Who’s Next?

There is an old warning, made famous by history and rendered timeless by its accuracy: then they came for me. It came to mind a few weeks ago as Somali Republican organizers in Minnesota expressed shock—genuine shock—at finding themselves suddenly within President Trump’s rhetorical crosshairs.

One hesitates to pile on. Their community is already under open assault by the leader of what was once called the free world, and there is little sport in chastising those newly discovering the reach of cruelty. Still, one wonders: did they not hear the language used against Representative Ilhan Omar? Did they imagine the animus would stop politely at the edge of partisan loyalty?

We are seeing similar bewilderment among Latino leaders in Florida and Texas, as the administration’s campaign against undocumented immigrants—helped along by tariffs and inflation—tears through communities that once believed themselves safely aligned. I had a version of this conversation recently with a Jewish friend who welcomed Trump’s assault on antisemitism at Harvard, until it required reminding that the same rhetoric has been deployed against diversity itself—and against Jews, too, whenever expedient.

It feels almost trite to say it aloud, which is precisely why it must be said: the wheel of discrimination does not honor contracts. There is no safe harbor in watching it roll over someone else. If one believes it will never turn again, history offers a brisk corrective.

And even setting self-interest aside, there remains a more basic question: why is it not enough to object simply because discrimination is wrong? Why must we wait until our own number is called before discovering a conscience?

It is true that minority communities often walk on eggshells, calculating risk with a care born of experience. And perhaps we should not expect more courage from them than we have seen from Congress, the courts, the media, or the corporate class. But the conclusion does not change: justice that is conditional is not justice at all.

We claim to believe in freedom, dignity, and individual rights—for all. Those words only matter if we mean them consistently, stubbornly, and with endurance. Anything less is not principle. It is merely timing.