It has been 6 months, 20 weeks, 3,360 hours, and 201,600 minutes since Donald Trump was inaugurated into his 2nd term on January 20th, 2025. Since then, the country has been facing heightened political division, civil unrest, and widespread concern for constitutional rights, particularly regarding immigration and protest.
Trump’s return to the Oval Office marks a continuation of the controversies that had characterized his first term in 2017. From the ongoing debates over immigration to the fall out of the January 6th attacks, Trump' s distressing influence has only grown. He has amassed a huge following that’s drawn massive crowds that often features displays of loyalty that critics can only describe as extreme. The visibility of confederate flags, hyper-partisan slogans, and symbolic props like fake bandages have all raised alarm bells for the cult-like personality that surrounds him and his supporters.
A surge in ICE detentions
One of the most pressing issues in the past six months has been the dramatic increase of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. According to data by TRAC Reports, ICE has detained 51,302 people as of June 1, 2025. An increase of roughly 20% since January. Numerous families have testified for their loved ones being taken despite posing no discernible threat. The lack of transparency in these detentions raises serious concerns about the withholding of due process.
The textbook definition of due process is a law that protects people against arbitrary government decisions and ensures fairness in legal matters. This concern was brought to attention last month with NBC News journalist Kristen Welker, who questioned Trump on the constitutional rights of noncitizens. When asked if immigrants were entitled to due process, the president responded with, “I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer.” Note that the constitution guarantees due process to “persons” not just citizens, a standard that has been affirmed time and time again by multiple Supreme Court decisions. The ambiguous response from the president has only deepened the country's fears about the erosion of civil liberties.
The use of military force in protests
Public response was swift. Beginning in Los Angeles, California peaceful protests against ICE have spread to New York and Chicago, as reported by News Nation. These demonstrations have reached their fifth consecutive day as of June 10, 2025. Federal response has been beyond controversial. Without consent from California Governor, Gavin Newsom, Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to LA, to “quell anti-immigration enforcement protests.” Many critics have argued that this move has shown a dangerous overreach in power on Donald Trump's part, especially considering the fact that the protests had largely been peaceful prior to the arrival of the National Guard. NBC News reported 40 people injured as a result of these protests, 9 of which were journalists caught in the cross fire. These numbers raise serious and important questions about our freedom of press and the government's tolerance of public dissent. Some even worry that the escalation was intentional to create chaos, sway public opinion, and delegitimize protestors.
Electoral integrity
To top it all off, questions have been raised about the integrity of the 2024 presidential election. According to an article written by the Economic Times, shocking discoveries have come out about the possibility of foul play during the 2024 presidential election. Published on June 9, and titled, Kamala Harris won the U.S elections: Bombshell report claims voting machines were tampered with before 2024, the article goes into a deep dive explaining the updates made to voting machines in key states that were labeled as “de minimis,” allowing them to bypass full security audits. The allegations include voting miscounts, missing candidate names, and questionable firmware updates. In one New York district, voters claimed that ballots cast for Diane Sare were not fully recorded. More concerning, reports allege that Kamala Harris’s name was missing from ballots in Democratic counties, effectively denying voters the opportunity to choose her. These claims are currently the subject of a court case. SMART legislation et al v. Rockland County Board of Elections is scheduled for a hearing this fall.
Call for accountability
America now stands at a pivotal moment in history. Civil rights, election integrity, and the balance of power between state and federal governments are under intense scrutiny. As a nation founded on democratic values, we must remain vigilant, not just about who holds power, but how that power is used. The questions and concerns raised in recent months cannot and should not be ignored. They demand investigation, transparency, and accountability. Whether you are a firm supporter or stand against America’s current administration, the responsibility to uphold democratic norms falls into all of our laps. Silence is not neutral. We are not just observers of the history unfolding before us, we are participants. And now, more than ever, participation matters.