link removed] ], Constitution-defying [ [link removed] ] news of the past week, we have to acknowledge the heroes among us. The list is growing, as more and more of us are standing up to the tyrant. Courage is infectious. Be brave!
MINNESOTA. A big shout-out to the North Star State for handling last weekend’s horrific acts of political violence—and the assassination of State Rep. Melissa Hortman—with decorum, professionalism, and resolve [ [link removed] ].
TINA SMITH. Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith [ [link removed] ] “pulled up” this week, confronting fellow senator Mike Lee [ [link removed] ] about his cruel, disgusting tweets mocking the violence that occurred in her state. More of this, please. We have to call these people out on their shit, face to face. Bravo, Senator Smith!
THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS. The reigning World Series champs kicked ICE right out of their house on Thursday. When federal immigration agents showed up in unmarked white vans and SUVs and attempted to enter the parking lots of Dodger Stadium [ [link removed] ], they were denied entry by Dodger officials, and the ballgame went on as scheduled. That’s how you do it. Well played, Dodgers.
SENATE DEMOCRATS. Specifically, the ones who grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week, like Sen. Jacky Rosen [ [link removed] ] and Sen. Elissa Slotkin [ [link removed] ]. Good job.
YOU! Kudos to everyone who protested on No Kings Day last weekend—Americans like this [ [link removed] ] and this [ [link removed] ], all across this country. Thank you!
HONORABLE MENTION. No Republican who supports Donald Trump is a hero. Period. But twice this week, Sen Thom Tillis called out the Trump Administration—regarding the Afghani interpreter [ [link removed] ] in ICE detention and the treatment of Sen. Alex Padilla [ [link removed] ].
Did we miss anyone? Send your heroes our way [ mailto:[email protected] ]!
Good Reads for This Week
A Felon in the White House is Making Crime Legal [ [link removed] ] —Public Notice
The Judiciary Will Become Virtually Powerless in Protecting Your Rights if the Current Budget Bill Becomes Law [ [link removed] ] —The UnPopulist
12 Days in Trump’s America [ [link removed] ] —The Atlantic
It Was Worse Than You Think [ [link removed] ] —The xxxxxx
When the Revolution Starts to Fail [ [link removed] ] —Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum
We've Become a Failed Nation-State in 150 Days [ [link removed] ] —Brian Karem Reporter’s Notebook
This is Fascism [ [link removed] ] —De Correspondent
The Growing Threat of Homegrown Religious Extremism [ [link removed] ] —The xxxxxx
Have Democrats Lost Young Men? Here's Their Plan to Win Them Back [ [link removed] ] —NPR
Why We Care About Israel [ [link removed] ] —The Dispatch
What’s Your Take?
The last couple of weeks have highlighted what an incompetent and untrustworthy Cabinet Trump has. There was Kristi Noem’s occupation of Los Angeles, Pete Hegseth’s anti-book testimony, RFK Jr.’s purging of vaccine experts, and Tulsi Gabbard’s, well, Tulsi Gabbardness.
What Can You Do?
GET OUT THERE AND PROTEST! There is another protest opportunity coming up. Help organize in your area and join if you are able!
JULY 17: “Good Trouble” protests will take place in every state in the country. More details here [ [link removed] ].
WRITE A LETTER! Send your thoughts about the state of our nation to the editor at your local paper. If you get published, send us a link, and we’ll include it here.
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS! Flood the phones and inboxes at your representative’s and senators’ offices with calls and emails. Get your friends and neighbors to do it too. Tell them you are one of the 75 million people who didn’t vote for a king (or one of the 77 million who voted for Trump and now feel like an idiot). We have to let them know we’re out here every day. Use this really helpful tool [ [link removed] ] from one of our readers. Thanks, Megan Rothery!
JOIN THE #NOKINGS COMMUNITY! Let’s build a community of Americans who rally around and identify with this basic truth: we don’t have kings in America. I’ve changed all my profile pictures to #NOKINGS, and you can too. Grab a #NOKINGS graphic at www.oneflaginitiative.org [ [link removed] ] for instructions on how to change your profile pics.
SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY PROUDLY! Let the world know you stand with the No Kings movement with a #NOKINGS shirt!
To get yours, visit oneflaginitiative.org [ [link removed] ], or become a Social Contract Founding Member [ [link removed] ], and we’ll send you one for FREE (plus you’ll get an invite to a once-a-month Zoom with me and other special VIP events), with our thanks.
#NOKINGS merchandise sales directly support Conversations with Joe, my personal effort to restore the social contract across America.
Did you catch Walsh Wednesday, my weekly meetup with Michael Cohen? If you missed it, here it is:
THIS WEEK’S INTERVIEWS & QUOTES
Former Republican Congressman, Tea Party Member Joe Walsh Discusses Party Switch [ [link removed] ] —ABC News
Protestors Gather Downtown for Second Day of Weekend Anti-Trump Rallies [ [link removed] ] —ABC News
No Kings Day Protests Today: Map, Cities, Speakers, and More [ [link removed] ] —Fast Company
Man With Loaded Gun Posing as Cop Arrested Amid Loop Protest, Chicago Police Say [ [link removed] ] —Chicago Sun-Times
Trump Said Western Leaders Were Wrong to Kick Putin out of the G8 and was Schooled All the Way to the Moon and Back [ [link removed] ] —The Poke
Here’s what some of you are thinking about this week…
Hey Joe,
Wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your voice in the fight against Trumpism. I'm a daily listener to your podcast.
I feel like we need to put more pressure on Republicans in the House. It would be hugely valuable if even a handful of them were to defect. There are around 220 Republicans in the House. I think we had around 5 million people participate in the No Kings protests last weekend. If we could send all those people to the district offices of each Republican House member, that would be around 23,000 people per district office on average, if my math is correct.
I know it would take a lot of coordination and sacrifice on the part of participants to pull something like this off, but imagine if we could even get on average a couple thousand people per district office to show up on the same day at all 220 district offices across the country and demand the impeachment of Trump.
Don't get me wrong, I know that Republicans in the House are basically impossible to reach, but I feel like a nationwide coordinated protest like this would be really difficult to ignore.
Once again, I appreciate everything you're doing in this fight. Thank you! —Michael Kilburg
Hi Joe,
As we agonize over all the shit that is going on, I thought of you, and how we could change the course of this country faster than anything. I know you would want that—and you would play a key role.
California is getting abused by the Trump regime. This we know. There are NINE members of the U.S. House from California who are Republicans. At least one of them is an immigrant from South Korea—a democracy-loving country if there ever was one. They've had to overthrow a number of dictators within our lifetimes.
I have to imagine that those nine members had deep qualms about current events. If a critical mass could be persuaded to reject Trumpism for Independent-status—and caucus with Democrats—just think of what would happen. Speaker Johnson would be out of a job. No waiting for midterms. YOU could be instrumental in this. Defectors from those Nine would be heroes, and you would be an even bigger hero.
I would encourage Democrats to agree to support these new anti-Trumpers, even if they don't officially become Democrats. WE NEED TWO healthy, viable parties, with people of integrity and good faith.
Just NINE people, Joe. Each of those must have SOME line that they won't cross for Trump.
Thank you for hearing me out. I hope this can spark something. —Thomas Tosh
Hey, I want to hear from you! Want to host a conversation with Joe in your town? Want to send us a 600-word op-ed or video clip on how we can mend our frayed social contract and rebuild an America that works? Want to appear with Joe on Substack Live? Just need to vent? Send it our way!
Tell us your story and share your feedback about our Substack community by emailing our editor at [email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]. We look forward to hearing from you!
The Social Contract with Joe Walsh is a citizen-supported movement resisting authoritarianism and restoring classic American values like civic engagement, tolerance, and mutual respect. To join our community, sign up to be a free subscriber. To support our mission, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you!

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