Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: What a day in immigration court is like now
Date: August 25, 2025
Host: NPR (Ailsa Chang)
Featured Reporter: Ximena Bustillo

Overview

This episode offers a firsthand look at life inside New York City's immigration courts amid newly aggressive enforcement tactics. Driven by the Trump administration’s push for faster deportations, courtrooms now function both as judicial venues and points of apprehension. NPR's Ximena Bustillo brings listeners into the anxious, often chaotic environment, revealing the confusion, fear, and shifting power dynamics affecting immigrants, legal professionals, and even journalists.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scene Outside Immigration Court

[00:00 – 02:32]

• Teddy Ogborn and Volunteers:

  • Volunteers provide support and comfort to immigrants nervously awaiting their court hearings at 26 Federal Plaza, NYC.
  • They also collect emergency contacts, preparing for scenarios where immigrants “disappear” into the system.

    "We're offering, like, a space in the park with mutual aid... it's really stressful and traumatic what can happen in there."
    — Teddy Ogborn [00:11]

  • Volunteers monitor detainees so families can be notified if a loved one is detained or lost within the immigration process.

• Expedited Deportations and Courthouse Arrests:

  • Under a new DOJ and ICE strategy, government lawyers request case dismissals, after which ICE agents can immediately detain individuals outside the courtroom.
  • Criticism from Local Officials:

    "These are not people who have been accused of any crime. These are people who are complying with the law by coming to court. So it is an abominable waste of resources."
    — Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller [01:13; 01:23]

  • City officials warn that turning courthouses into arrest zones undermines public confidence and due process.

• Department of Homeland Security’s Position:

  "They could be arrested and deported... If you've been here less than 2 years, you are eligible for expedited removal. We encourage you to go to your immigration hearing, or else you will absolutely get a final deportation order..."
  — Tricia McLaughlin (DHS) [02:14]

2. Inside the Courthouse: An Atmosphere of Fear and Uncertainty

[04:06 – 08:01]

• Atmosphere and Tension:

  • Bustillo describes security barriers, a constant police presence, and anxious crowds ranging from immigrants and families to clergy and activists.
  • People dress in their best, clutching documents, preparing for life-altering hearings amid a "palpable anxiety."
  • The fear of ICE apprehension deters attendance; even those seeking to comply with court processes face the risk of detention.

• Arrest Operations and Courtroom Chaos:

  • Bustillo and interviewees note increasing numbers and aggression of ICE agents, “masked and in sunglasses,” who regularly detain people immediately after their hearings.

    "Their strategies and their tactics have become more and more aggressive and assertive over the past six months."
    — John Cerebella, New Sanctuary Coalition [07:23]

  • Snapshots of stress: migrants facing waits until 2029 for their next hearing, open courtroom doors revealing personal stories and visible distress, and emotional scenes in waiting areas.

3. Who Is Really in Charge? Confusion and Confrontation

[08:01 – 11:38]

• Access Restrictions and Agency Overlap:

  • Reporters and the public are inconsistently restricted from court spaces. Instructions change by the hour and by floor; officials swap authority over who controls access.

    "On some floors... we were told that we couldn't even be in public spaces, limited only to the blue carpet in front of elevators, because we were journalists..."
    — Ximena Bustillo [08:19]

  • Confusion persists about whether ICE, court officers, or security teams answer to DHS or other entities, leading to visible, tense confrontations in front of the public and press.

• Memorable Confrontation:

  • An undercover federal agent aggressively accuses a court observer of following him, grabs her arm, and detains her after a heated altercation—while the reporter documents the scene.

    "[He] turns around and yells at me to stop effing following him. I identify myself as a journalist... He grabs her arm... At this point, I take my phone out and start recording."
    — Ximena Bustillo [10:05]

  • The observer disappears into custody; the outcome and her identity remain unknown.

4. The Broader Implications

[11:38 – 12:46]

• Ongoing Uncertainty:
  • The instability and unpredictability within the courthouse environment reflect a system where the balance of authority, rules, and due process shift daily.

    "This example shows just how often, often the rules are changing and how who is in charge can really change on a given day in a given person. And immigrants and others are often caught in the crosshairs."
    — Ximena Bustillo [12:30]

• Impact on Immigrants, Press, and Advocates:
  • Quiet days still involve intimidation and risk; not only those facing deportation, but also observers and the press, can become swept up in the tension and actions of federal agents.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Our judicial system cannot work as it should, as it must, if courthouses are used as traps."
  — Legal brief cited by Ilsa Chang [01:30]

• "It's just to see this institution that we've been arguing cases in, that we've been representing people in for years and years, essentially just be eviscerated by the Department of Homeland Security in a matter of months has been absolutely surreal."
  — Benjamin Remy, Immigration Lawyer [09:42]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–02:32: Scenes and tension outside NYC’s 26 Federal Plaza; courthouse arrests explained
• 04:06–08:01: Inside the courthouse: chaos, delays, and fear; ICE operations and backlog
• 08:01–09:57: Journalistic obstacles and agency battles over space and authority
• 10:05–11:38: Reporter witnesses a court observer’s detention after a confrontation with undercover agent
• 11:38–12:46: Takeaways: shifting rules, persistent tension, and implications for legal rights

Conclusion

This episode of Consider This pulls back the curtain on daily life in federal immigration court under a hardened federal removal strategy. Listeners gain unique insights into the fear, confusion, and unpredictability now woven into the legal process—not just for immigrants, but also for the press and advocates who seek to hold the system accountable. The chaos is acutely felt; justice is not just delayed, but, in many ways, displaced by an ever-shifting contest for control.

Listen to NPR’s Consider This for more stories that make sense of the news and what it means for you.