Congressman John Mannion has been outspoken in his criticism of the Trump administration’s attempts to concentrate power in the executive branch and skirt or defy Constitutional and legal limits. Mannion has earned our respect by doing so. But he has been oddly silent on one important part of the Trump assault on our freedoms, and he owes his constituents an explanation.
In a letter dated March 27, 34 US Senators and Representatives declared “The Administration should not summarily detain and deport legal residents of this country merely for expressing their political views.” The letter references ICE’s abduction of Rumeysa Ozturk, an international student who was in the country legally and whose only offense was voicing political views that this administration dislikes. Ozturk was snatched off the street in Boston and and sent to a detention facility in Louisiana without the benefit of due process. Ozturk’s case is just one of a growing number of similar abductions, and President Trump has promised that there will be many more.
Another Congressional letter dated April 16 references the case of Mohsen Madawi, a legal permanent resident arrested by ICE at what was supposed to be his final interview before attaining US citizenship. This letter was signed by 68 members of Congress.
These acts of this administration call into question fundamental Constitutional protections. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of speech, and the Fifth clearly states that “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Yet, Mannion’s name does not appear among the signatories to either Congressional letter questioning the policy of abduction and deportation without due process. As his constituent, I expect him to address these issues forthrightly, as he has other Trump administration abuses of power.
Submitted to Syracuse.com on April 17, 2025
Mark Rupert
Syracuse
CNY Solidarity Coalition
United in defense of our community and our neighbors