ICE & the long, meandering history of American immigration policy is the focus of today's episode of @TheTakeaway, which I had the privilege of hosting. You can listen to it right now -- wnycstudios.org/story/podcast-… -- but here's a thread breaking out all the segments...1/6
Bergen County, NJ, residents should listen to this one: Erik Jurek has been held at the Bergen Jail for a visa violation for a year without arguing his case b4 a judge. He complained about jail conditions: Negligent medical care & lack of basics like seats, jackets, razors. 2/6
Did you know white people could just walk into the U.S. and become citizens automatically for most of the United States' early history? Professor Aviva Chomsky argues that the immigration system has always been about restricting races from entry. 3/6
I spoke to a Green Card holder who aimed a laser pointer at a news chopper covering a fire near his house in Elizabeth, NJ. He was arrested. Served probation; no jail time. And then ICE deported him to Spain, splitting his family. We explain why that's a new thing. 4/6
A retired ICE agent explains why "illegal aliens" are a danger to the country, often fugitives from other countries, who threaten our security & come here to take American jobs. That's why he says they need to be kicked out & kept out & ICE needs even more agents. 5/6
Finally, @cameron_easley & @DLind answer the most pressing political questions on immigration: Do Americans really want to abolish ICE, and if not, will the Dem-controlled House get anything done on immigration reform in the coming 2 years? 6/6
Oh! And we also heard an amazing story from @MigrantJustice about how ICE allegedly infiltrated its nonprofit to find and deport undocumented immigrants...(7/6)
