It’s Not Subtle Anymore: Arrests, Raids, and the Authoritarian Shitstorm We’re Now Living In
“No Trespassing” sign at U.S. border fence Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash
Does it feel like the quiet part’s getting louder? Like what used to stay unspoken is out in the open—and impossible to ignore?
It’s not just dread anymore. It’s not hypothetical.
The cruelty isn’t hiding.
This past week, masked agents beat sitting members of Congress.
The mayor of Newark was arrested in broad daylight.
And Stephen Miller—aka White Nationalist Dracula—stood on the White House lawn and said the administration is “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus.
Let me say that again:
They are talking about ending the right to challenge unlawful imprisonment.
And that was after the U.S. government did this:
Separated a 2-year-old child from her parents. She was Peruvian-Venezuelan. She’s now in DHS custody. Her father was sent to a prison with a history of torture (CECOT), and her mother was deported to Venezuela.
Broke into a home in Oklahoma in the middle of the night. Dragged a mother and her daughters outside—in the rain, in their underwear. Ransacked the house. Confiscated electronics and cash. Left them there.
All are U.S. citizens. No explanation. No apology. Just lifelong trauma.In Worcester, Massachusetts, ICE agents arrested a mother while she was holding her infant—leaving the baby behind. Her teenage daughter screamed and tried to intervene but was reportedly shoved by officers. The family was separated in front of neighbors, some of whom captured the event on video.
“What I felt is indescribable, because such an innocent baby is going to be impacted by separation of family members.”— Worcester resident
— CBS News Boston, May 2025
In Oxnard, California, ICE agents swarmed a man at a Chevron gas station—guns drawn—as he filled his tank. Videos show bystanders yelling, “Why are you doing this?!” ICE claimed he overstayed a visa. He had no criminal record. He’s now in detention, awaiting deportation.
“I was just going to get gas. They surrounded me with rifles.” — Detained man, Oxnard, CA
— The Independent, May 2025
In Spokane, Washington, ICE agents detained a man who has lived in the U.S. since he was a toddler. His wife—a U.S. citizen—only found out what happened when their home security system alerted her to strangers entering their home. ICE agents reportedly waited until she left, then took him without explanation or warning. He has no criminal record, and their children were left wondering where their father went.
“He grew up here. He's never known anywhere else. They just… took him.” — Family member, Spokane, WA
— Newsweek, May 2025
This Is What Authoritarianism Looks Like
You don’t have to be a legal scholar to understand what’s happening.
They’re testing the limits of what they can do in public.
They’re targeting local leaders and marginalized families.
They’re suggesting that due process is optional.
Stephen Miller called judges who disagree with the administration “radical rogue judges.”
That’s not rhetoric. That’s a setup.
Delegitimizing courts is how authoritarian regimes clear the path for unchecked power.
The plan isn’t chaos. The plan is control.
Why HSPs, Queer Folks, and Trauma Survivors Are Clocking This First
If your gut has felt like it’s in a vice lately—this is why.
If you can’t focus, can’t sleep, or feel like you’re waiting for something awful to happen?
This is why.
You’re not broken.
You’re not too sensitive.
You’re just awake in a world that’s trying to put you back to sleep.
And if you’ve survived trauma, injustice, or erasure, then your body knows what this is.
You recognize the feeling. You’ve lived it before.
That hum of dread? That sense that something’s coming and no one’s calling it?
That’s your nervous system tracking threat like it always has.
If you’ve been told to calm down, be reasonable, wait and see—this is your confirmation:
You were right to feel it.
You Are Not Overreacting
This isn’t some fringe headline. These are documented events happening inside the United States.
And they are escalating:
Mass arrests of protesters
Erasure of LGBTQ+ protections
Book bans, reproductive rollbacks, and now the open targeting of legal protections like habeas corpus
Even a DHS probe into Democrats who tried to protect immigrant families
This isn’t the start.
It’s the middle.
And pretending it’s business as usual is how authoritarianism thrives.
You don’t have to be dramatic to name what this is.
You just have to be honest.
This Is What It Does to Your Mind and Body
This constant barrage—the cruelty, the erasure, the fear—doesn’t just mess with your mood.
It hijacks your entire nervous system.
If you feel scattered, foggy, exhausted, or numb, you're not losing it.
You're in survival mode.
This is trauma-layered-on-trauma, especially for those of us who’ve already survived personal or generational harm. Your body is doing its best to track threat and keep you safe, but in a world where the threat is everywhere and the rules keep changing, your brain can’t settle.
We talk a lot in therapy about hypervigilance, burnout, and emotional fatigue—but what happens when the danger is real?
When the trauma isn’t in the past, but live-streamed into your feed?
This is why so many HSPs, queer folks, and trauma survivors are hitting a wall right now.
Not because we’re weak.
Because we’re wide awake.
And no one can sustain that without rest, support, and space to feel.
🔗 Coming Tuesday: “HSPs and the Dread No One Talks About” — a deeper dive into how highly sensitive people absorb collective anxiety and how we can stay human without shutting down.
The Escalation: Student Arrests and the Personal Toll
If your gut has felt like it’s in a vice lately—this is why. If you can’t focus, can’t sleep, or feel like you’re waiting for something awful to happen? This is why.
You’re not broken. You’re not too sensitive. You’re just awake in a world that’s trying to put you back to sleep.
And if you’ve survived trauma, injustice, or erasure, then your body knows what this is. You recognize the feeling. You’ve lived it before. That hum of dread? That sense that something’s coming and no one’s calling it? That’s your nervous system tracking threat like it always has.
If you’ve been told to calm down, be reasonable, wait and see—this is your confirmation: You were right to feel it.
This is what authoritarianism looks like.
When Therapy Meets Politics
And if you’re wondering how a trauma therapist ended up writing about authoritarianism, ICE raids, and suspended civil rights—same.
But when students are being arrested for peaceful protests and bused across state lines, and trauma survivors are feeling it before the news even breaks, it’s no longer possible to pretend therapy and politics live in separate worlds.
I wrote about this tension—between trying to stay grounded and not dissociate from the state of things—in “Wait, Am I a Political Blogger Now? Or Just an HSP with Change Whiplash?”
(Spoiler: the answer might be both.)
What to Do (Even If You’re Burned Out)
I’m not here to tell you to call Congress every day or go organize a protest tomorrow—unless you’re up for it.
But here are a few things you can do:
Tell the truth out loud. Don’t downplay it. Don’t pretend it’s all fine. Share what’s happening.
Protect your nervous system while staying awake. Take breaks, rest, and come back when you can.
Support immigrant justice orgs doing frontline work. Parkrose Permaculture (Angela in Portland) regularly shares vetted, local and national groups you can trust—especially when you don’t have the bandwidth to do your own research.
Model resistance in the ways you can. Hang the flag. Write the post. Be the person who says: I see what’s happening.
And if that’s too much?
Then breathe. Then cry. Then reach out.
Authoritarianism thrives on silence, shame, and isolation.
But you’re not alone. Not now. Not ever.
Final Thought
This is a grief most of us weren’t taught how to carry.
Grief for our country.
For what we thought law meant.
For the safety we hoped to build.
But you can grieve and act.
You can rest and resist.
You can name what’s happening without spiraling into hopelessness.
Because this isn’t about politics.
This is about humanity.
And refusing to go numb?
That’s how we keep it alive.
Smart, Sharp, and (Yes) Liberal – Voices I Trust (and You Might, Too)
If you're looking for sharp insights, grounded updates, and a bit of levity, here are some voices I follow:
Ohhh That's Rich (Substack) – News, political insight, and sharp analysis from a voice that gets it.
Read on SubstackMeidasTouch / meidasnews.com – Progressive news and commentary with fast-turnaround coverage.
Visit MeidasTouchParkrose Permaculture (Angela in Oregon) – Grounded, community-based political coverage from town halls to national protests—plus recommendations on who else to follow so you don’t have to spend hours searching.
Watch on YouTubeRealChris (Oregonian in South Korea) – U.S. political breakdowns with an outsider’s clarity and no-nonsense delivery.
Watch on YouTubeI’ve Had It Podcast – Two women from Oklahoma telling the truth, cussing when necessary, and dragging the absurdity of modern life.
Listen on YouTubeTrae Crowder / Liberal Redneck – Comedy with bite from a Southern progressive. If you’re burned out, start here.
Watch on YouTubeLisandra V Comedy – Queer comedy and scary-accurate impersonations (her Karoline Leavitt is dead on).
Watch on YouTube ShortsAnd if you want to torture yourself, you can always watch Fox News.
(No link. You're on your own.)
Want more truth-telling from a therapist who’s still doing her own work?
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Therapy. Rebellion. Burnout. Queerness. All the stuff polite people don’t talk about—but we do.
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Disclaimer: This blog reflects my personal views on mental health and is not a substitute for therapy. The content is general and may not apply to everyone. If you're struggling, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional.
