The Week Evening Review
Mass deportations, 'Hinduphobia' in Bangladesh, and Pam Bondi

 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

What will Trump's mass deportations look like?

President-elect Donald Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented migrants. He confirmed after the election that he plans to "declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military to carry out mass deportations," said Axios. The planned deportations could affect as many as 11 million undocumented migrants and could "impact roughly 20 million families across the country."

The new administration will "first target criminals who pose security risks," said The Christian Science Monitor. But Trump will probably "broaden the scope" after that. That would require a whole-of-government effort to turn his plans into reality, said Reuters. The big questions now are whether he will have the resources to carry out large-scale deportations and whether he can persuade foreign countries to accept the return of their citizens.

What did the commentators say?
The president-elect has a "mandate on the border and to deport criminals," The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial. Trump and his advisers have "talked about mass deportation in sweeping terms." 

But Trump has also suggested he "isn't interested in illegal grandmothers." While polls indicate public support for deportations, that backing will "ebb if the public sees crying children as their parents are deported," said the Journal. Going too far "could get ugly fast."

Trump's election victory "gives illegal aliens a couple of months to get out while the getting is good," Mark Krikorian said at the National Review. Part of the point of a sweeping deportation regime is to keep immigrants from coming and staying in the first place and persuade them to "return home on their own by making it impractical to stay." That saves the government time and money, while migrants avoid the indignity of being locked up.

What next?
The crackdown could "start on day one," said Politico. The incoming administration has learned a few legal lessons from Trump's first-term setbacks. There are hopes of "avoiding an early defeat" like the court reversal of his 2017 travel ban targeting Muslim-majority nations.

There's "growing support" for deportations, said CNN. But most exit poll respondents, 56%, say that undocumented migrants "should be offered a chance to apply for legal status." Respondents seem most interested in deporting criminals or people without jobs. That "doesn't suggest a mandate for mass deportation."

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'Disability is not fictional. At the end of the day, me, Marissa, is the person that is still disabled and in a wheelchair. And so, it's simply a low-hanging fruit that too many of you are comfortable taking.'

"Wicked" star Marissa Bode speaking out against the ableist comments and jokes aimed at her character Nessarose's disability, calling them "aggressive," "very gross" and "harmful"

 
 
THE EXPLAINER

Spike in 'Hinduphobia' in Bangladesh alarms India

In recent months, India has "repeatedly" expressed "deep concern" over the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh and asked its neighbor to "ensure the safety of Hindus and all minorities," said the BBC. The detention has "triggered a fresh war of words."

Why was Das arrested? 
Das was seized on sedition charges and accused of "disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag" at a rally, held in October, protesting against mistreatment of Hindus in the country. After a court in Chittagong denied him bail last week, police "used batons and tear gas to disperse" the large crowd of supporters surrounding the van taking Das back to prison. One man was killed in the clash, according to the BBC. 

What's going on between India and Bangladesh? 
Bangladesh and India have "traditionally shared a warm relationship," but relations have been "frosty" since Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August. The new regime in Dhaka, headed by interim leader Muhammad Yunus, has an "implicit anti-India agenda," said Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit at India's Sunday Guardian, claiming "unabated Hinduphobia" in Bangladesh is now at an "all-time high." 

Are Bangladeshi Hindus in danger? 
Hindus are the largest minority in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, accounting for about 8% of the population, and the government continues to deny that Hindus are unsafe. But within 10 days of the Hasina government's fall, there were at least 200 incidents of anti-Hindu crime in Bangladesh, said Pandit, including "attacks against individuals" and "incidents of vandalism of businesses, properties, Hindu houses and, especially, temples."

 
 

Statistic of the day

20 years: The average life expectancy gap across different U.S. population groups, according to research published in The Lancet. The data, collected in 2021, shows that life expectancy varies greatly depending on ethnicity, income and geographic location.

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Pam Bondi, Trump's loyalist pick for attorney general

Donald Trump has found a backup to be the country's top law enforcement officer, nominating Pam Bondi to be the U.S. attorney general. He tapped Bondi for the job after his initial pick, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), bowed out of contention amid sexual misconduct and sex trafficking allegations.

Previous career
Bondi, 59, was born in Florida. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida before completing her JD at Stetson University. As Florida's AG, Bondi "stressed human trafficking issues and urged tightening state laws against traffickers," said Al Jazeera. 

After leaving office as Florida's AG, Bondi started maintaining close ties with then-President Trump while taking up a role at the lobbying firm Ballard Partners. She was most notably a "senior adviser on Trump's first impeachment defense team," a role for which she took a leave from Ballard Partners, said The Hill. Bondi went back to the lobbying firm following the impeachment and is still a "partner at Ballard Partners, which is also where Trump's incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles worked," said The Hill. 

Bondi-Trump relationship
Bondi's longstanding relationship with Trump, which goes back to before he entered politics, has some questioning her potential role as attorney general. Most notable is the "controversial $25,000 contribution that Trump's foundation gave to Bondi's political action committee during her 2014 reelection bid," said CNN. 

If confirmed, Bondi "appears likely to oblige" Trump on his request for federal investigations into people he believes are political opponents, said The Associated Press. Unlike Gaetz, Bondi "doesn't radiate scandal," said Politico. But when Trump has "faced threats to his political career and livelihood, Bondi has been there." 

Bondi has also mentioned the supposed weaponization of the Department of Justice. However, while Gaetz has spoken of his "distrust of federal spying programs, called for breaking up and relocating the FBI and demanded an end to Jan. 6 prosecutions," Bondi has "remained publicly silent on these specific issues," so it's unclear to what extent she would follow Gaetz on that path.

 
 

Good day 🎦

… for "Moana 2." The Disney sequel set a box office record with its debut over Thanksgiving weekend opening, earning $221 million domestically for the five-day period. It marked the "highest Thanksgiving weekend performance of a film ever," surpassing 2019's "Frozen II," which made $125 million during the period, said CNBC.

 
 

Bad day 🥤

… for orange juice drinkers. Wholesale prices for OJ have surged due to extreme weather in Florida and Brazil, the two largest producers of orange juice concentrate. Signs indicate it will continue to climb in the coming months. A future contract for a pound of frozen concentrate currently trades for $5.13, close to the all-time high of $5.80 in September.

 
 
Picture of the day

Walking tall

A stilt walker prepares for Johannesburg's annual Orange Farm Carnival, aimed at bringing the South African community together and raising awareness of HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence.
Kim Ludbrook / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

The world is the solo traveler's own special oyster. With no one else on the journey, you can stop and see whatever you want, eat when you want and spend the night where you want. Take full advantage of this freedom in the new year. 

Focus on wellness
The Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai in Thailand has a "rural-resort atmosphere," said the Michelin Guide. This resort is perfect for yogis, offering mindfulness yoga and Vipassana meditation sessions, and the luxurious poolside spa pavilion is the "key to the Aleenta's appeal." Thai healing treatments, like the traditional lanna massage, are among the spa's comprehensive offerings.

Experience the great outdoors
Exploring the wilderness as a solo traveler can be an incredible experience. There are a few safety tips to keep in mind when going off the beaten path, and the first is to let family and friends know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Once you arrive, "listen to your intuition," travel writer Lauren Gay said to National Geographic. "If something doesn't feel right or doesn't feel safe, pack up and go."

Escape to the big city
Paris is a city where a companion is unnecessary. Here, you can "binge on some of the world's best museums" and indulge in a "long meditative sit in front of centuries-old paintings," said Thrillist. Book a hotel "somewhere central and walkable" so you can see the sights by foot, especially the "architecture that makes Paris, well, Paris."

 
 

Poll watch

There remains a wide partisan divide among Americans when it comes to Ukraine, according to a Pew Research Center poll. The survey of 9,609 adults found that 42% of Republicans think the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine, compared to only 13% of Democrats who feel the same. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Not everyone is benefiting from drops in overdose deaths'
Maia Szalavitz at The New York Times
A drop in drug deaths "might reflect what epidemiologists call a depletion of susceptibles, a grim term that can describe the waning of an epidemic because the most vulnerable people have perished," says Maia Szalavitz. The U.S. "urgently needs to identify which factors beyond the tragedy of mass death are causing fatalities to fall." This "could not only help prevent rises in overdoses but may also explain why some groups continue to experience sharp increases in overdose deaths."

'The Christian case for "happy holidays"'
Elizabeth Bruenig at The Atlantic
There are "plenty of reasons even devoutly conservative Christians should consider wishing others 'happy holidays' this season," says Elizabeth Bruenig. There are "other holidays at the end of the year, not just of other faiths but also within Christianity." There are also "more ecumenical Christian reasons for keeping 'happy holidays' on hand." Most important is the "fact that a friendly greeting is a kind of charity" that "constitutes an offer of hope for another's happiness."

'My visit to one of Ghana's notorious "slave castles" was a haunting reminder of the not-so-distant past'
Jenice Armstrong at The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Everyone who had visited one of the stone forts in Ghana where enslaved Africans were held before making the journey to the Americas told me to prepare myself," says Jenice Armstrong. But it's "unclear what will happen to the teaching about this chapter in American history" once Donald Trump takes office. Not "acknowledging the impact of 400 years of chattel slavery, and even more of racial segregation, is a way to deny the country's ugliest chapters."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

quad-demic

The four horsemen of the viral apocalypse: influenza, Covid-19, norovirus and RSV. Despite a "relatively slow start to respiratory disease season" in the U.S., "low vaccination rates threaten that trend," said CNN. For now, Covid levels are nearly the lowest they have been since the start of the pandemic and are decreasing, according to the CDC. The flu and RSV are also "circulating at low levels," but "emergency department visits for both viruses have started to rise."

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Chas Newkey-Burden, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Anahi Valenzuela, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top:  Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; Hindustan Times / Shutterstock; Celal Gunes / Anadolu via Getty Images; Westend61 / Getty Images