The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Jacob Soboroff (Extended)
Jan 31, 2026
Jacob Soboroff, MSNBC senior political and national correspondent and author of Firestorm, discusses frontline reporting on aggressive immigration enforcement and the people shaping it. He also recounts watching his childhood neighborhood burn in the LA wildfires. Multiple short conversations explore clashes over policy, the scale of recent fires, and the hurdles of recovery and displacement.
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Supersized Family Separation
- Jacob Soboroff warns current ICE raids are a supersized continuation of prior family-separation policies resulting in mass deportation tactics.
- He argues these operations are depraved and target people seeking better lives, not just the "worst of the worst."
On-the-Ground Enforcement Scenes
- Jacob Soboroff recounts witnessing aggressive enforcement in multiple cities, including Los Angeles and New York's Federal Plaza.
- He describes ICE agents in military costumes throwing tear gas and sending children to detention, which motivated public pushback.
Fewer Checks, More Extremes
- Jacob Soboroff says fewer institutional checks empower extreme immigration officials and advisers today.
- He cites Stephen Miller's outsized role and leadership changes like Tom Homan replacing Gregory Bovino as enabling more aggressive operations.
