Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Jacob Soboroff (Extended)
Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Stephen Colbert
Guest: Jacob Soboroff, Senior Political and National Correspondent for MSNBC, Author of Firestorm

Episode Overview

This episode features journalist Jacob Soboroff, who discusses his reporting on U.S. immigration policy under the current Trump administration, his coverage of recent ICE raids in Minneapolis, and his new book, Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster, which chronicles the devastating wildfires that struck Los Angeles and their broader implications for America’s future. The conversation is candid, sobering, and powered by Soboroff’s frontline experiences, providing listeners with an inside view of contemporary immigration enforcement and climate disaster recovery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Immigration Policy Under the Current Trump Administration

• Soboroff’s Coverage of ICE Raids in Minneapolis

  • He describes the reality of recent raids, emphasizing that authorities are "doing anything but" targeting the "worst of the worst" and often detaining regular people seeking a better life.
  • Quote: “These are people who want to come in for a better life. And you've got people like Greg Vino going around in military costumes, throwing tear gas canisters at people, taking little kids who just want to go to school and sending them to detention centers in Texas. It is. It's awful, quite frankly.” (01:59 – 02:25)
  • Despite the grim enforcement, Soboroff finds hope in public protests:
    • Quote: “The people in the streets are what has given me extraordinary hope. And that's what kicked Greg Medino out of Minneapolis.” (02:44)

• Comparison: Trump I vs. Trump II Immigration Policy

  • Soboroff characterizes the current policy as a “supersized version” of family separation, with mass deportation effectively continuing family separations at a larger scale.
    • Quote: “Mass deportation is family separation by another name.” (03:15)
  • He notes historical references, citing a 1954 program and describes present policies as deadlier, with recent incidents leading to the deaths of immigrants and American citizens.
    • Quote: “Now they're not just deporting, they're killing immigrants and American citizens like Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Preddy.” (03:42)

• Escalation and Lack of Checks

  • Stephen Miller is described as the chief architect of current immigration policy with fewer internal checks than prior administrations.
    • Quote: “Stephen Miller is effectively the president when it comes to immigration policy right now.” (04:32)
  • The discussion reveals how extreme voices now hold the most powerful positions, with raids set up to provoke conflict, potentially enabling invocation of the Insurrection Act.
    • Quote: “These clashes that Tom Homan has sort of telegraphed are set up to have the invocation of the Insurrection act so we can have military troops on American streets.” (05:31)

• Public Pushback and Political Stakes

  • Soboroff and Colbert highlight the impact of sustained citizen protest:
    • Quote (Soboroff): “Look at how they're showing up, man. Look at how they're showing up. It's unbelievable.” (06:23)

2. Firestorm: Los Angeles Fires & “America’s New Age of Disaster”

• Personal Connection & Future Outlook

  • Soboroff transitions to discuss his new book, focusing on the fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. He describes the experience as personal and emblematic of an impending reality for more Americans.
    • Quote: “I thought I was looking into my past ... But it turns out ... what I was looking at was the fire of the future, not a look into my past. It's the world that we'll all inhabit.” (07:13)
  • He highlights the emotional toll and the challenge of grieving publicly:
    • Quote: “I didn't know how to grieve publicly on camera and in real time as I watched my beloved community go.” (07:45)

• Scale of Destruction

  • Fires destroyed 16,000 structures, killed 31 people directly, with far more likely dying from indirect effects.
    • Quote: “Enormous. 16,000 structures burned. 31 people died as a direct result of the flames ... three times the size of Manhattan burned in the largest, most populous county in the United States of America.” (08:34)

• Rebuilding & Housing Crisis

  • A year later, only 12 structures have been rebuilt—a stark indicator of the difficulties survivors face.
    • Quote: “16,000 structures burned down a year later. How many of those have been rebuilt?” —Colbert
      “12.” —Soboroff (09:04–09:13)
  • Affordability and insurance are major barriers, with many lots purchased by corporations rather than displaced residents:
    • Quote: “40% of the homes that are selling, the lots are being sold to corporations now, not to Californians.” (09:33)
  • Working and middle-class survivors often cannot return:
    • Quote: “People cannot afford to live. The insurance policies don't pay out enough. The premiums are going up and people don't have enough money just from their jobs. And so they're going to have to find, you know, a life elsewhere outside of Los Angeles.” (09:40)

• Human Stories

  • Soboroff makes it clear the book is about people as much as policy or climate; he highlights stories like Kate Hennigan (JPL engineer), Herman & Loyda Wilson (UPS workers), and the resilience and hardship of survivors:
    • Quote: “They worked at UPS for 36 years, fell in love and have had to move 10 times, 10 times since the fire because they can't afford to stay in their home.” (10:22)
  • Ends on a note of inspiration:
    • Quote: “I found so much ... inspiration from the people that are coming back from these fires because they really, you know, they're not taking no for an answer. And Louisiana will rebuild.” (10:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On escalated immigration enforcement:

  “Stephen Miller is effectively the president when it comes to immigration policy right now.”
  — Jacob Soboroff (04:32)

• On mass deportation’s human cost:

  “Now they're not just deporting, they're killing immigrants and American citizens like Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Preddy.”
  — Jacob Soboroff (03:42)

• On the wildfires’ warning for America:

  “What I have learned is that what I was looking at was the fire of the future, not a look into my past. It's the world that we'll all inhabit.”
  — Jacob Soboroff (07:13)

• On the struggles of rebuilding:

  “16,000 structures burned down a year later. How many of those have been rebuilt?”
  — Stephen Colbert
  “12.”
  — Jacob Soboroff (09:10–09:13)

• On resilience:

  “I found so much ... inspiration from the people that are coming back from these fires because they really, you know, they're not taking no for an answer.”
  — Jacob Soboroff (10:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & ICE Raids in Minneapolis: 01:32 – 02:47
• Comparing Immigration Policy: Trump I vs. Trump II: 02:47 – 04:09
• Escalation and Power Dynamics: 04:09 – 06:17
• The Role of Public Protest: 06:17 – 06:39
• Wildfires and Firestorm - Personal and Social Impact: 06:39 – 08:34
• Destruction and Rebuilding Challenges: 08:34 – 10:00
• Personal Stories and Hope: 10:00 – 10:42

Tone & Style

The episode adopts a serious and empathetic tone, with Colbert's characteristic blend of clarity, probing questions, and respectful humor. Soboroff is direct, passionate, and occasionally emotional, especially when discussing the consequences of policy and disaster on real people and communities. The conversation is informative, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful about collective action and resilience.

Conclusion

In this wide-ranging episode, Jacob Soboroff offers urgent, on-the-ground insight into the evolution of harsh U.S. immigration enforcement policies and the daunting realities of disaster recovery in Los Angeles. Both subjects are unified by Soboroff’s conviction that ordinary people’s courage and resistance make real change possible—whether in the face of political overreach or climate catastrophe. His new book, Firestorm, connects these themes, highlighting the intersection of human stories, politics, and the inescapable realities of our era.