Let's talk about tattoos for a moment. [View all]

It is becoming clear that a number of the men who were swept up and deported to El Salvador were deported on the basis of their tattoos. Tattoos that are completely unrelated to any criminal gangs or activity but rather tattoos that are not unlike the tattoos that millions of people have. Tattoos of flowers, sport team logos, names of girlfriends....

There was a time in my life when I was somewhat rebellious. Of course that involved getting tattoos. A couple of them are pretty big. I don't regret them. That was who I was. I still think they are beautiful. Other people do too. Tattoos are a part of mainstream culture. All kinds of people have tattoos.

The stories on the news about some of these deported men are heartbreaking. What kind of incompetence was at work here? Agents were simply arresting Venezuelan men on the basis that they had tattoos. It is apparent that the order was to go out and arrest Venezuelan men and make up a story.

Are some of this deported dangerous gang members? For sure. But there was no investigating any of them. It was just another public display of cruelty to put the American people on notice that this administration is on the march towards authoritarianism and challenging us to do something about it.