The Preamble How ICE Is Mimicking 19th Century Slave Patrols, and What AI Tech Billionaires Really Want
13 snips
Feb 2, 2026 
Kahlil Greene, a Gen Z historian and Peabody-winning commentator, traces 19th-century slave patrols to modern ICE tactics. Karen Hao, journalist and author of Empire of AI, explores how AI billionaires treat tech like a creed and the costs of that pursuit. They discuss policing parallels, corporate ideology, environmental impacts, and paths for resistance.
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The Anthony Burns Turning Point
- Khalil Greene recounts the 1854 Anthony Burns procession where federal troops marched a captive through Boston amid massive protest.
- The spectacle backfired and helped turn Boston into a no-go zone for slave catchers.
ICE As A Modern Slave-Catcher
- Khalil Greene argues ICE more closely mirrors 19th-century slave catchers than foreign secret police.
- The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 created a federal enforcement presence that resembles today's immigration enforcement.
Law Designed To Ensure Conviction
- The Fugitive Slave Act centralized federal power and deputized citizens to hunt fugitives, creating local enforcement presence.
- The legal process was stacked for conviction and financially incentivized returns to slavery.
