This American Life 882: Give a Little Whistle
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Mar 8, 2026 Ryan Schwenk, a former ICE attorney who blew the whistle on training and constitutional lapses, tells a firsthand account of chaotic academy practices. He describes controversial memos authorizing warrantless entries, rushed cadet training with skipped background checks, and his decision to take concerns to Congress. The conversation spotlights institutional shortcuts and personal cost.
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Policy Memos Can Override Written Training
- Internal policy memos can internally normalize unconstitutional practices even when training materials say otherwise.
- Ryan Schwenk discovered a Todd Lyons memo authorizing I-205 entries while written curriculum explicitly forbade using admin warrants to enter private areas.
Cadets Arrived Without Background Checks
- Ryan Schwenk walked into the Glencoe academy and immediately noticed cadets arriving without completed background checks.
- He saw repeated failures to run checks and was told thousands were being processed far faster than resources allowed.
Escalate Outside When Internal Oversight Is Compromised
- If internal oversight channels are compromised, escalate to external oversight promptly.
- Ryan found civil rights and internal offices gutted and filed a whistleblower report with the House Oversight Committee because OIG seemed unreliable.