The Raid

John Carlos Frey talks with Nicole Locklin — a Miami attorney and first-time candidate now running as the Democratic nominee for Florida's 26th Congressional District against 24-year incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart.  Locklin explains what pushed her into the race. She explains the district's dramatic post-redistricting shift, the role of ICE and Stephen Miller in the current wave of immigration raids, the financial toll of the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility, and her platform centered on affordability, government accountability, and abolishing ICE.  The conversation closes with a frank look at her odds in a historically red-leaning, minority-majority district and how her campaign plans to combine political organizing with direct community aid.  https://locklinforcongress.com/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey sits down with Flor Melendrez to talk about the wave of ICE raids that swept through Los Angeles car washes over the past year. Melendez shares her personal path into labor organizing — growing up the child of garment worker parents, negotiating wages for them as a child, and later working with day laborers before helping build the clean car wash campaign into what is now the Clean Car Wash Worker Center where she is the Executive Director.  The two also discuss the racial and political dimensions of the raids — why car washes, garment factories, and Home Depot parking lots were targeted, and whether the operations reflect broader anti-immigrant sentiment tied to the upcoming election. Melendrez closes with reflections on more raids yet to come, community resilience, the networks that have formed in response to the raids and how people can support the organization's work.  https://www.cleancarwash.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ICE has been targeting labor leaders and organizers along with thousands of workers who are now more afraid than ever to fight for better working conditions.  In this podcast, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey traces how that pattern has grown from a single farm in Albion, New York into a nationwide crisis in 2026 — one that is reshaping labor markets, collapsing organizing campaigns, and keeping some of the most vulnerable workers in America in a state of permanent fear.  https://portside.org/2025-05-11/they-actually-had-list-ice-arrests-workers-involved-landmark-labor-rights-case  https://documentedny.com/2025/08/27/lyn-ette-farms-ice-detention/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if ICE raids aren't just about immigration enforcement — what if they're part of something much bigger?  In this episode, host John Carlos Frey sits down with journalist and activist Lee Stedman, whose on-the-ground reporting during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis revealed a pattern that goes far beyond deportation.  From the criminalization of rapid response networks to the rise of a coordinated interagency task force, Stedman connects the dots between surveillance technology, propaganda, and what he sees as a deliberate effort to consolidate power ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.  https://www.instagram.com/ghost_lee19/?hl=en  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On August 28, 2025, three immigrant rights activists followed an unmarked ICE vehicle through Los Angeles and livestreamed what they saw — exactly what rapid responders across Southern California had been doing for months. That afternoon ended with federal charges.  Cynthia Raygoza, Ashleigh Brown, and Sandra Samane became known as the Baldwin Park Three. Their case didn't just put three women on trial, it put the First Amendment on trial — asking whether the right to document the government ends the moment a federal agent pulls into a residential street. John Carlos Frey investigates the prosecution, the politics, and the precedent.  @ice_out_ofla  gofund.me/19efb412f  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. government wired $70 million to purchase a massive warehouse to house detained immigrants in Surprise, Arizona — without telling the mayor, the city council, or a single one of the 80,000 people who lived there. No announcement. No environmental review. No community input. Just a done deal.  In this episode of The Raid, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey unpacks how the secret purchase unfolded, who pushed back — and what happened when residents realized their own city council wasn't going to fight for them.  This is the story of Surprise, Arizona. And it could be the story of your town next.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/ice-buys-warehouses-immigration-detention/  https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/dhs-reveals-surprise-warehouse-turned-ice-detention-facility-part-38b-plan  https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/041826_surprise_ice_warehouse/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host John Carlos Frey sits down with Lilian Serrano, Director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, for a powerful conversation about what's really happening along the U.S.-Mexico border — and what it means for the entire country.  Lillian grew up between Tijuana and San Diego across four generations, and has spent over a decade fighting for human rights and accountability in border enforcement. In this episode, she exposes how racial profiling, Constitutional violations, and unchecked use of force — long normalized in border communities — are now spreading to cities across America.  They discuss the staggering $240 billion in federal funding handed to ICE and Border Patrol with little to no oversight, the gutting of DHS civil rights offices, the militarization of public lands along the border, and what communities can do to fight back. This is not an episode you can afford to tune out.  https://www.southernborder.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/  Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He was born in the United States. He has a Real ID, a Social Security number and a birth certificate. ICE detained him three times in less than one year.  Leonardo Garcia Venegas is a 26-year-old construction worker from Baldwin County, Alabama. In May 2025, ICE agents raided a private job site, tackled him to the ground, and held him in handcuffs for over an hour — ignoring his proof of citizenship. Two weeks later, different agents made the same assumption at a different construction site. Then in May 2026 — while he was the lead plaintiff in an active federal lawsuit challenging these exact tactics — agents pulled him from his truck in front of his own house and shackled him.  In this episode of The Raid, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey traces the full story: from the first raid to the federal courthouse to the morning they came back again.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://www.newsweek.com/how-ice-agents-detained-one-us-citizen-three-times-11928213  https://abcnews.com/US/lawyer-us-born-citizen-detained-ice-disputes-interfering/story?id=126162608 https://ij.org/case/alabama-construction-site-raids Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey digs into the extra $70 billon just approved for ICE and Border Patrol. What is that money for and how is it all managed? The details are nothing short of a corrupt system. https://theraidpodcast.org/ https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host John Carlos Frey talks with Nayna Gupta, Policy Director at the American Immigration Council, to break down the Council's new report: Restoring Credibility and Humanity — a detailed framework proposing a path forward for U.S. immigration enforcement.  Nayna and John explore how decades of overly broad immigration laws have enabled the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda, and why simply opposing it isn't enough — elected officials need a credible alternative vision. They also discuss the political landscape in Congress, shifting public opinion, and why the Council believes now is the moment to start building consensus — before the next political opening arrives.  https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/immigration-enforcement/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey speaks with Stephen Sefton — industrial designer, philosopher, and founder of Third Coast Pillows — to explore how one small business owner is fighting back against America's deportation machine with art. When ICE raids intensified across the country — and two people were shot and killed in Minnesota — Stephen used his platform to respond. He designed a politically charged advertisement with a message about immigration enforcement: the who, what, when, and why of the tragedy in Minnesota.  Stephen speaks candidly about why he felt morally obligated to act, how his background in philosophy shapes his view that government policy doesn't define ethics, and what he believes small businesses owe to the communities they serve. A powerful conversation about art as protest, courage in the face of silence, and what it means to refuse to look away.  https://thirdcoastpillows.com/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ICE has quietly changed how it reports deaths in immigration detention — and the change is designed to make people disappear from the record. Under the new internal policy, a death only counts as an "in-custody death" if it happens inside a detention facility. Deaths that occur after release — even the day after — are no longer reported. In this episode, John Carlos Frey breaks down exactly what this policy change means, why it was made, and who it affects — and why calling it anything other than a cover-up would be dishonest. People are dying in the custody of the United States government. And now, the government has made it significantly easier to make sure those deaths are never counted. https://theraidpodcast.org/ https://www.newsweek.com/ice-updates-reporting-policy-amid-rising-detainee-deaths-12034515  https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ice-ends-post-release-death-reporting-1800942  https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1404918-ice-ends-30-day-detainee-death-reporting-rule-amid-custody-concerns Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Award-winning journalist Jacob Soboroff — author of Separated: Inside an American Tragedy and incoming host of Connect with Jacob Soboroff (premiering June 13 on MSNOW) — sits down with host John Carlos Frey on The Raid to trace his full journey covering U.S. immigration policy.  From his first trip across the border into Tijuana during the Obama era, to the moment he walked into a converted Walmart housing 1,100 separated boys in Brownsville, TX — Soboroff reflects on what he missed, what changed him, and why he refuses to pretend injustice has "two sides." He also opens up about covering the 2025 LA wildfires that burned his childhood neighborhood, how those events shaped his new show's identity, and why he believes human connection — not neutrality — is the future of journalism.  https://www.jacobsoboroff.com/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host John Carlos Frey speaks with Austin Kocher, a political and legal geographer and Navy veteran (1999–2003), about the deeply underreported issue of immigrant veterans being detained and deported under the current administration. Kocher explains that while this problem predates the Trump administration, deportations of veterans have accelerated dramatically in recent years.  Kocher argues that the current administration has eliminated even the modest administrative protections that previous administrations — both Republican and Democratic — had extended to veteran cases, leaving immigrant veterans with virtually no shield against deportation.  https://austinkocher.substack.com/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the 1960s, the CIA recruited tens of thousands of Hmong farmers and warriors in Laos to fight a secret proxy war on behalf of the United States. They rescued downed American pilots, ran intelligence operations, and died by the thousands — doing work Congress never officially authorized. When the U.S. withdrew in 1975, it left them behind. After surviving massacres, refugee camps, and decades of displacement, most of them rebuilt their lives here, in America. Now the government is deporting them.  Since the summer of 2025, ICE has been arresting Hmong residents across Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin — many of them here for forty years, some U.S. citizens swept up in raids. In Indiana, two Southeast Asian refugees — a Cambodian man named Lorth Sim and a Vietnamese man named Tuan Van Bui — died in the same newly-opened detention facility within weeks of each other. No network interviewed their families. No crew was sent. John Carlos Frey investigates the most underreported deportation story in America: a community that fought for this country, fled to this country, and is now being erased by it — while the cameras look the other way.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://sahanjournal.com/immigration/hmong-deportation-ice-minnesota-laos/  https://www.startribune.com/hmong-minnesotans-face-deportation-laos-ice-arrests/601385285  https://asamnews.com/2026/04/08/cambodian-vietnamese-detainee-deaths-ice-indiana/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Four powerful Latinas — actress and activist Diane Guerrero, communications strategist Arianna Rosales, immigration attorney Grisel Ruiz, and liberation-psychology therapist Monica de la Cruz Lopez — come together as powerful unified voice, referring to themselves as, "We Ride at Dawn". They join forces at this critical time to confront the human cost of America's mass deportation machine.  In this raw and moving conversation, they share personal stories of family separation, undocumented life, immigration detention, and systemic dehumanization — and make the case that storytelling is not a retreat from crisis, but its deepest form of resistance. The group explores how shame silences immigrant communities, why psychology has historically been weaponized against the people it claims to help, and how ancestral healing, community organizing, and radical self-love can build the infrastructure for lasting change.  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investigative journalist René Kladzyk of POGO (Project on Government Oversight) joins host John Carlos Frey to expose the troubling track record of Loyal Source Government Services, a private medical contractor operating inside ICE detention facilities — most notably Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.  Kladzyk details how Loyal Source has faced years of documented allegations: medical neglect, chronic understaffing, labor violations, deaths under their care, and failures to maintain basic medical records — yet has seen a 1,000% increase in federal contracts, reaching nearly $2 billion in fiscal year 2026.  https://www.pogo.org/investigates/troubled-ice-medical-provider-remains-at-camp-east-montana-despite-outcry  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey looks at the death of Kesley Vial, a 23-year-old Brazilian asylum seeker who died in 2022 at the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico — a privately-run facility operated by CoreCivic. The episode investigates how CoreCivic destroyed footage from 14 surveillance cameras after Vial's suicide attempt, while preserving only 49 still images favorable to their defense — even after receiving a legal preservation demand the day he died. https://theintercept.com/2026/05/24/ice-corecivic-death-private-prison-judge/ https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host John Carlos Frey sits down with Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), to explore the escalating federal crackdown on day laborers across the US. Newman traces his path from law student to frontline advocate. He argues that immigrants defending their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights are protecting everyone's constitutional rights, not just their own, and that today's crisis may finally birth a genuine immigrant rights social movement.  https://ndlon.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host John Carlos Frey speaks with Rachel Jordan, Managing Attorney at Safe Passage Project, a New York City-based nonprofit organization providing free legal representation to immigrant and refugee children facing deportation. The conversation covers who unaccompanied minors are, why they come to the U.S., and the legal protections that were designed to shield them — protections now being systematically dismantled by the current administration.  Rachel explains that most of Safe Passage's clients are children fleeing gang violence, gender-based persecution, abuse, or extreme poverty in Central America, with a growing number coming from Venezuela, Ecuador, and West Africa. Many are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a designation requiring a court finding that a child has been abused, abandoned, or neglected — yet the administration has worked to strip these children of work permits, deferred action, and legal stability, leaving them in prolonged economic and legal limbo.  https://www.safepassageproject.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration has detained 400,000 immigrants from interior arrests since January 2025. But how many children did it leave behind?  In this episode of The RAID Podcast, John Carlos Frey breaks down a landmark May 2026 study from the Brookings Institution and Georgetown University — the most detailed estimate yet of how many children in America have been separated from their parents by ICE detention. The numbers are staggering and the government? It's keeping no reliable count.  Source: "How many children are affected by parental immigrant detention?" — Brookings Institution, May 2026 https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-many-children-are-affected-by-parental-immigrant-detention/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Raid host, John Carlos Frey speaks with Professor David Martinez — director of the Institute for Transborder Indigenous Nations at Arizona State University and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community — about the recent bulldozing by border wall construction of Las Playas, a thousand-year-old geoglyph sacred to the Hia-Ced O'odham people of the Sonoran Desert. Professor Martinez explains the deep spiritual and ceremonial significance of the site, which he describes as a "compass" oriented north-south and linked to the O'odham salt-gathering ceremony — a ritual considered equivalent in importance to war. Martinez expresses righteous anger at the destruction, calling it entirely avoidable, while offering hope rooted in centuries of O'odham resilience: "We've survived centuries of colonization… and we'll be here for another thousand years."  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://search.asu.edu/profile/1099665 Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this deeply personal and investigative episode of The Raid, host John Carlos Frey sits down with former Border Patrol agent and whistleblower Jenn Budd to expose what she describes as a systemic culture of sexual misconduct within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol, and ICE. Budd, who joined the Border Patrol in 1995, opens by recounting her own sexual trauma during training at the federal law enforcement academy in Glynn County, Georgia — an experience she kept secret for over 15 years, even from her wife.  From her personal trauma, the conversation broadens into a sweeping indictment of a deeply entrenched institutional culture. Budd and Frey walk through a documented list of over 170 agents with allegations or convictions for serious sexual crimes — including rape, child pornography, and sexual assault of migrants. https://theraidpodcast.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Against-Wall-Journey-Immigrant-Activist/dp/1942762933 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent has been indicted on 29 felony charges including ten counts of child sex trafficking. But the case of Bart Conrad Yager isn't just about one agent. It's about a federal agency that had warning signs more than a decade ago and looked away. In this episode, John Carlos Frey breaks down the Yager indictment, the 2014 rape allegation CBP never investigated, and a mounting pattern of sexual misconduct cases against CBP employees. With oversight mechanisms weakening and hiring surges accelerating, Frey asks the question no one at DHS wants to answer: who else fell through the cracks?  https://tucson.com/news/local/border/article_5e596767-4575-485b-88e8-0a6265e5bb41.html  https://www.kjzz.org/fronteras-desk/2025-07-23/former-tucson-border-patrol-agent-indicted-on-10-counts-of-child-sex-trafficking-other-felonies  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Raid, John Carlos Frey sits down with Adam Isaacson to unpack the systematic dismantling of oversight and accountability mechanisms within the Department of Homeland Security — and what it means for migrants, Border Patrol agents, ICE officials and American democracy. Isaacson, author of the report The Dismantling of Internal Oversight and Accountability at DHS, walks through the agencies tasked with keeping ICE and Customs and Border Protection in check.  https://www.wola.org/staff/adam-isacson/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Investigative journalist John Carlos Frey has spent 20 years covering ICE and Border Patrol. What he found will shock you. The three highest-ranking officials at the U.S. Border Patrol have all been implicated in sexual misconduct. The current chief bragged about paying for sex abroad — then abolished the agency's anti-fraternization policy. His two deputies left after sexually victimizing female employees. Three officials. Three sex scandals. Zero accountability. Frey documents over 170 cases of criminal behavior by agents nationwide — child sexual abuse material, assault, kidnapping of minors, convicted agents returned to duty with their firearms. And Congress just handed these agencies more money than they've ever had in history. Oversight dismantled. Hiring standards lowered. Accountability measures stripped out. This isn't a few bad apples. This is a system designed to protect predators — funded by your tax dollars. https://theraidpodcast.org/ https://open.substack.com/pub/raidpodcast/p/the-worst-of-the-worst?r=5r26a&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Celeste, co-founder of People Over Papers and ICEOUT.org, discusses the organizations' collaborative effort to map ICE enforcement activity across the US. ICEOUT.org is an anonymous, community-powered platform where users can report and view confirmed ICE sightings on an interactive map. The platform was built to give communities real-time, data-backed awareness of enforcement patterns in their neighborhoods. https://iceout.org/en/ https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. government made a promise to half a million people who grew up in in the United States — and it's breaking that promise quietly, deliberately, and one policy at a time. In this episode, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey breaks down the real-time dismantling of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). This isn't happening through a single executive order. It's happening through delayed renewals, secret memos, stacked courts, and administrative rulings most Americans never hear about. This is the most dangerous moment in DACA's 14-year history, and this episode documents exactly how we got here.  https://www.npr.org/2026/04/25/nx-s1-5798943/justice-department-makes-it-easier-to-deport-those-with-daca-status  https://edsource.org/2026/daca-renewal-delays-educators/756448  https://www.npr.org/2026/04/25/nx-s1-5798943/justice-department-makes-it-easier-to-deport-those-with-daca-status Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sara Hernandez — candidate for California State Senate District 26 — joins host John Carlos Frey to talk about what it's like to run for office in a district under siege. A former middle school teacher in South L.A., immigration attorney, and current president of the L.A. Community College District Board of Trustees, Sara brings a ground-level perspective to some of the most pressing issues facing East Los Angeles communities right now.  She shares stories from her classroom — students caught between academic ambition and the threat of deportation — and explains why those experiences led her first to law, then to politics. The conversation covers the limits and possibilities of state-level action against federal immigration enforcement, the constitutional questions raised by ICE's use of administrative warrants, the economic case for immigration reform, the housing crisis squeezing working families out of California, and why her mother's words — "if not you, then who?" — pushed her to run.  Sara also discusses her campaign on the ground: canvassing alongside rapid response networks, her key endorsements from Supervisor Hilda Solis, civil rights icon, Dolores Huerta and major labor unions, and what's at stake for communities in Boyle Heights, Pico Union, Echo Park, and beyond in the June 2nd primary.  @sarahernandez.26  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For more than twenty years, Meenu Batra sat inside courtrooms and recorded everything — testimony, rulings, the words spoken on the most consequential days of people's lives. She had legal status. She had a career built on institutional trust. She was as embedded in the American legal system as anyone could be. Then ICE apprehended her. In this episode of The Raid, host John Carlos Frey speaks with Gaige Davila — freelance investigative journalist, former Texas Public Radio Border and Immigration Reporter, correspondent for Deceleration News, and contributor to The Texas Observer. Gaige broke the story of what happened to this immigration court reporter in a recent piece published by The Texas Observer — a story that raises urgent questions about due process, the targeting of legal status holders, and what it means when the people who work inside the justice system are no longer safe from it. This is not a story about someone who crossed a border without documentation. This is a story about a woman who spent two decades serving the court — and what happened when the court's enforcement arm turned its attention to her. https://www.texasobserver.org/immigration-court-interpreter-arrested-ice-south-texas-airport/ https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, more than 100 immigration judges have been fired in an unprecedented purge — with a similar number resigning or retiring. In their place, the administration has installed over 140 new judges, many with no immigration law experience and as little as three weeks of training. Investigative journalist John Carlos Frey examines who these new judges are, what they've been hired to do, and what it means for the millions of immigrants waiting for their day in court. From a divorce lawyer who fights exclusively for men, to a judge rebuked for deciding a gay man didn't look gay enough for asylum protection — this is the story of how America's immigration courts are being reshaped to serve one goal: deport one million people a year.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/04/27/justice-department-immigration-judges-deportation/  https://newrepublic.com/post/209532/donald-trump-terrifying-new-immigration-judges-experience  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Izzy Ramirez didn't start as a journalist. He started as someone who refused to look away.  When ICE raids swept through Los Angeles last summer, Izzy was on the streets — phone in hand, posting real-time alerts, telling people where federal agents were, which neighborhoods to avoid, where families were being torn apart. He wasn't working for a newsroom. He was working for his community. And people listened. LA Taco was listening too.  The Los Angeles-based independent publication — one of the most important outlets covering immigration enforcement in Southern California — recognized what Izzy already was: a reporter. They asked him to make it official. He said yes. And he hasn't stopped since. In just a few months as a staff reporter, Izzy has covered ICE operations, deaths in detention, political corruption, and the day-to-day reality of what he doesn't hesitate to call what it is — the kidnapping of people from their homes, their jobs, their families, across Southern California. He is twenty-something years old. He has no journalism school on his résumé. What he has is the trust of the people most at risk, the instincts of someone who learned by doing, and a publication behind him that understands why that matters.  This is what accountability journalism looks like when it comes from the inside.  https://lataco.com/author/izzy-ramirez  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At just 18 years old, Cesar Vasquez is already a veteran organizer on California's Central Coast. As a Rapid Response Organizer for 805 Undocufund — a nonprofit providing emergency financial relief and real-time immigration enforcement alerts to undocumented residents across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties — Cesar is on the front lines of one of the most vulnerable communities in the country: the largely undocumented farmworker population that feeds much of the nation. But his activism didn't start there. At 14, Cesar founded La Cultura Del Mundo, a youth-led organization built on a simple but radical premise — skip the red tape and ask families directly, "How much do you need?" No forms, no status checks, just rapid mobilization of cash, groceries, rent assistance, and whatever else a family needs to survive. Today, Cesar joins us to speak about the ongoing ICE raids devastating his region. According to 805 Undocufund, over 1,800 people have been taken since the raids began — a number that continues to grow.  https://www.805undocufund.org/  https://laculturadelmundo.org/es https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past ten months, federal immigration agents and Border Patrol officers have arrested more than three hundred American citizens at immigration protests across the country — charging them with serious federal crimes like assaulting an officer, conspiracy, and interfering with law enforcement. In more than a third of those cases, the charges were dropped, dismissed, or lost at trial. Because the evidence wasn't there. Because in many cases, video footage directly contradicted what arresting officers put in their reports. John Carlos Frey examines the findings of a landmark ProPublica and PBS FRONTLINE investigation.  ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/article/caught-in-crackdown-ice-cbp-immigration-protests-arrests-convictions  PBS FRONTLINE: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/caught-in-crackdown-ice-cbp-immigration-protests-arrests-convictions  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Raid is Marc Philpart. He is the Executive Director of the Black Freedom Fund, bringing more than a decade of leadership in grassroots organizations to build power for racial justice. Marc serves on several boards and advisory committees, including the California Immigrant Policy Center, Partners for Dignity and Rights, and the University of Southern California’s Equity Research Institute. Marc is on the podcast to discuss how the lessons of black empowerment and the civil rights struggles of the past can help inform the immigration rights movement of today.  https://fundblackfreedom.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Actress and activist, Diane Guerrero candidly reveals details of the night immigration officials deported her parents, leaving her without her family at age 14. Diane Guerrero is an actress and activist best known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black, Jane the Virgin, Doom Patrol and Encanto — but her most important story has nothing to do with Hollywood. When she was fourteen years old, she came home from school to find her parents gone. Immigration officers had arrested them while she was away. No government agency called to check on her. No social worker came to the door. As the only U.S. citizen in her immediate family, she was left to navigate the rest of her childhood alone, taken in by friends' parents, building a life from nothing. For years she kept it secret. Today she is one of the most prominent voices in the country on the human cost of deportation, and what it means to be left behind.  https://www.instagram.com/dianexguerrero/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former Border Patrol Agent, Jenn Budd is back on the podcast to offer her new book that dives into the federal law enforcement agencies known as ICE and US Border Patrol as only an insider can. She helps to explain why we are seeing so much violence and lawlessness by these agencies and offers methods to abolish or reform them.  The book is entitled, ICE - What Everyone Needs to Know and available here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/ice-jenn-budd/ebook/9781956474954.html  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the podcast is Victor Picard. He's the Edwin Baker Professor of media policy and political economy at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for communication, where he co-directs the Media Inequality and Change Center. His research explores the intersections of U.S. and global media, activism and politics, media history, democratic theory, and communications policy. John Carlos Frey and Victor discuss the current media landscape and how the very fabric of democracy is being threatened by a suppression of the First Amendment and unprecedented multi-media merger deals. Accurate information about the immigration raids and news in general is getting harder to come by. An eye-opening episode of The Raid by industry insiders.  https://www.asc.upenn.edu/people/faculty/victor-pickard-phd  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tito Rodriguez he is the co-founder of the Local Hearts Foundation. The foundation focuses on helping at-risk families and underserved communities in the greater Los Angeles area. Tito's organization went into overdrive during the ICE Raids in Los Angeles when immigrants were afraid to leave their homes for fear of being taken and deported. They stopped going to work or taking their kids to school. Tito saw the need as people were going hungry. Tito's faith led him to provide for those who have become politically marginalized and believes, "God doesn't care if you have papers..." The Local Hearts Foundation provided free groceries and supplies. Tito earned the name, 'The Hood Santa' because he was delivering items in neighborhoods most people won't go. Even though the Los Angeles raids are no longer in the headlines, the need is still great as people are constantly being kidnapped by ICE.  https://www.localheartsfoundation.org/ https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On January 3rd, 2026, a 55-year-old man named Geraldo Lunas Campos was standing in line at an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas, waiting for his asthma medication. He never got it. Instead, he was taken to a solitary confinement cell, held down by guards, and died. He said "I can't breathe" — in Spanish — more than once. The government said he tried to kill himself. The county medical examiner said otherwise. The official cause of death: asphyxia due to neck and torso compression. Manner of death: homicide. He is one of 47 people who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since January 2025 — the deadliest period in the history of the American immigration detention system in more than two decades. In this episode of The Raid, investigative journalist John Carlos Frey goes inside the numbers, the names, and the cover stories. From Geraldo Lunas Campos to Roxsana Hernández — a transgender asylum seeker beaten in a New Mexico private prison — to a 19-year-old indigenous Mexican teenager who died weeks after being detained on charges his family says were fabricated, Frey documents a pattern of medical neglect, physical abuse, deliberate obstruction, and institutional impunity that spans administrations and has never been fully reckoned with.  The Raid is independently produced and available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Audible, and all major platforms. New episodes every week.  Visit https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Paul Ong is a Professor Emeritus at UCLA. He has been analyzing the data from across the country pertaining to the ICE raids. Dr. Ong discusses his findings in detail with John Carlos Frey in this illuminating podcast. According to Ong, the current administration is not only reshaping our immigration system with the ongoing mass deportation campaign, but also the demographic make-up of the United States. This podcast is in depth and eye opening.  https://luskin.ucla.edu/person/paul-ong  https://luskin.ucla.edu/ong-on-the-current-state-of-immigration-enforcement  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Flock cameras, ring cameras, face recognition technology and license plate readers are just some of the technology ICE is using to surveil people across the country. Technology coupled with shared data with federal agencies and law enforcement create an unprecedented surveillance state and dragnet. It appears this vast system is not just for locating undocumented immigrants.  Wendy Fry is a seasoned reporter for Cal Matters investigating the use of license plate readers throughout Southern California and their implications. She joins John Carlos Frey on this eye-opening podcast to discuss her reporting and questionable tactics used by the federal government.  https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/02/alpr-border-patrol-caltrans/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey takes a look at the history of the top three officials within the Department of Homeland Security running the mass deportation campaign after the firing of Kristi Noem. Each has a questionable past making confidence in DHS questionable. Frey contends not much will change now that Noem is gone.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_dhs_regarding_rodney_scottpdf.pdf  https://rollcall.com/2018/08/10/ethics-committee-orders-markwayne-mullin-to-pay-back-40000/#:~:text=The%20Office%20of%20Congressional%20Ethics,Fontelo%20contributed%20to%20this%20report.  https://nevadacurrent.com/2025/02/27/repub/private-prison-giant-sees-1b-ice-contract-as-start-of-unprecedented-opportunities-under-trump/#:~:text=By:%20Ariana%20Figueroa%20%2D%20February%2027%2C%202025%202:45%20pm&text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%94%20U.S.%20Immigration%20and%20Customs,and%20executive%20chairman%20of%20GEO.  https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48704 Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past year, through a series of executive orders, asylum cases have all but halted. Asylum was a legal method of fleeing persecution and fear of life to find safe harbor in the United States. In the recent past, the process to gain asylum had been lengthy and grueling for most applicants with the vast majority of applicants being rejected but now it appears the doors have closed, altogether. In this episode of the The Raid, Maria Salguero an attorney from Immigrant Legal Defense Center specializing in asylum law, speaks candidly about the ever-changing landscape for asylum seekers and how many are now being barred from applying or detained and even deported.  https://www.sbimmigrantdefense.org/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation’s leading authority on child health, has repeatedly and unequivocally opposed the detention of children for immigration purposes; in fact, the AAP’s leadership recently reiterated that all children held in immigration detention should be immediately released, and these facilities should be permanently shuttered.” On the podcast is Barbara Rodriguez. She's the health reporter for the digital publication, "The 19th". She recently published an article entitled, " These pediatrician moms have a shared message: Release all children in immigration detention" The article is a conversation with pediatrician moms who see the inherent dangers in incarcerating children. Barbara has been a journalist for nearly 20 years, reporting from statehouses, a presidential campaign trail and doctor's offices during the early days of the global pandemic. https://19thnews.org/2026/03/pediatrician-moms-children-health-immigration-detention/ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/614d500305bc5541f50c3baf/t/69a1effc5cc09a2d4ea92656/1772220412407/End+Child+Detention+Letter+with+signatures+Feb+26+2026.pdf https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

John Carlos Frey takes a deep look into the separation of parents from their children during the mass deportation effort. Children are being abandoned against what used to be standard procedure that considered the plight of children during deportation proceedings. The numbers are alarming and worse than any other family separation tactic in the past.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/family-separation-policy/#:~:text=In%20the%20spring%20and%20summer,been%20reunited%20with%20their%20parents.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/19/trump-deportation-children-trauma https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources/know-your-rights/step-step-family-preparedness-plan#:~:text=Make%20sure%20to%20write%20down,find%20someone%20in%20ICE%20custody.  https://phr.org/our-work/resources/what-about-my-children-family-separation-among-parents-deported-to-honduras/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alvaro Huerta is the Director of Litigation and Advocacy for Immigrant Defenders Law Center. The organization has recently filed suit against the Adelanto immigrant detention facility in Southern California. The lawsuit alleges, "People have been forced to live in unsanitary conditions and subjected to punitive isolation and neglect, conditions that would be considered abuse in almost any other setting. It specifically challenges the denial of basic necessities at the facility—including medical and mental health care, access to the outdoors, adequate nutrition and water, and sanitary living conditions." Alvaro is on the podcast to talk about the lawsuit, conditions at the Adelanto detention facility and in general, the way migrants are treated in facilities across the country. https://www.immdef.org/blog/ltvice_filing https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back on the podcast is journalist, Nick Schwellenbach. He's a Senior Investigator at Pogo Investigates, the news reporting division of the Project on Government Oversight. John Carlos Frey and Nick discuss a recent article Nick coauthored entitled Ice, Inc. The Top Companies Profiting from Trump's Immigration Crackdown.  They discuss the companies most closely associated with the massive deportation machine and their lobbying efforts to get a bigger and bigger piece of the contract pie. Companies such as Palantir, CSI Aviation, Geo Group, Core Civic and Acquisition Logistics have been awarded massive contracts to implement the deportations. They also lobby and donate millions to political campaigns and PACs. https://www.pogo.org/investigates/ice-inc-the-top-companies-profiting-from-trumps-immigration-crackdown https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In March 2025, a year ago this month, the United States deported 238 Venezuelans to El Salvador, to be immediately and indefinitely imprisoned without trial and without convictions, prison sentences nor release dates. Human Rights Watch considered this practice a violation of national and international laws, and especially human rights violations. In this episode John Carlos Frey summarizes this flashpoint of the deportation agenda and how we have continued to violate the constitution since then.  https://theraidpodcast.org/  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/03/15/trump-el-salvador-cecot-deportations/  https://www.nilc.org/resources/tracking-the-cecot-disappearances/  https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/16/us/el-salvador-deportees-forcibly-disappeared Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.      Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Anat Shenker-Osorio is a prominent American political strategist, messaging consultant, and researcher specializing in communication strategies for progressive causes. She is best known for her work on the Race-Class Narrative Project and for founding ASO Communications, where she advises global campaigns. She has presented her work to such groups as the Congressional Progressive Caucus the ACLU, Ford Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Her commentary frequently appears in such major outlets as The New York Times, Rolling Stone and The Atlantic. Anat shares with John Carlos Frey how to communicate an effective strategy for immigrant rights against what she calls is an authoritarian regime and also share about new growing coalition of immigrant rights advocates called, Brave of US.  https://braveofus.com/  https://asocommunications.com/  https://theraidpodcast.org/ Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants on this program are solely their own and do not necessarily represent those of the distributor of the program and any person or entity affiliated with said distributor ("distributor's affiliates").  The distributor and distributor's affiliates are not responsible for, and shall not be liable for, the statements and opinions expressed by the host or participants, or for any content that appears on the program.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.