U.S.-born man from Georgia held for ICE under Florida's new anti-immigration law

Erosion of due process & authoritarian fears

• Many see the detention of a U.S.-born citizen under Florida’s new law as proof that “papers please” enforcement is expanding and that citizenship is no protection.
• Commenters connect this to broader trends: ICE detentions and deportations without trial, the Abrego García case and El Salvador “torture prison”/“legal black hole,” and the idea that if the state can disappear anyone, all other rights are hollow.
• Several explicitly invoke historical analogies (Chile 1973, “First they came…”) and say they are scared enough to consider leaving the U.S.

Dispute over “due process” and ICE powers

• One side argues that alleged gang members and illegal entrants are criminals, courts have found them dangerous, and deportations therefore reflect due process working.
• Others counter with case details and court filings suggesting faulty “evidence” (e.g., a hat and hoodie, wrong clique location), a prior order forbidding removal, and appeals courts finding removals illegal.
• There is agreement that ICE detainers are only “requests” by federal policy, but disagreement and confusion about why a state judge deferred to ICE and whether state courts retain jurisdiction.
• Some note immigration “courts” are executive-run administrative courts, not independent judiciary, raising further concerns about fairness.

Racism, profiling, and scope of immigration law

• Several see enforcement as racially targeted, noting that Canadians or Norwegians are not being rendered to foreign prisons and that “brown skin” and tattoos are treated as gang indicators.
• Discussion highlights that overstaying a visa is a civil infraction, while illegal entry is a crime; critics say rhetoric intentionally blurs this to equate “illegal immigrant” with violent criminal and justify rights violations.

Citizenship, denaturalization, and birthright debates

• Commenters worry that naturalized citizens are especially vulnerable because their status can legally be revoked, and point to open talk of denaturalization for political enemies.
• There is side discussion of complex citizenship rules for children born abroad, questions about equal protection, and fears that time spent abroad might be misused to argue “relinquished” citizenship.

Meta: HN politics and flagging

• Several object to the story being flagged as off-topic, arguing that immigration enforcement directly affects many in the tech community and fundamental civil liberties.
• Others insist HN’s guidelines exclude current-events politics, suggesting perceived bias may reflect user expectations rather than moderator policy.