What Next | Daily News and Analysis How Immigration Enforcement Became So Violent
9 snips
Jan 27, 2026 
Radley Balko, journalist and author who studies policing and criminal justice, offers a concise look at how immigration enforcement adopted a 'warrior cop' mindset. He traces militarization roots, recounts intimidation tactics like masking and surveillance, and discusses how federal forces have been used for political ends. He also covers local accountability strategies and the challenges of investigating misconduct.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Chicago Intersection Assaults
- Balko recounts ICE officers pulled out of a car and violently attacking people at an intersection in a Mexican-American neighborhood.
- Witnesses said agents either caused or exaggerated a collision to justify the attack, despite no visible threat.
How The Drug War Militarized Policing
- The drug war normalized battlefield tactics and gear for American police.
- That created a warrior mentality treating neighborhoods like battlefields, not communities.
Border Patrol's Distinctly Rogue History
- Border Patrol has a longer rogue history and higher misconduct rates than other federal agencies.
- That history includes deadly tactics like stepping in front of moving cars and weak internal accountability.
