The Tim & April Show: Episode 89

"ICE Deporting Worst of the Worst: Babies"

Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy
Network: The New Evangelicals

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode marking the show's one-year anniversary, Tim and April explore pressing intersections of American faith, politics, and culture. The main focus is on a heartbreaking recent ICE deportation of a two-month-old baby, as the hosts expose the cruelty and double standards in current U.S. immigration policy. Additional segments dissect the alarming influence of Christian nationalism within government and military, the James Talarico FCC "equal time" controversy, and the ongoing conversation around homeschooling and public education. True to their mission, Tim and April challenge listeners to consider justice, inclusivity, and Christlike compassion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anniversary & Housekeeping

• The podcast marks its one-year anniversary, with friendly banter and technical adjustments as April pushes through illness (03:12).
• April plugs her book, "Star Spangled Jesus" (01:54).

2. Accountability for Leaders—International vs. U.S.

• Reflections on recent headlines:
  • Prince Andrew's arrest in the UK
  • South Korea’s former president sentenced to life for insurrection (05:16)
  • Contrast with lack of accountability for Trump and Jan 6 insurrectionists in the U.S.
• Memorable Quote:

  “One of America’s biggest mistakes in its recent history was not prosecuting Trump and the people behind the stolen election narrative…we are reaping the fruit of these actions.”
  — Tim (06:05)

3. Main Segment: ICE Deportations Targeting Children & Families

3.1. The Story That “Infuriates” (07:57 – 13:46)

• Headline story: ICE detained a two-month-old baby (with family), who contracted bronchitis in detention, was hospitalised, and still deported while sick—dumped at the Mexican border with only $190 (08:01–10:24).
  • April:

    “They were just left at the Mexican border. Yeah, this baby is sick and they just dropped him off with $190. That’s it.”
    (10:24)

• Discussion of horrific conditions in ICE detention:
  • Worms in food, lack of clean water, no due process, 3,000+ children currently detained—mostly in Dilley, TX (09:17).
  • The hypocrisy of the "pro-life" movement's silence:

    “Where’s the pro-life crowd?... Where is the crowd that will tell you the Democrats want to kill infants after they're born? … You're not going to see it.”
    — Tim (10:34)

  • The hosts emphasize that this cruelty is rooted in tribalist, exclusionary, and racialized logic:

    “That two month old is not part of their tribe... And I think what we’re seeing is the fruit of that, where even now we can see… children are going to be targeted… because they're not really seen as fully human.”
    — Tim (11:46)

3.2. Broader Policy & Data

• Trump administration gives ICE increased powers to detain even legal refugees (14:07).
• April:

  “A lot of these conditions are so bad that they had record numbers of people who died in ICE custody last year. 32 people died in the agent's custody in 2025…”
  (15:39)

• Only a small minority detained have any violent record; less than 14% (17:34).

4. Christian Nationalism’s Deep Roots in U.S. Policy & Military

4.1 Doug Wilson & Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon (20:40–26:33)

• Pete Hegseth, Fox host and prominent Pentagon figure, recently invited Doug Wilson—a pastor labeled by Tim as a "Christian supremacist"—to preach at a Pentagon service.
  • Tim:

    “Doug is a racist, he's misogynist, he's homophobic, and… a white nationalist. That’s exactly what Doug is.” (21:16)

• Notable Clip: (23:33–24:28)
  • After 9/11, Doug Wilson claimed the real tragedy was an ecumenical prayer service, not the deaths—condemning “polytheistic worship” and female clergy.

4.2 Wilson’s Theology & History

• Explains Wilson’s Calvinist, predestination framework, excusing all injustices as "God-ordained" unless it's about conservative Christians victimized by laws (26:03).
• Reads in full Wilson's infamous apologia for Southern slavery:

  “There has never been a multiracial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world…” (28:32–29:48)

• Connection to present:
  • “This is why we regularly talk about Christian nationalism and how it’s not this fringe out there group that doesn’t have any power…They have a very real possibility of taking over.”
    — April (30:28)

4.3. Exposé: Wilson’s Treatment of Women

• The hosts play a recent CNN segment highlighting Wilson’s misogyny:
  • “It doesn’t take any talent to simply reproduce biologically… the wife and mother who is… entrusted with three or four or five eternal souls.”
    — Doug Wilson (32:27 / 32:34)
  • Wilson asserts women shouldn’t be able to vote:

    “In my ideal society, we would vote as households, and I would ordinarily be the one that would cast the vote.” (36:05)

• Tim and April respond with incredulity and point out the direct echoes to “Handmaid’s Tale” and the real harm to women in these circles.

4.4. Abuse and Cover-ups

• Discussion of Wilson's role in church abuse cases, and broader patterns of “handling it in house” among conservative church leaders.
  • “There’s no real accountability in these systems... The same thing happened with John MacArthur… It's the same pattern: someone comes forward, they don’t go to the police, they go to church leadership.”
    — Tim (41:16)

5. FCC & Free Speech: The James Talarico ‘Equal Time’ Incident (44:22–48:43)

• FCC threatened enforcement of equal time rule for candidates (usually never applied to late-night); CBS blocked the airing of James Talarico’s interview on Stephen Colbert, only uploading to YouTube.
  • “It's another example of how this government running on grievance policies is now using the power of the federal government to enforce their authoritarianism… Christian nationalism, when it gets the power that it wants, it’s always going to use it in a way where it benefits them at the expense of anyone else...”
    — Tim (46:06)
  • April:

    “Which is a sign of fascism.” (47:32)

• Discussion of growing governmental and corporate accommodation of authoritarian, Christian nationalist politics, and the outsized public attention the incident ultimately generated.

6. Homeschooling, Indoctrination, and Socialization

• The hosts play and break down a viral video of a MAGA mom explaining why she homeschools her kids to keep them from “foolish” public school children (49:44).
• Both Tim and April share their own (diverse) homeschooling and schooling experiences, objecting to the idea that public schools only offer exposure to “fools” and highlighting the dangers of insular, fear-based parenting.
  • “I could never imagine telling my child that they are just foolish, period. Like, I just find that so denigrating to my kids.” — Tim (52:17)
  • “They are teaching those children to fear the other. And one day that kid's going to grow up... and their worldview will collapse.”
    — April (56:07)
  • Tim:

    “At some point, sooner or later they're going to encounter people different than them and that's going to mess up the cute little bubble that you built for them...” (54:44)

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 06:05 | Tim | “One of America’s biggest mistakes… was not prosecuting Trump… we are reaping the fruit of these actions.” | | 10:34 | Tim | “Where’s the pro-life crowd?... You're not going to see it.” | | 11:46 | Tim | “That two month old is not part of their tribe... they're not really seen as fully human.” | | 14:07 | Tim | “It’s not about undocumented immigration. It’s about keeping a certain type of people out.” | | 15:39 | April | “32 people died in the agent’s custody in 2025…” | | 21:16 | Tim | “Doug is a racist, he's misogynist, he's homophobic, and… a white nationalist.” | | 24:28 | Doug Wilson | “The worst event… was not the collapse of the World Trade Towers. ...the worst event… was when a polytheistic worship service was organized in the National Cathedral…” | | 29:48 | Doug Wilson | “Slave life was to the slaves a life of plenty of simple pleasures…”| | 46:06 | Tim | “Christian nationalism… when it gets the power that it wants… always going to use it in a way where it benefits them at the expense of anyone else…”| | 56:07 | April | “They are teaching those children to fear the other… and their worldview will collapse.”|

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Show Intro, Anniversaries, Community (00:00–03:12)
• Accountability for World Leaders, Jan 6th, U.S. Context (04:40–07:32)
• ICE Baby Deportation Story, Family Separation & Detention Conditions (07:57–14:07)
• ICE Broader Powers, Xenophobia vs. Security (14:07–18:17)
• Christian Nationalism: Doug Wilson, the Pentagon, and Patriarchy (20:40–38:32)
• Abuse Cover-Ups: Patterns in Church Response (38:32–43:37)
• FCC/Colbert/Talarico Free Speech Incident (44:22–48:43)
• Homeschooling, Indoctrination, and Children's Socialization (49:44–59:14)

Episode Tone & Style

The hosts maintain a candid, sometimes exasperated, and frequently humorous tone as they navigate deeply serious topics. Their discussion moves fluidly between current events, theological critique, personal experience, and systemic social analysis. Both appreciate the gravity of injustice but engage the audience with relatable banter and a clear sense of moral urgency.

Further Recommendations

• CNN Christian Nationalism Special: Airing Sunday 8PM EST; features survivors from Doug Wilson’s Christ Church (43:37).
• April’s Book, “Star Spangled Jesus”: For listeners wanting a deeper dive into the convergence of religion and nationalism (01:54).
• TNE Connect & The New Evangelicals: Listeners are invited to join the online community for more resources and dialogue.

Next Week:
Live stream coverage of the State of the Union, with possible bingo cards for listeners (60:19).

For anyone wanting to understand the roots and realities of Christian Nationalism’s grip on American policy—and what true justice and compassion might look like in action—this episode is not to be missed.