Under the direction of President Donald Trump, the United States is experiencing a sharp and alarming erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law. Reports have surfaced across the country of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting unconstitutional raids and sweeps, targeting both undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.
Eyewitness accounts and legal organizations have documented that ICE officers, dressed in military-style gear, are operating without identification, often wearing masks to conceal their identities. In scenes reminiscent of authoritarian regimes, individuals have been forcibly taken off the streets and placed into unmarked vans—without warrants, without charges, and without access to legal counsel. Many are being detained for indefinite periods without due process, in clear violation of constitutional protections.
In response, tens of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in protest, demanding an end to the raids and calling for accountability. The demonstrations have remained largely peaceful. However, protestors have been met with increasingly aggressive tactics from law enforcement. Tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests have been used in what civil liberties groups call a blatant attempt to silence dissent.
Escalating the crisis, President Trump has ordered the National Guard into California—against the explicit objections of the state’s governor. In an even more dramatic and potentially unconstitutional move, he has now authorized the deployment of U.S. Marines on American soil, a decision that legal scholars say could violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of military forces for domestic policing.
Perhaps most troubling of all is the administration’s apparent hostility toward a free press. In the last 48 hours, Australia’s ABC News has reported two separate attacks on its journalists covering the protests. One reporter was shot with a rubber bullet; another was tear-gassed while on the air. These incidents follow a disturbing pattern of escalating aggression toward the media, including lawsuits against major U.S. outlets like ABC and CBS, and sanctions targeting the Associated Press.
These developments mark a dangerous turning point. The combined use of federal force against civilians, targeted suppression of the press, and disregard for state sovereignty signals an erosion of foundational democratic principles. As legal and constitutional experts warn, the United States may be entering a period of authoritarian overreach, where power is exercised without accountability and civil liberties are cast aside in the name of “order.”
Whether the courts—or Congress—will intervene remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: the pillars of American democracy are under unprecedented strain.