09/30/26

Title

Isn’t One Too Many?

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, September 30th.

International Podcast Day

Well. Well. Well.

Well well well well well well well

Finally. FINALLY! A day for a Kim.

All year, I work and I work for YOU.

And for what? To hear the sound of my voice? Yeah, obviously that’s my favorite sound. But still, that’s not why I do it.

I do it for YOU. For love of the news.

Honestly, it’s nice to be recognized but that’s not why I do it. I do it for love of show.

And now, the news.

SCOTUS v Immigration

-via NBC News, ProPublica, and The Guardian

Starting with the Supreme Court… those rascals!

On Tuesday, the Supremes temporarily allowed Trump to resume deporting certain immigrants to so-called “third countries” while the legal challenge continues. These are countries that these people, these human beings that are no less human being than you or I are, have no connection to.

They’re just… being dropped into a country. Some country.

This is in response to an emergency request from the administration. So the order was unsigned, but the three liberal justices dissented.

Last year, under this policy, around 15,000 people were deported to countries they aren’t from. They don’t live. They don’t have friends or family in.

What if I just lifted you up, like a little toddler that needs help stepping up to a stool, and plopped you down into a country you’ve never been to. There are 7,170 languages spoken in the world… how many do you know? How confident are you that you could communicate?

If they wanted to simply return folks to their country of origin, that would be one thing. It wouldn’t be great! Some of these folks have court orders preventing that. But instead they’re sending them to countries where, in some instances, we’re not even supposed to be traveling!

Out of the 24 countries that are on the list of “third countries,” 9 have a travel warning of 3 or 4. Warning         Number           Countries

Level 4 is: do not travel. Level 3 is: Reconsider travel.

In fact, here’s the breakdown:

Level 1 (Normal precautions, aka don’t fall in love with a stranger and then leave but he still loves you and a few weeks later you find out you’re pregnant and oops, now what? Fear not, they’ll make a romcom about it) – nearly no one is sent here. And frankly, our romcoms are showing.

Level 2 (Increased caution) – Nearly 80%. 80% of folks are being picked up and dropped off into place that require increased caution. Increase your caution and try not to worry about the fact that you might not speak the language, have money that translates, and for sure you don’t know anyone.

Level 3 (Reconsider travel) - Roughly 14.6% of folks are sent there. Countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and Rwanda.

And Level 4? The “Do not travel” countries? That’s roughly 0.5%, or just over 120 people. Sent to a country that, if a citizen of America traveled to, the State Department would have “very limited or no ability to help, including during an emergency.”

120 people.

Who were here. Living lives. And the only crime they committed, as far as being out of status goes, is the equivalent of jaywalking.

And the Supreme Court is v v cool with folks being sent to these countries.

Interesting.

And fear not, it’s still happening.

The Guardian just dropped a bombshell article, linked in show notes, explaining how these raids are still happening but because someone who willingly shot their own puppy, and a guy who dressed like a nazi, are gone, they appear to have gone under the radar.

But that’s not true. In fact, the kidnappings have gone up.

They wait. Outside stores, airports, and, of course… immigration courts. Where people are there, just trying to do it right.

But they don’t care about that. They don’t care that people are following a very confusing law. They care about what you look like.

Unfun fact… according to ProPublica, as of a year ago, more than 170 American citizens were arrested by ICE or BPD.

If that pace kept (which it hasn’t, it’s grown), that would mean 390 American citizens were arrested by ICE or BPD.

I don’t know how many American citizens were actually arrested since that ProPublica article. Hey, if you want me to know… $10 million a year, or I walk.

But isn’t 170 too many? 390?

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. It’s my favorite quote, and it applies always, and here specifically.

Because isn’t 1 too many?

What if it was your friend? Your neighbor? Your family?

And how is it okay if it isn’t?

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

If one is too many, 170 times more is 170% too many.