Conspirituality Podcast

Episode 294: ICE Resistance

Release Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker

Episode Overview

This episode of Conspirituality tackles the escalation of violence and resistance around U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, particularly following the high-profile killings of Renee Goode and Alex Pretty during protests. The hosts examine how MAGA-aligned narratives reshape public perception, how religious leaders and influencers respond from all sides of the spectrum, and spotlight front-line community organizers in Portland. The conversation is rooted in both present-day events and historical contexts of resistance, religious revival, and state-sanctioned violence.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. The Tragedy in Minneapolis and National Reactions (02:02–12:56)

Recent Deaths and Escalating Violence

• Julian recounts the recent killings of Renee Goode, Alex Pretty, and Geraldo Campos by ICE or CBP, all ruled homicides, with no charges filed.
• The episode examines how these deaths represent a new tipping point in the American political landscape, questioning whether chaos, mass protest, or even civil conflict may be imminent.

Julian Walker (@03:23):
"On the street and online, the intensity keeps escalating. It makes me wonder if we're approaching a tipping point... Might the country descend into chaos and outright street warfare as the stormtroopers shoot to kill and more protesters show up with guns?"

Media and Political Reactions

• Derek notes the challenge of coordinating national protests due to America’s vastness and geographic variance in public awareness of ICE operations (04:04).
• Julian & Matthew critique right-wing media, especially Fox News and MAGA influencers, for spinning the deaths as justified—with narratives full of dog whistles and identity-based smears targeted at Renee Goode.

Julian Walker (@08:27):
"Let’s talk about her in completely dehumanizing ways with all these dog whistles. Right. She was divorced, she has a kid, she's a lesbian, she calls herself a poet, she has pronouns in her bio. It's so gross."

• MAGA media allege protesters are “paid agitators,” and suggest links to shadowy conspiracies involving daycare fraud.

Divided Public Opinion

• Polling indicates stark partisan contrast over who is "to blame" for protest violence, though a majority of Americans still approve of peaceful protest and filming ICE operations.
• The episode touches on the Orwellian dynamics—“the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears”—as right-wing commentary willfully disregards contrary video evidence.

2. Manipulation & Moral Narratives in Right-Wing and Religious Circles (12:56–20:11)

Anti-Empathy Rhetoric

• Notable MAGA women and Christian influencers—such as Riley Gaines and Allie Beth Stuckey—urge audiences to suppress empathy for those targeted by ICE, warning against “toxic empathy.”

Julian Walker (@13:05):
"Do not let what you believe to be compassion cloud you or suspend you from thinking critically. It’s like the next step in the 1984 narrative..."

• Stuckey frames progressive compassion as fundamentally manipulative, marketing her book Toxic Empathy.

Wellness/Spiritual Culture Reactions

• Some yoga leaders openly call for solidarity with protesters, though Julian is critical of appropriating Indian religious texts (e.g., Bhagavad Gita) to justify contemporary politics.
• Hosts discuss the limits—and dangers—of retrofitting ancient scriptures for modern progressive causes, especially as those same texts have authoritarian and oppressive histories.

Derek Barris (@17:57):
"There's a difference between... religion having a reformation every generation because times have changed and saying that these yogis at the time the Gita was written would imply that they're anti-ICE. When the instruction of duty... is Krishna telling Arjuna to go kill your cousins."

• They agree that honest engagement with texts’ historical flaws creates more authentic, updated progressive religious outlooks.

3. Religious Responses Across the Spectrum (21:52–44:17)

The Emergence of Religious Revivalism

• Matthew surveys contemporary religious responses, noting familiar parallels with historical moments of crisis in American religion.
• He plays a clip from Reformation Red Pill podcast, where Joshua Hames demands immigration moratorium, open denaturalizations, and asserts the nation’s Christian identity.

Joshua Hames (@22:51):
"By the grace of God, we will have our country back. Christ is king."

• Christian nationalist influencers invoke Romans 13 (“let every one be subject to the governing authorities… for there is no authority except that which God has established”) to justify state violence.

Matthew Remski (@24:31):
"So Paul says… whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted..."

Dissenting and Progressive Faith Voices

• Contrastingly, some Christian and multifaith leaders condemn ICE actions—bishops publicly encourage resistance, and recall histories of religious martyrdom and liberation theology:
  • Bishop Hirschfeld at the Renee Goode vigil instructed priests to make wills, referencing the “time of martyrdom.”
  • Catholic bishops issue statements suggesting moral permission to disobey unjust orders.

Historical Perspective

• Matthew contextualizes these struggles within waves of American religious revival—tracing radical religious flanks from abolition, to civil rights, to present resistance.
• He discusses the spectrum of religious response: from fascist-aligned to radical liberationist, referencing figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Camilo Torres Restrepo.

Matthew Remski (@34:56):
"Now, the crisis is fascism. And historically, religious culture, en masse responds to fascism… from pro fascist to conservative to liberal to radical."

• The conversation explores how attempts to base progressive politics on religious texts are met, often by the same texts and with sometimes stronger arguments, by conservatives.

Nonviolent vs. Armed Resistance

• Matthew introduces the historical example of the Deacons for Defense and Justice, a WWII vet–led Black group that provided armed protection for nonviolent clergy in the civil rights era—a strategy that sometimes increased nonviolent participation, not diminished it.
• Julian counters with concern that armed resistance in today’s context could hasten repression or backfire strategically, referencing scholarship by Omar Waso and others.

4. Portland: The Front Line of ICE Resistance (44:17–62:46)

ICE Escalation and Local Protest

• Derek reports on Portland’s continued nightly protests outside federal ICE facilities, now facing increased violence—tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs—by agents. City government has sued to restrict chemical agents on protesters (44:50–46:58).
• The group PDX ICE Watch—largely run by immigrants and people of color—tracks ICE agents' movements, publicly sharing locations and footage as a means of community defense and accountability.

PDX ICE Watch Tactics

• The hosts play and analyze encounters recorded by PDX ICE Watch—highlighting civil but tense stand-offs with local police, who often seem uncomfortable or complicit.
• PDX ICE Watch follows and films ICE and CBP agents beyond the workplace, exposing license plates, hotels, and, in some cases, confronting them off duty.

PDX ICE Watch Member (@51:16):
"It's not that I disagree with him. It's that I know he's part of an agency that is doing massive harm here in this state... The work that he does is destroying our communities."

• Host discussion weighs the morality, legality, and strategic consequences of these tactics—whether they’re justifiable activism or could be perceived as harassment, and how actions might affect broader public sympathy.

Moral & Strategic Debates on Harassment and Escalation

• Julian worries about the optics and potential of turning ICE agents into sympathetic figures if tactics become too aggressive.
• Matthew responds that “the time for [manners and private citizenship] is over,” but stresses that violence or adventurism would be strategically disastrous, not addressing the moral logic as “the fascists do not understand morality.”

Matthew Remski (@56:16):
"...we really are in the 'I was only following orders' territory of moral character. The time for that is over."

• They highlight the prevalence of social-media-driven resistance, the risks facing high-profile agitprop organizers (legal repression, criminalization), and debate the strategic effectiveness of “spectacular” protest in the age of networked activism.

Portland’s Unique Resistance Culture

• Derek concludes that resistance in Portland has deep roots, and ongoing city and state government pressure against ICE is dramatically shaping the city’s politics and confrontations.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final and most essential command.” — Referencing 1984, on MAGA narrative tactics (06:45)
• “She was a disruptor, but considered herself a legal observer, though there’s no evidence she had a law degree.” — Jesse Waters, as quoted by Julian (07:42)
• “Ironically, these lies come from the free speech champions who also argue that the over 1300 child deaths from gun violence each year is just the price we have to pay for the right to bear arms...” — Julian (09:57)
• “Do not let what you believe to be compassion cloud you or suspend you from thinking critically.” — Riley Gaines, via Julian (13:05)
• “There's nothing more normie than [Bishop Hirschfeld]. And it was moving... because it was so straightforward.” — Matthew (30:02)
• “It sounds like a fascinating book. I can see in these situations how that made a lot of sense. I'm not just going on intuition here, though...” — Julian, on the Deacons for Defense debate (42:16)
• “Giving those guys a sense of what it’s like to be watched.” — Derek, on PDX ICE Watch (55:55)
• “They have a robust link tree if you feel compelled to donate to them to help pay for things like gas or... local organizations they work with and support who are on the ground here trying to put a stop to this nightmare.” — Derek (61:52)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro/background: 01:12–02:02
• Historical context & new tipping point: 02:02–04:58
• Media spin, public opinion, and dehumanization: 04:58–12:56
• Right-wing and religious manipulation, wellness world: 12:56–20:11
• Religious responses (Christian nationalism to progressive clergy): 21:52–44:17
• Armed vs. nonviolent resistance history: 41:07–44:17
• Portland frontline organizing & PDX ICE Watch: 44:17–62:46
• Conclusions on strategic activism and Portland’s future: 60:27–62:46

Tone/Style Notes

The episode is urgent, deeply analytical, and often caustically critical of mainstream/right-wing media, religious apologia for violence, and strategic failures on the left. Hosts interweave historical context, pop culture, current events, and academic research with sharp wit and nuanced debate.

The language is frank, well-informed, and emotionally charged, with the hosts repeatedly circling back to questions of strategy, history, moral clarity, and the real dangers facing activists today.

Final Thoughts

"ICE Resistance" offers an in-depth look at America’s spiraling conflict over immigration enforcement, state violence, and resistance, situating local stories like those in Portland within a much larger battle over narrative, morality, and political legitimacy. With acute attention to both the perils and traditions of resistance—from spiritual and religious roots to frontline organizing—the episode provides urgent context for all listeners concerned about the future of democracy and dissent.