The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Episode 3568 – How to Block ICE
Guests: Eric Blanc (Assistant Professor of Labor Studies, Rutgers University) & Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA 17)
Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Majority Report centers on the escalating tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in American cities, especially in Minneapolis, and growing grassroots resistance to these raids and detentions. Host Sam Seder speaks with labor scholar Eric Blanc about direct action tactics employed to block or disrupt ICE operations and interviews Rep. Ro Khanna about Congressional and Democratic responses, necessary reforms, and broader immigration politics.

Beyond ICE and immigration, the episode touches on recent attacks against public figures like Ilhan Omar, government shutdown threats, U.S. foreign policy moves, and economic anxiety—but the main thrust is resistance to ICE and what communities and lawmakers are doing to fight back.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Framing the Threat: ICE and the National Climate

[00:00–15:00]

• Trump’s Rhetoric on Immigration:
  Sam Seder plays a Trump clip from Iowa wherein Trump demonizes immigrants ("they have to show that they're not going to blow up our shopping centers, blow up our farms, kill people..."), painting a false image of immigrants as a threat ([04:57]).

  • Sam’s retort: “What farms, shopping malls have we heard about being blown up by immigrants?” ([05:23])
  • Sam cites data showing immigrants are 26% less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens ([05:38]).

• Linking Rhetoric to Violence:
  Discussion pivots to recent attacks on public figures—Ilhan Omar being sprayed at a town hall in Minneapolis, and Rep. Maxwell Frost being punched and threatened with deportation ([10:09]).

  • Ilhan Omar remains calm and undaunted:

    “We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.” ([11:23])

• Trump’s Response to the Attack:
  Trump is quoted dismissing the attack on Omar and suggesting she staged it herself ([12:32]).

2. Resilience and Courage in the Face of Violence

[12:08–15:00]

• Seder on Omar’s Composure:
  He commends Omar’s unflinching response and generalizes about the need for leaders and activists to press on despite fear.

• ICE Agents and the Escalation of Threats:
  Seder and co-hosts note a shift from mere intimidation toward outright violence and lawless behavior by ICE, referencing the killings of local activists like Renee Good and Alex Preddy.

• Grassroots Response:
  Emphasis on communities' transformation from fear to anger, fueling resistance.

  “What guys like that don't understand is they are not scaring people. They are making all of us angry.” ([15:00])

3. Interview: Eric Blanc — Blocking ICE on the Ground

[25:07–41:06]

A. Grassroots Tactics in Minneapolis

[26:36]

• Neighborhood-Based Organization:

  • Widespread use of Signal group chats to coordinate, with over 4% of residents in every Minneapolis neighborhood participating ([31:09]).
  • Tactics include:
    • Recording ICE with cell phones
    • Bringing food to housebound undocumented neighbors
    • Using whistles to alert the community of ICE presence ([26:36])

• Impact:
  Blanc highlights the scale and depth of organizing: tens of thousands on high alert every day.

  “People described it to me...I’ve never felt this way before in my life.” ([29:28])

• Innocuous Activities, Big Impact:
  All tactics are legal, making pro-ICE infiltration ineffective. Fox News tried to frame Signal chats as sinister, but they’re just neighbors watching out for each other ([29:54]).

B. Targeting the Corporate Enablers

[33:16–39:35]

• Going on Offense:
  Focus shifts to disrupting ICE’s logistical support from the private sector:

  • Hotels (especially Hilton), car rentals (Enterprise), big-box store parking lots, etc.
  • Protest “Wide Awake” actions outside hotels at 2–3am to disrupt ICE agents’ sleep and pressure businesses to refuse service ([36:00]).
  • Online “review bombing”—leaving negative reviews for businesses collaborating with ICE.
  • Recent successes: A Minneapolis Hilton refused to house ICE after sustained protest ([36:00]).
  • Sit-ins and arrests at New York City Hilton, signaling movement’s spread ([36:00]).

  “If you can get ordinary people...to stop going along with what ICE is doing, then ICE’s basic ability to function stops.”
  —Eric Blanc ([33:16])

• Other Brands Complicit:
  Besides Hilton and Enterprise, Blanc lists Microsoft, UPS, Flock Systems—and encourages listeners to read his laborpolitics.com article for more ([39:35]).

• Advice for Organizers:
  Start organizing now—don’t wait for an ICE surge to hit your town. Engage with Sunrise Movement and other local coalition groups ([39:35]).

4. Interview: Rep. Ro Khanna — The Congressional Fight

[41:39–71:29]

A. ICE Accountability and Federal Funding

[42:08–46:05]

• On Recent ICE Violence:
  Khanna calls the killing of Alex Preddy a case of “total excessive force,” demanding prosecution for the agents involved ([42:55]).

  • Notes DOJ’s lack of investigation; career lawyers have resigned in protest.
  • Urges blanket commitment from Democrats: “How can you fund a government that's killing its own citizens?” ([46:05])

• Demands for Legislative Reform:

  • End qualified immunity for ICE agents (so families can sue for wrongful deaths).
  • Codify a strict standard for use of force.
  • Require body cameras.
  • Repeal $75 billion appropriated to ICE and work toward dismantling the agency ([46:05], [48:02]).

  “This agency cannot continue. There needs to be immigration enforcement with oversight and human rights.” ([47:44])

B. The Structure of Immigration Enforcement

[48:02–49:56]

• **Khanna: Move immigration enforcement back under DOJ as pre-DHS, but with enhanced human rights protections ([48:46]).
• Context: INS had its own problems, but DHS/ICE centralization after 9/11 has enabled abuses.

C. Democratic Party’s Immigrant Messaging

[51:04–55:52]

• Khanna Calls for Clarity and Bravery:
  • “How about we start with immigrants are good. Immigrants help America. Obviously, I’m biased. I’m the son of immigrants.” ([51:04])
  • Calls out Democrats’ poll-watching and tactical retreats.
  • Urges explicit pro-immigration messaging and policies—status for workers and families, path to citizenship ([53:59]).
  • Criticizes party’s vote for anti-immigrant measures for giving Trump cover for raids/deportations.

D. Democracy, Elections, and Authoritarian Risk

[55:52–58:23]

• Khanna flags real risk of ICE and National Guard being used for election intimidation.
• Notes structural defenses: decentralized election administration, blue-state governors, legal challenges, mobilized citizenry.

E. Legislative Initiatives: ICE Accountability, Wealth Tax, and Donor Influence

[58:23–71:29]

• California Bill to Bar ICE Agents from Teaching/Policing:
  Khanna is wary of indiscriminate exclusions but wants to go after policy architects (e.g., Trump, Stephen Miller) as well as lawless agents.

• Wealth Tax Proposal:
  Khanna makes the case for a wealth tax in CA, referencing Silicon Valley inequality, support for unions, and the FDR tradition.

  • Rebuts the “capital flight” myth:

    “Do I think there’ll be some people like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who’ve left? Yes, but...all the talent of AI is there in Silicon Valley, of Stanford, you have UCSF, you have Berkeley…” ([63:33])

• On Donor Influence:
  Khanna defends his stances as unbought, noting refusal to take PAC or lobbyist money; champions super PAC reform ([68:52]).

• Support for Social Security, Medicare, Medicare for All, Gaza ceasefire:
  Seder appreciates Khanna’s progressive bona fides, especially his early clarity on Gaza ([71:00]).

5. Closing: Culture, Radicalization, and Far-Right Rage

[71:39–77:14]

• Ilhan Omar Attacker Backstory:
  Updates and analysis of the motivations and radicalization—algorithmic hate, Apple cider vinegar “attack,” social media’s failure to deescalate hate ([71:38–73:34]).

• Broader Cultural Observations:
  Satirical take on how life setbacks (e.g., divorce) fuel rightward turns in older men, with asides about personal grooming, clothing, and the spread of reactionary media.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump on Immigrants:
  “They have to show that they're not going to blow up our shopping centers, blow up our farms, kill people.” ([04:57])

• Sam Seder on ICE’s Reality:
  “What immigrants are 26% less likely to commit a crime, I think it is, than US Citizen or natural born US Citizens.” ([05:38])

• Ilhan Omar, after being attacked:
  “We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.” ([11:23])

• Eric Blanc on movement depth:
  “To have that percentage of people out there doing this...in a regular basis...is unparalleled. I don’t know of any social movement that has had that level of depth, certainly in recent memory.” ([31:43])

• Eric Blanc, on disabling ICE:
  “If you can get ordinary people who have real leverage over these companies to stop going along with what ICE is doing, then ICE’s basic ability to function stops.” ([33:16])

• Rep. Ro Khanna, on ICE killings:
  “Those ICE agents need to be prosecuted and they need to be arrested. It is shocking that the Justice Department isn’t investigating.” ([42:55])

• Khanna, on Democratic messaging:
  “How about we start with immigrants are good. Immigrants help America. Obviously I’m biased. I’m the son of immigrants.” ([51:04])

• Khanna, on Party leadership:
  “You know, Gretzky used to say, skate to where the puck is going, not to where the puck is at. And I think this has been a Democratic Party that keeps skating to where the puck is.” ([53:59])

• Sam Seder, on organizing:
  “It’s easier to demo than it is to build...when you’re going around and being a dick, you don’t need a lot of brains to do the type of damage that they’re doing.” ([15:05])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening News Recap & Trump’s Iowa Comments – [00:00–06:16]
• Attack on Ilhan Omar – [10:09–12:08]
• Omar’s Response & Community Resilience – [11:23]
• Eric Blanc Interview: Blocking ICE on the Ground – [25:07–41:06]
• Corporate Targeting & Hilton Protests – [36:00]
• Rep. Ro Khanna Interview: Federal Response & Policy – [41:39–71:29]
• Khanna on ICE, Democratic Messaging, Wealth Tax – [46:05–65:50]
• Apple Cider Vinegar Attack & Radicalization – [71:38–77:14]

Tone & Style

• The episode is marked by Seder’s sharp, irreverent tone, but does not undercut the seriousness of violence and injustice discussed.
• Guests are candid and policy-oriented; Khanna is particularly forthright in connecting big-picture reform to on-the-ground suffering and activism.
• The energy reflects outrage at government abuses, admiration for local solidarity, and exasperation with centrist caution and media coverage.

Resources / Further Reading

• Eric Blanc’s Substack / Labor Politics: https://laborpolitics.com
• Sunrise Movement actions & resources: https://sunrisemovement.org
• For tactical guides on organizing, review Eric Blanc’s recent newsletters on ICE resistance.
• Twitter and local organizing Signal groups (Minneapolis model).

This summary captures the full arc of the episode: from Trumpian hate-mongering, through the violence targeting immigrant leaders and communities, to the inspiring tactics and philosophies pushing back against ICE—and finally, the search for principled, clear-eyed leadership among elected Democrats.