This story is from almost a month ago, but it is worth bringing to the fore. It is yet another example of this administration’s willingness to punish political speech it does not like and to treat immigrants inhumanely. It is also a reminder that while Marco Rubio is often treated like he is one of the better members of the cabinet, he is clearly willing to engage in the same authoritarian project as the rest of them.

The NYT reports: Memo by Rubio Approved Detention of Immigrant Who Criticized Trump Ally.

Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, a progressive online activist known as Beto Coral, is a supporter of President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, a leftist who has clashed with President Trump. He has publicly criticized Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing candidate backed by Mr. Trump. Mr. Coral was arrested by immigration authorities on Tuesday, the same day Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memo determining that he was deportable from the United States.

In the memo, Mr. Rubio noted that Mr. Coral arrived in the United States in 2015 on a tourist visa and has a pending asylum application. But “Coral Garrido has used his presence in the United States to conduct political activity in support of the Petro government” and has advocated against a candidate for president, Mr. Rubio wrote, according to a copy of the memo obtained by The New York Times.

Note that since this piece was reported, De La Espriella was elected to be the next President of Colombia. He was endorsed by Trump.

So, call me a crazy retired professor with a bunch of wacky ideas, but I am pretty sure that promulgating political opinions is protected by the First Amendment, even if engaged in by pesky immigrants.

“Allowing Coral Garrido to remain in the United States,” Mr. Rubio continued, “undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in Colombia’s democratic processes and signals that foreign nationals may use U.S. platforms to conduct politically motivated disinformation campaigns and litigation targeting foreign democratic actors without consequence.”

So, yes, as noted, the Trump administration preferred De La Espriella to win the election in Colombia, but it is more than a bit Orwellian to classify having a contrary opinion as a deportable offense.

Coral’s activities appear to include social media activity, activism, and campaigning against De La Espriella. Coral also ran for the Colombian Congress.

The site Colombia1 provides a bio:

Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, publicly known as Beto Coral, was born in Medellin 40 years ago and became a recognized figure in Colombian political activism through social media, digital platforms, and opinion forums.

For years, he has maintained intense activity as a content creator, political commentator, and whistleblower of alleged acts of corruption involving different sectors of power in Colombia.

Coral also formally entered electoral politics by running for the Colombian Congress through the international constituency linked to the ruling Historic Pact movement. His name has been associated with left-wing positions and consistent support for the policies promoted by President Gustavo Petro, as well as strong criticism of sectors aligned with Uribismo and the Colombian opposition.

Colombia Reports describes him thusly: HSI arrests Colombian influencer after filing criminal charges against De la Espriella.

The leftist influencer fled Colombia in 2020, citing political persecution and death threats.

The arrest comes weeks after the leftist influencer filed criminal charges against De la Espriella for allegedly recording him without consent and amid growing concerns of US intervention in Colombia’s upcoming elections.

Another important piece of Coral’s bio:

Coral is the son of Humberto Coral, a police captain who was assassinated after providing a search bloc with the location of drug lord Pablo Escobar in December of 1993.

This location allowed the search bloc to assassinate Escobar.

Even without the personal history of having his father assassinated, it is not at all unreasonable for Coral to fear for his safety in Colombia, especially with De La Espriella’s election. There is a long and unfortunate history of violence against left-wing activists and journalists in Colombia.

This all feels like a favor to De La Espriella and his allies in Colombia rather than any kind of legitimate action on the part of the State Department. It is yet another example of the callousness of this administration’s deportion policies. They simply do not care about political and human rights, and if a deportation leads to death, they do not care.

Based on available reporting and my general knowledge of Colombian politics, I find the notion that Coral’s activities have any effect whatsoever on US foreign policy interests to be absurd on its face. Further, this is definitely not making us any safer.

Please note, Coral was trying to conform to legal processes (as per the NYT):

Mr. Coral had applied for asylum after arriving on a tourist visa more than a decade ago. She said he had shown the arresting officers his asylum application documents and a valid work permit granted by a federal judge. 

In regard to Rubio (also back to the NYT piece):

The memo comes after a year in which Mr. Rubio has used his power as secretary of state to target individual immigrants. In previous memos, he has recommended specific individuals be deported by the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that their continued presence in the United States undermined foreign policy. Most of his memos have centered on immigrants who had protested Israel in some form, including Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student arrested by immigration authorities last year.

It is chilling to think that the Secretary of State is willing to target individuals because the administration doesn’t like what they are saying.

Gimena Sánchez, the Andes director at the Washington Office on Latin America, said the move was a brazen escalation by the Trump administration. “The message is you cannot oppose, criticize or protest someone who the U.S. government considers to be a close friend,” she said, noting Mr. Coral’s advocacy had not concerned the United States.

Trump’s America marches onward.