Before Trump re-took office, The typical number of annual suicides reported in ICE custody was one or less. An AP Investigation has found that since January 2025, at least 10 people have committed suicide in ICE custody according to DHS records. Five have taken place this year alone, according to my records.

If these are all genuine suicides, they speak to he horrors detainees are facing in these camps. They’re still not receiving proper medical care, food, or sanitary conditions, and are still overcrowded with preventable illnesses spreading in the facilities. At best, they’re not being properly supervised. At worst, they’re being subjected to physical abuse in addition to the mental/emotional abuse innate to these kinds of conditions.

But we also have to consider the history of weaponized suicide in the US. Black men have been lynched, their bodies left on public display, and their deaths officially ruled suicides. Still to this day, we see Black men hanging from trees and their deaths ruled suicides with insufficient investigations. Officers in these facilities are abusing immigrants. They can’t exactly publish an official record of murder. It would be prudent to remain skeptical of the official reports, as they constantly contradict the reported experiences of immigrants in DHS custody.

This year alone, at least 26 people have died at the hands of DHS. Whether this be in the field or within their camps, we’re half way through the year and on pace to break last year’s record by a long-shot.

The deal that the administration is boasting is looking more and more tentative as we trade strikes with Iran.

The “deal” itself isn’t much of a deal at all. It’s more of a promise to make a deal within 60 days; a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). But the terms as released earlier this month lay out a clear win for Iran. Not only does it leave the door open for Iran to be able to continue to enrich uranium to non-weapon grades (similar to the JCPOA that Trump blew up in his first term) but they would also get access to their previously frozen assets plus 300 billion in USD for reconstruction and economic development, and be empowered to determine the administration of the Straight of Hormuz in cooperation with Oman. What would the US get in return? The war to end, and the Straight to open (under Iran’s administration as negotiated with Oman). It’s better than when the war was raging, but it’s worse than before we kick started this war of choice.

But the MOU seemed doomed from the start. Iran insists that Israel cease it’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Israel insists that they won’t. They’re occupying a significant amount of land in Lebanon and have no intentions to withdraw. And most recently, Iran has issued strikes on vessels in the Straight which they say aren’t cooperating with the shipping routes they’ve approved. This prompted a trading of strikes between the US and Iran, currently ongoing. Trump has since continued his previous threats of complete annihilation of the Islamic Republic on social media.

SCOTUS continues to lob wins to the Trump administration with multiple decisions on immigration. They ruled that border officers can prevent green card holders (LEGAL permanent residents) from re-entering the US without “clear and convincing evidence” that they’ve committed a disqualifying crime. So, if you have a green card and you travel abroad to visit your family, you’re not guaranteed to be let back in even if you’ve committed no crimes that would disqualify you from re-entry. Jackson, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented, stating that the ruling undermines the legitimacy of a green card.

They also allowed DHS to end Temporary Protected Status program for Haitians and Syrians. This program has remained in place for more than a decade, and hundreds of thousands of immigrants will now be even more vulnerable to deportation despite the lives they’ve built here over the last fifteen years. These immigrants have built lives. They’ve had families, children who are US citizens, they have jobs. They pay taxes. They support our economy in numerous ways, and our work forces will suffer as a result of this decision. Even putting all of that aside, they’re people who came here out of desperation. Their home countries are not more safe today than they were back then. They are the huddled masses the Statue of Liberty claims to welcome.

The Democrats have spent years, if not decades, neglecting their progressive base. They call on us during election season because they’re not as bad as the Republicans, so we must vote for them. And look where it’s gotten us. Even when we’ve had Democrat trifectas in office, they’ve fallen short on the promises they’ve made to earn those votes. And then they balk when they lose their next election to Republicans.

Lately, Democratic Socialists have been popping up, gaining ground within the Democratic party and unseating establishment Dems. From Seattle, to New York City, to Los Angeles, and even DC, Democratic Socialists are winning primaries and general elections for local offices. They’re appealing to the needs and values of Americans, and to the exhaustion with the establishment status-quo the Democrats have been offering. They’re standing for something, instead of only against MAGA or Conservative Republicans. And it’s working.

Trump is in a tizzy. He’s ranting and raving about Communists, and how they’re going to burn your churches to the ground and steal your land and children. It’s unhinged. And it’s an indication that he’s feeling the heat. Democratic Socialists are calling for Universal Healthcare and childcare, a livable wage, taxing the rich, prioritizing people over corporations, an end to wars of choice driving up costs for Americans, and many, many more platform positions that threaten to appeal to such a broad swath of people that it might be possible to defeat Trump and Trumpism.

Republicans are working hard to ensure we don’t see a blue wave in the midterms. SCOTUS has supported their redistricting efforts, so they have a strong advantage as far as the maps go. Don’t let that stop you from getting involved. Check in with your local parties and organizers. Help register people to vote. Support and volunteer for candidates that stand for you and your values.

Understand that the cliche is true: you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you try, the cup will shatter and you’ll be no good to yourself or others. Take care of yourself. Make time to prioritize your mental and physical wellbeing. But keep Standing Up and Fighting Back. We’re in this together.