Politics Theory Other Homeland Empire w/ Nikhil Pal Singh
Jan 28, 2026
Nikhil Pal Singh, historian of race and U.S. political history and NYU professor, outlines the idea of a 'homeland empire' where foreign and domestic power blur. He discusses how policing adopts wartime tactics, the shift from border walls to interior enforcement, continuities and novelties in recent administrations, and why the current project struggles to build lasting hegemony.
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Foreign And Domestic Blur Into One Realm
- Nikhil Pal Singh argues the Trump administration collapses foreign and domestic realms into a unified domain of impunity called "homeland empire."
- This blurring makes familiar categories like policing vs war inadequate for understanding its actions.
From Wall To Interior Expansion
- The second Trump administration shifts from border sealing to interior expansion, bringing enforcement into hostile urban areas.
- ICE and Border Patrol now act inland to disrupt settled immigrant communities and send political messages to hostile cities.
Security Wars Fuse Into A Single Enemy Image
- Trump merges earlier security projects—the war on crime, drugs, and terror—into a condensed enemy image spanning race and region.
- That fusion intensifies legal and institutional tools already built by prior administrations.
