I can’t know for sure but I think it’s a safe bet that you lose everything you can’t get friends and family to rescue. There is some logic to this beyond cruelty, the US government is cruel to be sure but this is not just for extra cruelty. The extra cruelty is a bonus!

So just to frame this, if you commit a crime and are wanted by the police. They hunt you down and arrest you. Do you get to bring your stuff? No. Do you lose it? Also no. …Unless you don’t have a home in which case it’s considered litter and removed, throwing all the blankets, tent, and any knick knacks you might have acquired into the landfill. There’s a story about this happening to the ashes of a man who’s widow had become homeless. Just heartbreaking stuff and it feels like the point is to break people down… But that’s editorializing.

We are supposed to have a cool thing called Due Process in this country. That is the process of law, searching for facts and going through a fair and unbiased review from someone taught to be good at reviewing things, a judge if you will. And you should because that job is titled judge.

Anyway, that judge overseas a process in which you are told what you are accused of and given the space and time to defend yourself. People aren’t guilty, they are found guilty by systematically laying out all the evidence and facts. This process usually takes a fair amount of time and many people are allowed to return home during this time. Usually on Bail. We can argue the merits of bail but basically you pay a decent chunk of money and you get to go home with a promise to show up for your court date.

Now while doing court stuff you also have to find time to plan for your stuff or money for fines or whatever comes next.

Anyway, all this stuff doesn’t matter because ICE, DHS, the Trump admin. they don’t work like that. They are supposed to. The law says they must do it that way. They are not. If you get abducted (detained is the word they will use but without due process your not being detained.) by federal agents right now I would expect to lose everything, maybe not right away but quickly enough unless you can get friends and family to help.

This is because of government has revoked three right of due process for people it deems “illegal.” This is crazy because how do you prove whether you are legally allowed to be somewhere if there is no process for showing your documents? Like I could show you my driver’s license, my passport, but if no one verifies them, and there is no process to make sure I get released once they are verified…you can see the problem right?

Anyway, once you’re in their custody they want to deport you, period. Wife at home? Kids to feed? Pets that rely on you? Work and friends wondering where you went? Doesn’t matter to these people. They just want you give and will try to do it asap. You can try to fight it but there few stories of it being successful. Those that are successful take months and months of work and money. Most people however just can’t do that. You file a petition or two and get the boot anyway.

So much like the Japanese Internment during WWII much of the stuff not saved by friends and relatives will be repossessed, stolen, and eventually thrown away. Cars and homes will be sold and if these people ever get to return to their families everything in their lives will be different and they and their families will be much poorer for it.

In my opinion, it’s kind of like we all have paid taxes so the government can take the dreams of hopeful immigrants looking for a better future for themselves and their families and smash it on the ground before grinding it to dust beneath jack booted heels. But maybe someone else has a different take.