ICE Is Arming People Before Fully Checking Who They Are

An on-air conversation between Karen Hunter and Olivia Cole focused on concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring practices and the implications of federal power, public spending and community response.

“You know, I’m challenged every day with being on these airwaves and my question is what can we do?” said Hunter. “How can we navigate this that we clearly know, like you said, my taxpayer dollars, your taxpayer dollars going to do something that we fundamentally disagree with at our core as human beings.”

Cole argued that the situation exposes what she described as the mythology of American exceptionalism, pointing to foreign policy ambitions alongside unmet domestic needs. She cited claims about humanitarian concerns abroad while asking, “How many of our kids are in lunch debt here?” Cole said the disconnect triggers public anger and resistance.

The conversation turned to local pushback, including actions in Minnesota, Chicago and Philadelphia, where residents and officials have challenged ICE activity. Cole said such resistance disrupts their bullying tactics. “Bullies need free reign,” she said. “They don’t expect people to show up.”

Hunter then raised alarms about ICE training standards, noting reports of confrontations involving local police and questioning whether agents are adequately prepared. “They’re not trained,” she said. “They can’t do pull-ups, but they out here with guns and they’re able to kill people.”

As evidence, the hosts discussed a report by journalist Laura Jadid, who described her experience applying for an ICE position.

Jadid said the process was alarmingly brief. “Had a very brief interview. Took all of six minutes. They didn’t ask very many questions,” she said. Despite not completing required paperwork, she later discovered she had been listed as hired. “It seems like the answer to the question, who are they hiring, is they don’t know,” Jadid added.

Watch the discussion unfold in the clip below.