Outrage grows against Trump administration's fascist deportation regime; socialists plan International Workers Day rally; Steering Committee vacancy and amendment vote results and more ...
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is
produced by local members of the chapter's Publications Working Group. The Weekly Update publishes every
Friday at 9am. Want to fight fascism from the heart of empire? Join DSA and fight to build socialism!
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
UP FRONT
Outrage against illegal detainments and deportations grows; socialists and community members rally in protest
Outrage has continued to grow in the United States regarding the Orange Emperor’s flagrant abuses of power in Washington. The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a sheet metal worker and union member who had lived in Maryland for 15 years but was deported illegally from the US to El Salvador, has continued to make national headlines. Local fury at this injustice has sparked protests and demands for return. This comes as the administration carries out a wider effort against pro-Palestinian organizers, including the arrest of a Palestinian student activist at his US citizenship interview.
Abrego Garcia had no criminal record, violated no laws, is married to an American citizen, and has three children with special needs. There has been no proof that he is part of a gang. Although the Supreme Court had previously ruled that the Trump Administration can use the Alien Enemies Act in its cruel mass deportation agenda, the court also backed a federal judge’s order that the administration must facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia. This order was not just ignored — the Trump Administration has since floated expansion of this human trafficking regime to legal residents and US citizens. The destination: El Salvador's Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), where Abrego Garcia and other immigrants have been exiled.
To give credit where it’s due, liberal Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) traveled to El Salvador in an attempt to visit Kilmar and demand his release. Van Hollen was able to meet with Kilmar on Thursday night; he was also able to confirm that the Salvadoran prison is accountable to the Trump Administration. The Economist reported Thursday: “While in El Salvador, [Van Hollen] said that the country’s vice-president told him that the Salvadoran government had no evidence connectingKilmar Abrego Garcia to MS-13.” Sen. Van Hollen’s meeting with Kilmar, who absurdly remains in Salvadoran custody, contrasts with the visits that right-wing politicians in America have been paying to the camp, where the depravity on display is used as naked propaganda. CECOT — which is estimated to hold approximately 15,000 inmates, amid anti-gang crackdowns that have detained 85,000 people (including over 3,000 children) — is a death camp. Inmates are fed rancid food. They endure beatings and baroque torture. They are shaved, denied privacy, and depersonalized.
Earlier this week, Salvadoran dictator Nayib Bukele visited the Trump Administration at the White House. When asked if he would return Abrego Garcia, he mocked the question. “I hope you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States,” he relayed with a smirk. Trump grinned at his new servant’s capitulation. Trump and his goons have since launched a smear campaign against Abrego Garcia — falsely alleging that he is a gang member and violent criminal.
In flouting the law, the administration is testing how far they can subordinate and dissolve checks against their power. Late Thursday the 4th Circuit Court pushed back, upholding the Maryland judge’s steady pressure on the administration to fess up about its foot-dragging and false testimony. The appeals court panel’s opinion, written by a Reagan-appointed judge, lamented: “The executive will lose much from a public perception of its lawlessness and all of its attendant contagions.” In spreading lies, Trump is testing the scope and influence of his administration's propaganda. In embracing the cruelty of CECOT, Trump is desensitizing America to a planned expansion of autocracy. We know where this is going. We have seen this before.
Now is the time to engage: DSA members interested in getting involved in migrant justice support can review the #migrantjustice Slack channel and/or fill out the Migrant Justice Subcommittee’s interest form, as well as the #abolition Slack channel. Those looking to organize with the Internationalism Working Group can visit #internationalism and fill out the IWG interest form. And prospective DSA labor organizers should visit #labor and fill out the LWG interest form.
May Day is International Workers Day — local workers plan to rally against oligarchs and billionaires
Across the District — from transit workers, to restaurant employees, to federal civil servants — the working people who keep our city running are rising up. We are demanding a country that puts our families over billionaires, public schools over private profits, healthcare over hedge funds, housing over slumlords. Musk, Trump, and their fellow oligarchs are creating a vicious race to the bottom. They want to erase workers’ rights, bust unions, steal wages, slash benefits, and seize the power of ordinary people.
This May Day, unions are planning to rally against the war on working people. Workers across the DMV, including MDC DSA’s Labor Working Group, have been picketing every week in solidarity with restaurant workers organizing to join UNITE HERE Local 25 and for our collective right to have a say in our workplaces. We know a working class united can never be defeated. We are organizing not just for one day, but to build labor power across the District: in every shop floor, school, restaurant, and federal building. Stop the billionaire takeover. We are the many. They are the few.Stay up to date on the planning of this event here.
Steering Committee vacancy filled; amendment to 2025-04-GR01 passes
Metro DC DSA members voted in the special election to fill a Steering Committee vacancy, as well as on Amendment to 2025-04-GR01: To Poll Membership on Delegate Election Voting Method. Results were released to all voting members of the chapter, and have been released in the #announcements channel on Slack. The results are also reported below:
Julia P elected to fill Steering Committee vacancy: with 292 voters voting with the approval voting method, 276 votes were recorded with 16 empty ballots. Julia P received 167 votes, Shawn V received 119 votes.
Amendment to 2025-04-GR01 passes: with 292 voters, with 289 ballots recorded, 3 empty ballots. The ballot passed (50.3%) in a close vote: 131-129 with 29 abstentions.
Metro DC DSA members will soon be voting on 2025-04-GR01 as amended. DSA members can begin submitting statements for or against amended 2025-04-GR01; they can be submitted through the Red Desk.
BRIEFS
Mayor Bowser announces DC spending freeze as Trump takeover of DC unfolds
On Tuesday, DC Mayor Bowser ordered a government-wide freeze on spending to address the $1 billion budget hole created by Congress. The freeze will apply to hiring, pay raises, bonuses, and overtime spending. Capital projects like the Capital One Arena deal ($515 million) are exempt. Some agencies will apply for exemptions — the Metropolitan Police Department in particular, which racked up $133 million in overtime spending last year. See 51st’s budget coverage for a full roundup.
Despite Bowser’s preemptive fealty to the Trump Administration, he has failed to intervene on behalf of the District. The DC Council has yet to propose an alternate path to navigating congressional intervention in DC, but some leaders on the council have been calling for a change in course. As CM Lewis George told WAMU last week: “There is the whole theme of let’s be preemptively complicit, I just don’t think that’s the right strategy… I don’t think there’s a strategy that has ever worked in history to say, let’s just preemptively be complicit and things will go away. That’s just not realistic.”
MPD has shown an unsurprising subservience to Trump in recent months, facilitated in part by the right-wing leaders of the police union. This, coupled with complicity in the Wilson Building, is a frightening prospect. CM Lewis George again, on the support provided by MPD to raid the US Institute of Peace last month: “I think it’s clear to me that the leadership of the police union, who we know has ties with the Republican leadership…is now empowered and emboldened in this moment…what we can say now is the city leadership listens to the president of the police union, and not the people of this city.”
Mayor Bowser’s collapse in the face of Trumpist fascism is not going unnoticed. Private companies and capital interests are taking the opportunity to exploit the District and its people. The company promising to build a “wellness resort” at Poplar Points — celebrated by Mayor Bowser last month — turns out to be a scam company that has already ripped off Ontario. The NFL’s Washington Commanders, eager to build at the lucrative RFK site, have organized a deal to squeeze DC for $850 million for their privately owned stadium, despite DC’s budget threat. And the National Restaurant Association is preparing to launch a propaganda campaign to freeze implementation of voter-passed Initiative 82 — which will raise the base wage paid to tipped workers over the next two years — in a mad gambit by restaurant chains to maintain their profits at the expense of workers (the Fair Price, Fair Wage Coalition is organizing a counter attack).
When will the DC Council stand up to this brazen assault on the city? If history is any indication, the local left will need to push them to do it. Readers who aren’t yet members of Metro DC DSA can join here to get involved in the fight against fascism.
Build tenant power and help renters fight eviction with Stomp Out Slumlords — tomorrow, Saturday, April 19
Join comrades for an anti-eviction canvass tomorrow, Saturday, April 19, to inform tenants facing eviction of their rights in court, how to get a lawyer, and to see if they're interested in organizing their building. Tenants that organizers speak to are twice as likely to go to court and fight their eviction, so every volunteer can make a big impact. RSVP here.
Canvassers will meet at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station on the D street exit between 6th and 7th above the escalators (if the weather is bad, we'll be downstairs just before the turnstiles). At 1:30pm there will be a short training to explain why these canvasses are necessary, how to talk to tenants about their upcoming eviction suits, and how to fill in walk-sheets. Fresh canvassers will be paired with veterans. Afterward, the group will gather at Sonny's in Parkview to debrief the canvass and socialize.
If you have a car, please drive it down to the meeting spot. Cars are helpful for getting canvassers to metro-inaccessible areas. (Parking near L’Enfant Plaza is a bit tricky, but doable). If you’re interested in our work but can’t canvass, reach out to [email protected] to learn about other ways to get involved.
Metro DC DSA holding picnic in Malcolm X Park — Saturday, April 19
Comradery is something people build together, so join Metro DC DSA’s Community Builders and fellow comrades for a picnic in Malcolm X Park, Saturday, April 19 at 1pm. Various food options will be available, but comrades should use the form in the RSVP link to indicate if they can bring food, beverages, or lawn games.
Prince George’s DSA Branch Comms committee aims to launch community-wide newsletter
Socialists in Prince George’s County are aiming to strengthen communications and develop a robust left-wing information center in the county, and the branch needs member involvement. Initial meeting is this Saturday, April 19, 7 – 8pm on Zoom. PG members and guests can sign up here to help plan wider outreach to the working class in the Prince George’s County news desert.
Higher bills? No thanks, Washington Gas. Testify to stop rate hikes April 21 and 29
Washington Gas is looking to increase gas rates by an average of 12%, or $15 per month for every customer. Meanwhile, one in seven WGL residential customers are already behind on their bills. DC’s working class certainly can't afford even higher bills, and DC residents shouldn't be footing the bill for Washington Gas shareholders’ profits.
Join We Power DC and testify to stop this rate hike. RSVP to testify from 5 – 7pm on Monday, April 21 or 6 – 8pm Tuesday, April 29; RSVPers will receive a testimony guide prepared by our friends at CCAN and get more information on how to sign up to testify with the Public Service Commission directly. All you will need to do on the day of is show up and be ready to speak for up to three minutes about why the commission should not approve this rate hike.
Also: Get involved with We Power DC by putting up anti-Pepco posters around the city. The campaign’s next wheatpasting event will be in the NoMa neighborhood at 1pm on April 26th. RSVP here.
NoVA Mutual Aid to hold first hybrid meeting and social — April 24 at 7pm
Join the NoVA Mutual Aid Working Group for their first hybrid meeting at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library on April 24 at 7pm. Join comrades interested in investigating ways to organize sustainable, long-term mutual aid programs in Northern Virginia in ways that draw attention to the contradictions of capitalism. A dinner social will be held after, location TBD. Attendees are welcome to edit the agenda freely, but current items of interest include an updated bylaws draft, upcoming seed swaps at George Mason University, organizing in Annandale, and a long-form reading group. RSVP for the mutual aid meeting here.
Chapter Political Engagement Committee to hold two-day electoral organizing training series
On Saturday, April 26 from 2:30 to 5:30pm at Petworth Neighborhood Library, comrade Milo from National DSA is planning to facilitate Electoral Organizing 101 — a training designed for members interested in collectively outlining the chapter's electoral strategy for realizing our broader political vision. This will be followed on Sunday, April 27 from 1:30 to 4:30pm at Shepherd Park (Juanita E. Thornton) Neighborhood Library with an Electoral Organizing Deep Dive for members interested in helping coordinate campaigns in 2025 and 2026. To find more information and register for either training, RSVP for day one and/or day two.
Green, union-built housing for all: Ecosocialists planning Social Housing canvassing this spring
As the corporate class continues to destroy our planet and the price of living in the District keeps rising, DC’s working class is demanding a solution. That is why the Metro DC DSA has organized a series of eight canvasses every Sunday from April 6 (last weekend) to May 25. Canvassers are collecting mass signatures to encourage the DC Council to create a Department of Social Housing to specifically fund and administer mixed income public housing, where market rate units subsidize the affordable and deeply affordable units they live with. Interested comrades can sign up to canvass here.
The Socialist Singalong and Jam Session — April 30 at 7pm
The Political Education Working Group proudly presents “The Socialist Singalong and Jam Session” at 7DrumCity at The Pocket on Wednesday, April 30 from 7 to 10:30pm. This is a free, participatory event to perform and learn about the role music has played in the labor movement, to educate about historical working-class struggles, and to build camaraderie among working-class people by providing an outlet for musical expression and collaboration. All abilities, instruments, and persons welcome — a backline of drums, keys, amps, and mics will be provided, but musicians can also bring their own instruments. Here is a list of potential songs to play, and participants are welcome to perform their own music as well, as time allows.
Staying current: MDC DSA members: Join our all-member Slack for real-time info on working group and campaign events, convo, and inspiration. Email [email protected] with your most recent DSA dues receipt to get Slack access. Chapter members are also invited to read — and edit — MDC DSA’s internal wiki. Email [email protected] to get set up or ask in #helpdesk.
Making MDC DSA hum: MDC DSA's Publications Working Group is information central not only for MDC DSA but the entire DMV left. Get a flavor of how we work at #publications (our working group’s Slack channel). Weekly Updates like the one you are reading are scheduled and emailed on Fridays; current and past Updates are on the web here. Not subscribed? DSA member or not, sign up to get the Update here.
MDC Dispatch (new feature!) The MDC Dispatch is the chapter’s new video news series, published on the first and third Sunday of each month. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and enable “All” notifications to be alerted to new installments. Submit your Update or Dispatch suggestions or DMV scandal tips to our tip line.
The Washington Socialist, published since the 1970s, offers in-depth analytical/opinion articles on a quarterly schedule; the Spring 2025 quarterly issue now leads the queue. Check out our indexed and searchable archive to see what we write — and what you can write. Anyone, MDC DSA member or not, interested in contributing to the Washington Socialist can email submissions or questions to [email protected]. Get your socialist self on the record. Donate to our Comradery page if you would like to financially support socialist publishing in the DMV.
DMV LEFT COMMUNITY BULLETIN
Intro to Organizing: A Practical Guide to People Power | Rising Organizers
On Monday, April 21, from 6:30 – 8:30pm, join Rising Organizers for an intro to organizing. Dive into the core principles of community organizing, talk about building people power, and brainstorm ways to ensure the majority of us can fight for the future we deserve. RSVP here.
Anticapitalist Writing Workshop: Radical Queer Futures | After The Storm
Envisioning queer futures is a communal, radical, and joyous exercise. Come to this workshop to connect with your comrades and co-create revisionist futures in which our communities are celebrating and thriving! Join After The Storm and facilitators from MDC DSA’s Bodily Autonomy Working Group on Wednesday, April 23, from 6:30 – 8:30pm. RSVP here.
Community Safety Fair on April 26 | DC Justice Lab
Every year, DC Justice Lab brings together a cohort of directly impacted residents to reimagine what justice and safety can look like in our city, culminating in a Community Safety Fair — a free, public event where participants present their ideas to community members, advocates, and local decision-makers. Drop by the MLK Library on Saturday, April 26, between 1 – 4pm to hear these community-rooted policy proposals. More info here.
Building Community Power, Growing Community Wealth | Democratize NOVA
Democratizing NOVA (DNOVA) is a community-university partnership focused on exploring radical, community democracy and solidarity economics in the same vein as Cooperation Jackson, Cooperation Milwaukee, and other worker-led initiatives. All are invited to their 2025 summit, Building Community Power, Growing Community Wealth on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 at George Mason University. RSVP to the summit here.
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES
ESSENTIAL PERSPECTIVES are articles and opinion pieces of interest to DMV leftists but not, generally, appearing
in local media. They should have links without paywalls. Readers are invited to submit candidates at our tip
line.
Two articles confronting the Trump Administration's on-going attacks on immigrants and labor: Morning Star — a British socialist paper — ran an article looking at how best to address solidarity with immigrant workers and working-class fear of immigrant labor being used to undermine existing wages and conditions. It is a challenge, the article notes, Marx and Engels addressed in their lifetime. And as a sign that some in the labor movement are building up a greater level of militancy, Portside posted a call by a growing list of labor organizations demanding an end to the assault on the right to organize and protest.
The rise of end times fascism—The governing ideology of the far right has become a monstrous, supremacist survivalism characterized by “the extreme notion that wealthy, tax-averse people should up and start their own high-tech fiefdoms, whether new countries on artificial islands in international waters (“seasteading”) or pro-business “freedom cities” such as Próspera, a glorified gated community … on a Honduran island. …The startup country contingent is clearly foreseeing a future marked by shocks, scarcity and collapse. Their high-tech private domains are essentially fortressed escape pods, designed for the select few to take advantage of every possible luxury and opportunity for human optimization, giving them and their children an edge in an increasingly barbarous future. To put it bluntly, the most powerful people in the world are preparing for the end of the world, an end they themselves are frenetically accelerating.” Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor in The Guardian
Google is latest target for Congress’s most unlikeable lawmakers—Rep. Jim Jordan and Sen. Ted Cruz, who have previously gone after companies like X and Meta over content policies deemed “unfavorable” to conservatives (meaning they previously avoided the posting of blatant untruths), are now taking on Google and its popular subsidiary YouTube, which has 250m-plus regular US users. Though (like the other platforms) Google has First Amendment protection, the unpleasant pair plan to subpoena internal company discussions on content to browbeat Google chief Sundar Pichai into following Zuckerberg and Musk into the prison camp of pre-emptive compliance. It’s all about jawboning; “prior legislative efforts to compel platforms to change course have fallen flat.” Politico. [Note: at press time, a new court ruling finds Google in violation of antitrust law, exercising monopoly power], NYT
Trump’s Trade War Is a Political Trap for Democrats— “The president’s reckless tariffs are designed to goad his opponents into touting free trade and scoffing at the working class.” Those who fought agreements like NAFTA have to reconstitute the mantra that there is no “free trade” for workers, just austerity or unemployment. By David Sirota in The Lever via Portside.
From Georgetown policy professor Don Moynihan — the attacks we see on international students are the harbinger of a mass surveillance and punishment system. It is more automated, but also fine-tuned to the political predilections of Trump’s regime. Who is next? How does this system work? What effect is it having on campuses? Can we stop it?
The best thing I own is my tiny TV — Tough week. Here’s something a little lighter from Defector. As media consumption shifts more and more to digital resources, there is a charming (and thrifty) thrill in maintaining old hardware. Cassettes, CDs and DVDs are making a quiet comeback, as are old and vintage technology. Good prep for Trumpflation.
This is the weekly newsletter of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (MDC DSA), which is produced by
local members of the chapter's Publications working group. The Weekly Update publishes every Friday at
9am.
Paid for by Metro DC DSA (mdcdsa.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee.
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HERE
The flame of thought, the magnificence of art, the wonder of discovery, and the audacity of invention
all belong to revolutionary periods when humanity, tired of its chains, shatters them and stops inebriated to
breathe the breeze of a vast and free horizon. - Virgilia D'Andrea
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