Throughline ICE
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Sep 4, 2025 
Peter Markowitz, a law professor and immigrant rights advocate, and Rodger Werner, a Homeland Security expert, delve into the complexities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They discuss the creation of ICE post-9/11, the historical context of immigration enforcement, and how perceptions of crime and terrorism have shaped policies. The conversation highlights the alarming increase in deportations, the impact on immigrant communities, and the ethical dilemmas within enforcement agencies. Their insights reveal the tangled web of immigration politics in modern America.
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Local Police Initially Rejected Immigration Role
- Congress offered to deputize local police for immigration enforcement in 1996, but many local agencies initially refused.
- That refusal later reversed as federal incentives and programs pushed enforcement into local policing.
Fingerprints Rewired Local Policing Into ICE
- 'Secure Communities' routed fingerprints from local arrests to DHS, enabling ICE to identify noncitizens through routine policing.
- That technical change forced local agencies into immigration enforcement regardless of earlier objections.
Deportations Persist Across Administrations
- Deportation numbers rose across administrations, with Obama setting record removals early in his first term.
- ICE policing showed institutional continuity despite shifting presidential rhetoric and priorities.
