Key Highlights
- The author discusses a “golden age” of immigration data science.
- AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY ON HOPE AND ACTION: The author contrasts hope with praxis in the context of political change.
- NEW IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PROJECTS: The surge in politically creative enforcement projects under Trump’s administration is highlighted.
- DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING AND PROGRESS: Solnit’s book, “The Beginning Comes After the End,” is discussed as an inspiration for progress amidst challenges.
When Rebecca Solnit’s latest collection of essays, The Beginning Comes After the End, arrived in my mailbox, I was reminded that hope can be a double-edged sword. For this industry veteran, hope is not simply an optimistic outlook but grounded action and iterative dialogue with critical thought. The author often abhors the idea of inevitable progress, preferring to embrace the multiplicity of future worlds rather than be surprised by them.
Immigration Data Science in Action
The author highlights a “golden age” of immigration data science that preceded and has been accelerated by the current administration. New localized strategies are being developed to document, expose, and resist mass deportation. These efforts represent a step back from the shadows into the light, but they also present an uphill battle.
AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS ON HOPE AND ACTION
“Where do you find hope in all the darkness?” This question is often posed to those who advocate for change. For the author, the answer lies not in detached optimism but in praxis: grounded action and dialogue with critical thought.
New Enforcement Projects Under Trump
The surge in politically creative enforcement projects under the first Trump administration was unprecedented. The author notes that while we knew there would be more arrests, detention, and deportations, the scale of these efforts far exceeded expectations. Two American citizens were shot by immigration officers; Amazon warehouses were repurposed for immigrant detention centers; and people were disappeared into CECOT.
The wholesale disregard for federal court orders by agencies at this scale was difficult to fathom just a year ago.
Yet, amidst the darkness, there is light. The author points to Nepal’s recent elections as a sign of progress and a reminder that change is possible.
Incremental Change and Public Vigilance
The author cites Project Salt Box, an organization that uses digital sleuthing to uncover ICE detention plans and make the government more transparent. Their work empowers citizens to understand what ICE is doing in their communities. Similarly, Abide in Love, a network of volunteers providing support to detained immigrants, demonstrates how ordinary people can step up and make a difference.
The author argues that mass deportation is only possible if people are convinced it has nothing to do with them.
This is part of a broader project that promotes disconnection and isolationism. The interconnectedness of our lives is at odds with the individualistic notion that one should externalize damage to others.
Conclusion
Grief, Action, and New Worlds
The author concludes by referencing Antonio Machado’s poem “Caminante” and Rebecca Solnit’s encouragement to rely on deep interconnection. We are living through the end of many things, but also the birth of new ones. If we work together, we might bring a new world into reality.
Things are worse than you know but more malleable than you imagine. The author’s final thought is a reminder that while progress may be incremental, it is possible with commitment to democratic vigilance and the largely invisible work of social and institutional change.