Ben Suarato

Once again, the Trump admin is elevating someone with white nationalist ties—this time nominating Darren Beattie to the U.S. Institute of Peace. Extremist ideologies have no place in our government or our democracy. We must call this what it is: dangerous.

A protest scene with a diverse group of people holding signs in support of immigrant rights. Prominent signs read “NO TO DEPORTATIONS,” “FAMILIES BELONG TOGETHER,” and “It’s no longer LEFT vs RIGHT, it’s CITIZENS vs BILLIONAIRES.” Overlaid text reads: “Immigrant safety is Jewish safety.” At the bottom, the logo of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) appears.

The escalating crackdown on immigrants isn’t about safety—it’s about power and fear. From skyrocketing ICE funding to sweeping raids, this agenda dehumanizes, divides, and controls. History shows what happens when governments target the most vulnerable.

As a person of faith, I really really resent a relationship with God being reduced to just justifying cruelty towards others. Ultimately, it makes it harder for those of us who believe we are called to care for each other.

As I have said many times, if the Trump administration were serious about combating antisemitism, they could start with their own administration.

"The Jewish community's legitimate fears and concerns should not be exploited to undermine core democratic norms, or otherwise advance discriminatory & unconstitutional policies. Doing so only makes Jews - and all communities - less safe."

INBOX: Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, has already issued a statement pushing back on the idea (via reports) that Trump’s new travel ban was spurred in part as a response to the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado.

We are Jewish students from universities Trump is targeting. He’s not protecting us The president and his allies are using our pain as a pretext for an assault on higher education we didn’t ask for.

"Democracy, not deportations, protects Jewish students."

forward.com/opinion/7218...

The arrest of a NJ Congressmember appears to be part of a dangerous pattern—like arrests and threats to impeach judges—meant to silence dissent and undermine the rule of law. As we’ve said: our safety depends on protecting our core democratic norms.

In choosing South Africans over Afghans, Trump valorizes race over service A vivid argument on what citizenship means: Racial belonging, or commitment to an idea

open.substack.com/pub/ronkampe...

"It’s about the Trump administration showing us—very clearly—that none of its stated concerns about the “antisemitic activity” and opinions of other classes of immigrants are real.

It’s all just cover for getting rid of, you know, the wrong kind of people."

Once again, Trump has no problem embracing violent antisemites when they support him.

If he wanted to stand up to antisemitism, he would.

Politicizing the Holocaust Museum, targeting the National Museum of African American History — all of it is a strategy to pit communities against one another and whitewash history.

Constraining law firms. Ignoring the Supreme Court. Arresting judges. Insisting the constitutional promise of due process is "inconvenient."

What do you think their plan is?

It is true that the government, which is bound by the Constitution's requirement that it provide due process, is expected to behave better than criminals.

NEW: We’ve brought together a broad coalition of organizations representing mainstream American Jewry, condemning the exploitation of our community’s real concerns about antisemitism to undermine democratic norms and rights and our academic institutions. jewishpublicaffairs.org/press-releas...

"The disappearance of federal support for private museums comes two years after the U.S. National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, an initiative of the Biden White House, described museums as a critical tool against the spread of hatred."

Attacking culture is a necessary step to advancing hate.

We must call these hypocrites out on their claim that they’re targeting universities & students for antisemitism. They’re not. They’re using Jews as a pretext, which makes Jews less safe.

If they wanted to fight antisemitism, they would. But they don't because 👇

Antisemitic, far-right extremists are managing our national security apparatus:

*NSC officials fired after Laura Loomer met with Trump.

*FBI guts programs to monitor and counter violent white supremacy.

*Neo-Nazi conspiracy theorists are in senior roles at DOD and elsewhere.

And I could go on

This really is what it's all about. Due process protects you from them.

This Passover, JCPA’s seder supplement offers reflections on how Jewish safety and an inclusive democracy are interconnected. Together, we can shape a future where all people are truly free.

Download the supplement here: jewishpublicaffairs.org/2025-haggadah-supplement

“He was into the Great Replacement Theory before it was a thing.”

Being antisemitic has never stopped anyone from getting ahead in this Administration.

This argument would not be any different if the victim were a US citizen: sorry we "accidentally" disappeared a citizen, but he's a foreign policy matter now.

That is exactly the goal. They think they found an infinite gulag glitch that works on anyone, even citizens.

I'm old enough to remember "smog days" when cars made the air so toxic it was too dangerous to even go outside.

We fixed that.

"We do not believe President Donald Trump is sincere about protecting Jews from antisemitism. We find it more likely that an administration whose vice president has agreed...that “professors are the enemy” is using antisemitism as a pretext to damage Columbia and America’s other elite universities."

It's really something that while Elon Musk publicly breaks Wisconsin law to illegally influence an election, he continues to lie and spread the dangerous and antisemitic Great Replacement Theory that elections are being stolen. It's almost as if he doesn't about laws, fair elections, or our safety

I had the chance to see an original signed copy of the 14th Amendment last night at the launch of the new 14th Amendment Center at @howardlawschool.bsky.social

Due process is having a moment right now, and knowing our rights is essential. Let's also remember why this was needed in the first place.

At a time of real concerns about antisemitism on campus, this Administration is taking away the single best tool to protect Jewish students, because it also protects students of color, immigrants, and others.

They've never wanted to protect Jews. It's always been about attacking others.

If?

As I always say - they know their Hebrew. Magen David is the shield of David, and that's how they use us: as a human shield to hide behind while they advance an antidemocratic & authoritarian agenda that leaves us all less safe.

Trump claims to be the arbiter of Jewish identity That’s antisemitic. And dangerous.

New in PN: Trump claims to be the arbiter of Jewish identity

"Trump is not fighting for Jewish people; he is not the defender of Jewish people. He is a fascist bigot. He’s coming for leftists, for Palestinians, and for Jewish people first. There’s a poem about where that ends."