Luis F. Carrasco

Quakertown police mimic ICE brutality | Editorial Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan has charged five teens with aggravated assault. He must also bring that level of accountability to police engaged in the melee.

While some of the facts are in dispute, the picture that emerges from several bystander videos is that it was police — primarily Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree — who seemingly escalated the confrontation. share.inquirer.com/fDkVIG

Republicans continue to sow distrust in elections. The SAVE America Act won’t change that. | Luis F. Carrasco As Sen. Dave McCormick recently noted, more than half of Americans worry about fraud at the polls. The reason is Republicans like Pennsylvania's junior senator.

It is not unreasonable for people to be concerned about voter fraud or noncitizens voting. Not because it happens at a scale that could swing an election, but because Republicans have been pounding on that drum for so long that some can’t help but sway to the beat. share.inquirer.com/rK3vRe

Trump didn’t bring impunity to immigration enforcement | Luis F. Carrasco As border residents can tell you, what’s playing out in places like Chicago and Minneapolis is, in many ways, nothing new.

Although the administration has taken that lack of accountability to a nauseating low — interfering in federal and local investigations — impunity around immigration enforcement did not begin when Donald Trump took office. share.inquirer.com/xyEmiT

Trump’s immigration crackdown threatens Americans’ pocketbooks | Luis F. Carrasco Under the president’s policies, which also curtail legal immigration, families will end up paying an extra $2,150 a year for goods and services by 2028.

If you think it’s unfair to include legal immigrants in a discussion about the president’s immigration crackdown, then you haven’t been paying attention to the Trump administration’s broader plans. Data by @fwd.us share.inquirer.com/U2w3AN

Another senseless killing in Trump’s senseless war against Americans | Editorial The president's masked thugs have now executed two U.S. citizens in broad daylight on the streets of Minneapolis.

Federal agents have now plainly executed two U.S. citizens. The American people can see the lawless mayhem in Minneapolis with their own eyes. share.inquirer.com/H8MuGh

The killing of Renee Nicole Good and the moral rot of Trump’s reckless immigration enforcement plan | Editorial The conduct of too many federal agents involved in ICE raids violates the norms of decency, contradicts use of force policies, and disregards rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The administration’s reflexive lying is emblematic of the moral rot at the heart of President Donald Trump’s militarized mass deportation efforts. It reflects a world view where all immigrants are criminals, and all dissenters are rioters or terrorists. share.inquirer.com/QiiVO9

Trump’s attack on Venezuela further flouts the Constitution he swore to uphold | Editorial By invading the South American nation without the approval of Congress, Trump threatens to make the United States a pariah with no moral authority for other dictatorships around the globe.

Maduro is a corrupt and undemocratic leader who has brought economic ruin and death to Venezuela. But if the Trump doctrine is the removal of corrupt and undemocratic leaders, where do the military actions end? share.inquirer.com/4ICpRw

Reaction to Trump’s unpopular policies offers hope for fixing our broken immigration system | Luis F. Carrasco The kind of militarization seen at the border is now knocking at people’s doors in places like Chicago and New Orleans, and Americans don’t like what they see.

Most Americans want immigration control; they are not anti-immigrant. Let alone supporters of what’s becoming a “papers, please” society under Donald Trump, where simply having the wrong skin tone or speaking another language can put a target on your back. share.inquirer.com/mQ6WC9

Trump's failing 2025 performance reminded voters he's unfit for office | Editorial In less than a year in the White House, Donald Trump has used the power of the presidency to demolish institutions and run roughshod over the rule of law.

Trump’s 2025 performance has reminded many voters that his undeniable luck, charisma, and bravado may be entertaining, but the reality of governance demands more. The office of the presidency demands more. share.inquirer.com/yhhiTV

At the border, fear and uncertainty as Trump seeks to remake the immigration court system | Luis Carrasco In immigration courtrooms across the country, ICE agents stand in wait to arrest people who are following the rules.

As 6-year-old Abigail sat next to her mother inside the courtroom, coloring an image of two cats sitting side by side handed to her by the court clerk, it was hard to see what the White House is so afraid of. share.inquirer.com/DBrNAs

Trump may have shut down the border to asylum-seekers, but he can’t end immigrants’ hope | Luis F. Carrasco The president has succeeded in curtailing illegal immigration through a mix of enforcement, deterrence, and cruelty, but it is unsustainable.

Everyone suffers under the current seesaw approach to immigration, where an immigrant can come here “the right way” under one administration, only to see things turn out wrong under the next. share.inquirer.com/WpTiXX

We’re executing people with impunity. Why are so many of us OK with this? | Luis F. Carrasco In clear violation of the law, the Trump administration has killed at least 42 people across 10 reported strikes on boats that were allegedly carrying drugs.

The only thing more shocking than Donald Trump having dozens of people killed on his word — no trial, no jury, just execution — is that a poll found more than 70% of voters seem to be fine with this. But are they? share.inquirer.com/Af2lQw

Trump’s cold war against immigration rages on | Luis F. Carrasco Beyond the daily outrage of the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts, there is another insidious level to the anti-immigrant push.

No shots have been fired in this cold war, but the long-term economic damage will leave most Americans worse off. share.inquirer.com/LaT7OM

There are no winners in a government shutdown, but Democrats are right to fight | Editorial Increasingly outrageous actions from Trump and his administration, including the absolute disregard of Congress’ power of the purse, have left Democratic leaders with little recourse.

As the shutdown took hold Wednesday, Republicans demanded that Senate Democrats “abandon their radical demands and fund the government.” Those radical demands? That affordable healthcare access for millions of Americans be protected. share.inquirer.com/DPByq5

Trump’s cronyism crosses borders as we bail out his Argentine buddy | Luis F. Carrasco We can argue on the merits of propping up Argentina’s economy, but the president rewarding his political allies is no way to run foreign policy in Latin America.

New column in which I successfully abstained from making a Milei/Trump hair joke. share.inquirer.com/oH7254

Trump’s attacks on free speech are only the beginning | Editorial ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after the comedian, long a Trump target, ran afoul of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

"Trump can’t take a joke. Even worse, he and his supporters want to punish any free speech they don’t agree with. But you can’t just have free speech for right-leaning Americans," writes The Inquirer Editorial Board. www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...

Why Jimmy Kimmel’s forced hiatus isn’t just another cancel culture rampage | Luis F. Carrasco Free speech comes with consequences, but the government doesn't get to have a say.

Boycotts, firings, protests. However much you or I can loathe so-called cancel culture — it’s legal. What happened to Jimmy Kimmel is something else. share.inquirer.com/yhEAeu

What makes America exceptional isn’t genetic | Luis F. Carrasco American exceptionalism lies in its foundational promise of equality enabled by the rule of law — values that are under siege by white supremacists who are desperately holding on to power.

It's back to the writing mines for me as I start a new weekly column for The Inquirer. share.inquirer.com/K92dWu

Your guide to Cryptogate, Trump’s $4 billion corruption scandal that’s 10 times bigger than Watergate | Will Bunch Here's an in-depth guide to the key players, companies, and deals behind Donald Trump's scheme to cash in on his presidency.

The biggest scandal in U.S. history is hiding in plain sight. The president and his family are boosting their wealth by $1 billion every month, selling the power and prestige of the White House.

Giving this a name - Cryptogate - and a concise guide. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...

Eddie Irizarry's fatal shooting is a turning point for Puerto Ricans | Helen Ubiñas This city is full of our Puerto Rican community's labor, our stories and our influence. But where is our recognition, our acknowledgement, and our respect?

Mi gente, read this column by @notesfromhel.bsky.social right now!
www.inquirer.com/opinion/eddi...

Trump Administration Knew Vast Majority of Venezuelans Sent to Salvadoran Prison Had Not Been Convicted of U.S. Crimes Homeland Security records reveal that officials knew that more than half of the 238 deportees were labeled as having no criminal record in the U.S. and had only violated immigration laws.

Deepest dive yet on immigrants sent to a Salvadoran prison, and who Trump labeled “the worst of the worst,” shows the government knew only 6 were convicted of violent crimes, more than half had no criminal record at all, and none are known gang members. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

10 toes down on the side of truth and love | Helen Ubiñas The Eagles' Super Bowl win and back-to-back holidays have made it one big lovefest in the City of Brotherly Love, but it’s hard to enjoy the party when it feels like it’s the last call for democracy.

In these bleak times, with a disgraceful occupant in the Oval Office who has nothing but contempt for democracy, are we really expected to celebrate this nation or its leaders, asks @notesfromhel.bsky.social www.inquirer.com/opinion/pres...

Is Pa. Attorney General Dave Sunday putting politics over Pennsylvanians? | Editorial Sunday's failure to join a suit to stop federal funding cuts impacting Pa. research institutions and the resignation of the state consumer advocate have cast doubt on the Republican's independence.

Two high-profile decisions during Pa. Attorney General Dave Sunday's first months in office have cast doubt on his independence, writes the Editorial Board. www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...

Our neighbors are being targeted by ICE. Who is stepping up to protect them? | In Conversation Three Latino members of The Inquirer's Opinion staff discuss the climate of fear surrounding Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.

Immigrants who are in the country illegally did break the law, but there is no justice in rounding people up and deporting them. There is no great wrong being set right. share.inquirer.com/IDhzaf

My favorite TV shows of 2024:
Shogun
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
A Man on the Inside
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Slow Horses
Disclaimer
Shrinking
English Teacher
Acapulco
We Are Lady Parts

What a Jersey drone panic is really telling us | Will Bunch Newsletter Plus, what’s so bad about ABC News’ $15 million Trump cave-in.

The world stared into an abyss of dictators, appeasement, and looming world war when suddenly the sky began falling...in central New Jersey

We were here in 1938, and now we're back. What's really behind a moral panic over drones? My new column www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...

A worrisome sign as media companies and tech leaders start lining up to bend the knee to Trump | Editorial The widespread capitulation before Donald Trump even takes office is a dark omen for the American system of government built on checks and balances.

Yale historian Timothy Snyder said the first rule to combat tyranny is: Do not obey in advance. Yet, many are doing just that. www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...

Hunter Biden’s ill-advised pardon sends a dangerous message | Editorial www.inquirer.com/opinion/edit...

7 Opinion writers on what we’re thankful for Public transportation, family, friends, and free speech top the list of things we're grateful for this year.

7 Opinion writers on what we’re thankful for — with contributions by @lfcarrasco.bsky.social, @notesfromhel.bsky.social, @willbunch.bsky.social, @dpearsonphl.bsky.social, @dlockwood.bsky.social, Jenice Armstrong, Trudy Rubin, and me.
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