To the editor:

Barry Bardone is at it again, offering another letter built on dishonest claims and exaggerated rhetoric rather than facts or good-faith argument (“Time to stop the insanity,” Feb. 1.)

Bardone’s letter follows a familiar formula: Substitute outrage for evidence, smear an entire political party and declare victory. It reads less like a serious contribution to public debate and more like a greatest-hits compilation of talk-radio grievances, strung together without sourcing, context or concern for accuracy. Passion is not a substitute for proof.

Contrary to his claims, Democrats are not against enforcing immigration laws. We are against reckless, incompetent and politically motivated enforcement that undermines public safety.

Under Donald Trump, immigration policy has been marked by chaos: Family separations later ruled unlawful, courts overwhelmed by poorly prepared cases, asylum backlogs and repeated directives struck down for ignoring basic due process. Enforcing the law means doing it competently, constitutionally and humanely. Trump’s approach has failed on all counts.

That failure is not a partisan talking point. Even Republican-appointed federal judges have called out the administration for misleading statements in court filings, fabricating narratives to avoid producing real evidence and showing contempt for basic legal standards. When judges chosen by Republican presidents question an administration’s honesty, the problem is not “woke Democrats.” It is pure incompetence and intentional deceit.

Bardone’s claim that Democrats want “criminals roaming free” is another blatant falsehood. Violent crime enforcement, deportation of serious offenders and border security are bipartisan priorities. What Democrats oppose is using ICE as a blunt instrument for political retribution, which is what is happening in Minnesota. ICE’s mission is immigration and customs enforcement, not policing American streets or serving as a tool for partisan intimidation.

Meanwhile, the administration has expanded the collection of personal information on American citizens, raising serious concerns about government surveillance and the targeting of lawful protesters. This is an issue that should alarm Americans across the political spectrum. Respect for constitutional civil liberties is not a partisan position.

Bardone’s caricature of “liberals” as arsonists and looters is equally dishonest. Millions of Democrats protested peacefully for civil rights while condemning violence and property destruction. What he omits is that federal agents under the Trump administration have gunned down and killed innocent American citizens who posed no threat, have unlawfully tear-gassed peaceful protesters, operated without visible identification and concealed their faces to avoid accountability. The same cannot be said for those who excused Jan. 6 or those who attacked law enforcement officers at the Capitol in the name of Trump’s election lies.

Democrats have repeatedly offered solutions: Modernized border infrastructure, more asylum judges, faster work authorization, infrastructure investment and aggressive prosecution of fraud. What we refuse to offer is scapegoating, cruelty or manufactured chaos dressed as toughness.

If the goal were truly safer communities, honest debate and effective governance, Bardone would engage with facts rather than hyperbole. What his letters offer is a cascade of exaggerated claims and worst-case anecdotes presented as universal truth. It’s a style of argument that may inflame emotions but does nothing to solve real problems.

Eddie Abdalla

Chairman

Jefferson County

Democratic Party