What A Day – “A Brief History of ICE”

Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Guest: Garrett Graff, historian and journalist
Air Date: January 19, 2026

Overview

In this informative episode, host Jane Coaston dives deep into the origins, purpose, and current controversies surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a relatively new but immensely powerful federal agency. With expert historian and journalist Garrett Graff as her guide, Coaston explores how ICE was created, how its mission evolved, and why public outrage against the agency continues to grow amid aggressive immigration enforcement under the second Trump administration. The episode also contextualizes ICE within today’s broader news cycle, including updates on Trump's tariffs over Greenland, the so-called Gaza Peace Port, and domestic military deployments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: ICE in the Headlines

• [00:03] Jane Coaston addresses the recent political climate, including increased scrutiny of ICE, referencing Sen. Ruben Gallego’s apparent policy shift:
  • Gallego initially co-sponsored a bill mandating stricter ICE action but later suggested ICE “needs to be totally torn down” ([01:32]).
  • Quote from Gallego: “I think ICE needs to be totally torn down. It has to be, you know, created in the image of what people want... not the goon squad that has come from Stephen Miller and Donald Trump.” ([01:32])

2. The Origins of ICE – Creation & Purpose

• [02:46] Garrett Graff explains ICE’s origin story:
  • ICE was created in the aftermath of 9/11 to address intelligence failures by consolidating federal immigration enforcement.
  • Prior to 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) under the Justice Department handled immigration along with U.S. Customs Service.
  • ICE combined “deportation officers” (now ERO—Enforcement and Removal Operations) and special agents (now HSI—Homeland Security Investigations), forming part of the new Department of Homeland Security.
  • Memorable quote: “ICE was born out of the massive reshuffling of the US government that took place in the wake of 9/11…when DHS was formed, it was this massive new cabinet department that pulled different parts from all over...” ([02:58])

3. ICE vs. CBP: Structure and Mandate

• [04:43] Graff and Coaston clarify the roles of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP):
  • CBP focuses on border enforcement (border patrol, customs at airports/seaports).
  • ICE is tasked with immigration enforcement inside the U.S. and complex cross-border crime investigations.
  • “CBP was going to be all of the enforcement at the border ... ICE was going to be the unified Customs and Immigration and Enforcement Agency for the interior...” ([04:55])
  • ICE’s work is distinct from that of local police or military, legally and operationally.

4. ICE Authority, Overreach, and Training Deficits

• [06:48] Graff details the limits of ICE authority:
  • ERO officers can enforce only a narrow segment of federal immigration law and can arrest for federal crimes witnessed directly.
  • HSI special agents have broader investigative authority.
  • Notably: “They are not police in the way that they wear... police in large letters on them. They have the ability to enforce a narrow segment of immigration law…” ([06:48])
  • Coaston asks about overreach: "So they are not legally allowed to be forcibly removing Americans from their cars, for example?" ([07:34])
  • Graff responds that while technically not permitted, in practice, ICE/BP “are just not trained for the work they’re doing on America’s streets right now.” ([07:41])
  • Adds: Local/state law enforcement are far better trained for civilian interactions and crime investigation.

5. Recruitment, Quotas, and the "Terror Campaign"

• [08:35] The conversation shifts to ICE’s recruitment and training shortcomings:
  • NBC News found AI screening errors let underqualified applicants skip crucial gun handling training.
  • Graff contends that this is less about ICE’s intentions than the White House's (i.e., Stephen Miller’s) desire for aggressive tactics.
  • “...the Trump White House is getting what it is paying for in the terror campaign that is being waged against American cities right now, particularly Democratic cities, particularly Democratic states.” ([09:23])
• [09:23 – 13:01]
  • In May 2025, a quota of 3,000 daily ICE arrests was imposed, radically shifting tactics from targeted investigations to large-scale sweeps.
  • “ICE sweeping people of color up off the streets indiscriminately... SWAT gear-wearing, Border Patrol agents rolling into Home Depot parking lots like they were about to invade Fallujah...” ([09:23])
  • Under current practices, ICE agents “are rolling out in these heavily armored convoys, not knowing if the people they are kidnapping... are even in the country illegally.” ([12:51])

6. Protecting Yourself: Legal Realities and Civil Liberties

• [13:01] Jane asks:
  • “How can Americans protect themselves if ICE is overstepping its authority?”
• [13:30] Graff’s sobering answer:
  • “...there is no advice that I can give either an immigrant... or a US Citizen that can adequately guarantee protection from an assault by ICE officers right now...what we are watching I think is a national police riot by CBP and ICE officers without any due regard for civil rights, constitutional protections or traditional civil liberties.” ([13:30])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jane Coaston: “Hell, the movie Legally Blonde is older than ICE...” ([01:57])
• Garrett Graff: “ICE was born out of the massive reshuffling of the US government that took place in the wake of 9/11.” ([02:58])
• Garrett Graff: “They are not police in the way that they wear, you know, big tactical vests that say police in large letters on them.” ([06:48])
• Garrett Graff: “...the Trump White House is getting what it is paying for in the terror campaign...” ([09:23])
• Garrett Graff: “...no advice that I can give... can adequately guarantee protection from an assault by ICE officers right now. What we are watching I think is a national police riot...” ([13:30])
• Jane Coaston: “I am very scared.” ([14:19])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:03-01:31] Introduction, ICE unpopularity in recent headlines
• [01:32-01:57] Sen. Gallego’s evolving stance on ICE
• [02:46-04:43] ICE formation, INS/CBP split, origins post-9/11
• [06:29-07:41] Authority and overreach comparisons: ICE, CBP, police
• [08:35-12:51] Training failures, quotas, White House “terror campaign,” sweeping new tactics
• [13:01-14:19] Americans’ lack of recourse and legal protections
• [17:13-20:10] Updates on tariffs, Gaza peace port, military deployments, AI Trump voiceover (lighter moments)

Current News Context (Rapid Headlines)

• [17:13-18:52] Trump’s tariffs on NATO allies for not selling Greenland
  • “This tariff will be due and payable until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland. Which is stupid.” — Jane Coaston
• [18:52-20:10] “Gaza Peace Port” and “Board of Peace” – billion-dollar seats, ultimate authority with Trump
• [20:10-21:27] Threat of military deployments to Minneapolis per the Insurrection Act
  • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey: “What’s causing more chaos? Having these thousands of ICE agents and, and border control and apparently military, even potentially on our streets.”
• [21:40-22:21] Satirical segment with an AI-generated Trump voiceover for Fannie Mae ads

Episode Tone and Style

• The tone is wry, often leaning into dark humor (“We live in hell”) but is fundamentally serious and urgent, especially as it relates to civil liberties and law enforcement overreach.
• Jane Coaston’s style is pointedly irreverent but data-driven and deeply informed by her expert guests.

Conclusion

This episode of What a Day offers a concise yet powerful primer on ICE’s quickly acquired power, its troubling shift toward indiscriminate enforcement, and the near-impossibility of holding the agency accountable—both for immigrants and for U.S. citizens. Jane Coaston’s incisive questioning and Garrett Graff’s expert analysis peel back layers of history, law, and policy to clearly reveal why the “abolish ICE” movement remains urgent and why ICE’s unchecked expansion presents a danger for civil liberties at large.

Recommendation for Listeners:
If you want clarity on how ICE became so powerful, why its methods are increasingly seen as rogue, and what, if anything, you can do about it, this episode is essential listening.

Notable Closing Quote (MLK):
“We must use time creatively in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.” ([22:55])