Loading summary
Jayden Coston
It's Friday, May 29th. I'm Jayden Coston, and this is what a day. The show celebrating a continued President Donald Trump tradition, spending millions of dollars to cover stuff in gold. This time it's $5 million to cover four bronze horses near the Lincoln Memorial in Gold Leaf. Why? Because.
Co-host or Guest
Why not?
Jayden Coston
There are no rules. On today's show, former First Lady Jill Biden admits she thought President Joe Biden was having a stroke during that debate. And Treasury Secretary Scott Besant thinks it's totally normal to put Trump's face on a $250 bill. But let's start with immigration. Trump's immigration policies haven't been getting much attention lately, thanks in part to all of the other terrible shit this administration has been up to. But don't be fooled. The Immigration Detention Industrial complex hasn't slowed down. Undocumented immigrants, DACA recipients, green card holders, and US Citizens alike are still being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access clearinghouse, at least 60,000 people were in ICE detention facilities as of early April, and many of them are held in truly deplorable conditions, like in New Jersey, where ICE detainees are carrying out a hunger strike to protest the conditions at the Delaney hall detention Center. Advocates for the detainees shared a letter written by those on strike inside the facility with reporters on Wednesday listing their grievances.
Co-host or Guest
Food containing worms or in a state of decay. Unresolved issues, particularly the bathrooms, which are terrible and inhumane conditions. Ventilation problems. Serious health issues. Most people have a persistent flu with phlegm that won't go away. Many have conjunctivitis, urinary tract infections, fever and coughs. Medical care issues. If you're sick, you have to submit a request that takes two weeks to be answered or you never get a response at all.
Jayden Coston
These conditions are not limited to Delaney Hall. One infamous facility in Florida, known as Alligator Alcatraz, is reportedly in the process of closing down. The detention center was the crown jewel of Trump's immigration regime, costing an estimated $1.2 million per day to thousands of people in unsanitary conditions. But that price tag may be why the facility could be closing. According to Florida officials. It's just too expensive to operate. Katie Blankenship is an attorney representing immigrants across the country, including some who've been detained at Alligator Alcatraz. We talked about the experiences of her clients and what you're not hearing about the immigrant experience in America right now. Katie welcome back to YT day.
Katie Blankenship
It's great to be back. Thanks so much.
Jayden Coston
There have been reports that Alligator Alcatraz, the notorious ICE detention facility in the Florida Everglades, is preparing to close. When we spoke with you the last time you had clients who were detained there, what have you been hearing from them?
Katie Blankenship
The rumors are true. That there are rumors.
Jayden Coston
Okay.
Katie Blankenship
There are folks inside who are noticing. I spoke with somebody there yesterday. He confirmed that in his area, you know they're in these cages, right? And they're broken up in separate tents in certain cages in his tent, in his area at the cages, they had decreased down to, he thought about 150 people. Yesterday it was around 300ish. We've also heard from Maxwell Frost office. Maxwell Frost went in and saw signs that they were breaking down. Now on the other hand, we have Mark Wayne Mullen saying the exact opposite of Ron DeSantis about a week ago. And I think we talked about last time. Sanctuary of the south is a plaintiff in a case called HCR vs. Noem. It's about the First Amendment rights, access to counsel and how they were blocked at the facility. The federal government, the federal defendants just filed an appeal like two days ago. So why are they filing an appeal if they're shutting this down? And there's obviously been this black hole of information on this site from the beginning. That's how they frankly have been able to get away with such abuse. Massive corruption, complete waste of taxpayers money. But this weird relationship between Florida and the use of the emergency management services, who actually runs it and now what the feds are saying continues to cause chaos. Regardless, it looks like the population is declining. That's very good. On one hand, the place should never existed and needs to disappear from the planet as soon as possible. But when ICE does this, it causes massive pain to those inside. We have clients who just disappeared in the system going through massive transfers. People's due process rights are interrupted. We can't find them for weeks at a time. So it continues to be chaos and a crisis.
Jayden Coston
Yeah, I want to talk about that a little bit because I know that it might seem like, you know, to some people, like, oh, Alligator Alcatraz is closing. That's a good thing. But for the people who are there, that means that they get transferred to another facility. And there are other facilities, like in Texas, for example, New Jersey, where there's currently ICE detainees are holding a hunger strike. You mentioned like a black hole of information. Have you received any official notice about what is next for your CL in this facility? In their immigration process? Is there just like nothing, no information for anyone, ever.
Katie Blankenship
No, this is, this is like professional lack of transparency. They are at a level of expertness in providing absolute obscurity. We're never going to get information about our clients. I am of record on my clients. I've had people that had bond hearings scheduled. I have people that had court appearances to actually have their asylum cases heard. They're gone. They have to start over in a different court. It's going to take ICE weeks to get people re registered for some reason at a different detention center. So not only can I, can I not find them for a certain amount of days, once I can find them, I have to go and knock on the government's door and say, move their case to this court so I can refile their bond. And another two, three, four weeks goes by. So it's not that these are a minor inconvenience. You're talking about people who are suffering extreme harm. There's also no ranking detention centers in this country. There never has been. There certainly is not today. Everywhere you go, people are dying. People are living through the greatest trauma they have ever seen and it's impacted on their families. So when you are disappeared on a bus in the middle of the night and sent across the country to California, separated even farther from your family and your attorneys, you know, this is, this doesn't feel like an improvement to people inside and it's a huge problem.
Jayden Coston
I feel like immigration hasn't been dominating the headlines since the end of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. It's worth noting that ICE is still working in Minnesota. Have the pace or the methods of ICE detainment changed in that time?
Katie Blankenship
From what you've seen, we continue to go down a steady decline of lawlessness. So I want to share an example of what's happening in Florida, and it goes directly to this question of Alligator Alcatraz, because I think everybody has heard that Alligator Alcatraz was necessary for Florida in an emergency. For all of the worst of the.
Jayden Coston
They had to spend billions of dollars of taxpayer money on this.
Katie Blankenship
It had to be. So the people that are actually, the human beings that are actually surviving in this detention center. There is a huge trend in Florida right Now based on 287 agreements. I think you've spoken about that before on this show. You and I may have spoken about it before, but based on 287 agreements, every police officer in the state is now charged with being an immigration official. And so all up and down from Orlando all the way up to Jacksonville, there's a current trend of stopping People for driving while brown or black, they stop them, they tell them it's for some sort of criminal or traffic infraction, take them to jail, never file a ticket, never have probable calls for a stop, never bring charges. There's no record of them in anything except for they called ICE and said come pick them up. And that's who's in Alligator Alcatraz right now.
Jayden Coston
And just to clarify, a 287 agreement that basically just means police officers are now also immigration officers basically. Great, wonderful, fantastic.
Katie Blankenship
That's all we need. Florida. You know, we can always thank Ron DeSantis for charging the way in authoritarian trends. Florida actually passed a law that everyone, all of these law enforcement agencies have to have to engage in 287 agreements. So if you're looking for, you know, any help from your local police station, what they may supposed to be doing, they're not. They're out there stopping people of color and trying to make immigration arrest.
Jayden Coston
Is that happening in other states? Like, you know, I know that you work in Florida, but you work across the South. What immigration tactics are you seeing outside of Florida?
Katie Blankenship
Well, Florida, like I said, loves to be the blueprint. And so what I just shared about the 287G situation is proliferating straight up through the Southeast. So I'm currently based in Tennessee. We're working in Tennessee obviously as well. That legislature has passed similar laws to enforce 287 and you see now local sheriff's office, sheriff's offices conducting ICE raids and just separating families and taking communities by storm. Minnesota, as you said, was very forefront in our minds as a nation. And it's since not in the front page pages as much. But folks need to understand that while we stand with Minnesota and what an example our brothers and sisters in Minnesota have given us for a resistance. Minnesota is but one of hundreds and hundreds of communities being terrorized and that's happening throughout the South. These tactics are in every southern state.
Jayden Coston
Obviously a lot has happened since we last spoke back in September. And you mentioned Minnesota. You meant, you know, we've now had multiple heads of the Department of Homeland Security. A lot has taken place. What should people know about the Trump administration's immigration policies right now?
Katie Blankenship
Well, it is harming you. That's what you need to know. It's harming you. It's harming you even if you're not an impacted person. It is absolutely destroying our communities and creating fear where there should be civil services. We have hundreds upon thousands of children not going to schools because ICE is stalking schools, people not getting medical care, people not calling for emergency assistance when they need is also where our immigrant communities go. So too do we. Where we allow the government to act lawlessly to completely strip away constitutional rights that are the pillars of the democracy that we have still not realized but are working towards and we'll get to one day, then we are all affected. Immigration is first on the Trump, I think, priority list of authoritarian goals because they can, because the executive has so much power here and the propaganda machine against immigration has been so successful for 59 years, probably more than that. And so it was a place to start. But it is grooming for getting ready to see greater lawlessness from our government. We see that over and over again. And so it is getting worse. It is costing all of us. It costs $200 a day to detain a person in nice detention. That's your taxpayer funds. I don't know how anybody else felt. I'm sure I'm not alone, but the idea of paying my taxes this year, I still want, I need to go to a rage room to talk about paying my taxes to this government when we know what it's going towards. So this is a crisis for the whole country to grapple with and it's, it's harming us and our children.
Jayden Coston
Katie, as always, thank you so much for joining me.
Katie Blankenship
It's such a pleasure to be with you. As always, thank you so much.
Jayden Coston
That was my conversation with Katie Blankenship, founding partner of Sanctuary of the south and an attorney who works with people going through the immigration process. More gold plated news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. Have you ever thought I should really be doing something to protect myself from stalkers, scammers and hackers? But you're not sure what? Here's what you do. Go to www.joindeleteme.com waad and enter code WAAD. You'll get 20% off DeleteMe. DeleteMe removes your personal information that's being sold online. In the age of AI, we are all especially vulnerable to scammers. Using your personal data that's floating around on the Internet against you. Have you ever googled yourself and found your home address, phone number or the name of a family member? It's unsettling. But the good news is Deleteme can help. Deleteme was named the top pick for data removal services by Wirecutter. As someone with an active online presence, privacy is really important to me and I have a lot of concern about keeping my family safe. That's why Deleteme is the right service for anyone who spends a lot of time on the Internet. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your delete me plan when you go to www.joindeleteme.com wad and use promo code wad at checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to www.joindeLeteme.com wad and enter code wad at checkout. That's www.joindeleteme dot com wadewod this podcast is brought to you by WISE, the app for international people Using Money around the Globe when it comes to sending money abroad, many providers claim to offer free fees and competitive rates. But don't be fooled. This can be code for inflated exchange rates. With the WISE account, you can send, spend and receive money in over 40 currencies without ever having to worry about hidden fees sending pounds across the pond. Most transfers arrive in 20 seconds or less. Spending reals in Rio. The wise travel card gives you the mid market rate on every purchase. No costly markups on your bill. Getting paid in dollars for your side gig. Avoid hidden fees and get the real exchange rate every time with 24. 7 access to live support, your international transactions with WISE are quick, transparent and safe. Plus, WISE runs over 7 million daily checks to catch and prevent fraud. 15 million people already trust WISE to manage their money internationally. Be Smart, Get Wise My husband and I have used WISE when we've traveled all over the country and it's been a total game changer. Download the WISE app today or visit WISE.com Terms and Conditions apply.
Galora Casino Advertiser
If you're a mom and you're not making at least up to 1 to 300amonth all from home, please download Galora Casino. Yesterday I woke up and I fed my toddler breakfast and by noon I have made over $100. I'm a working mom. I take care of the house, the kids, the job, and everyone except me. Either way, it's just a breather. Well, as soon as you download this game, you'll get welcome offers and bonuses. And if you're lucky, you can hit a jackpot in just a few spins. So no money is required to start playing this game. You download it from the link below and you can jump in anytime, anywhere.
Crooked Media Host
Hey Crooked listeners. If you haven't become a friend of the POD yet, you are missing out on exclusive bonus content that drops every single week. If you do join, you're helping us, you know, grow Crooked Media, which is one of the few independent, proudly pro democracy media companies left in Trump's America. If you join, you also get ad free episodes of all your favorite pods. Ad free episodes of Pod Save America. Love it or leave it offline. Pod Save the World. You also get bonus content like our new extra episode of Pod Save America called Pod Save America Only Friends, Dan Pfeiffer's Polar Coaster. You also get access to all of our excellent substack newsletters like Pod Save America, Open Tabs and tons more great content. So stop what you're doing right now and go ahead and subscribe@crooked.com friends check it out.
Jayden Coston
Here's what else we're following today.
Katie Blankenship
Head of Lines
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant
President Trump has done something that no other administration is able to do. We have gotten the Iranians to talk about the their nuclear program and to perhaps commit to not having one. That has never happened before.
Jayden Coston
Hmm. I seem to remember another Iran deal involving their nuclear program. But Treasury Secretary Scott Besant stayed positive and stuck to the script on Thursday about the potential peace deal between the US And Iran. US Officials are reportedly getting close to a draft memorandum with Iran that would extend the ceasefire, open the Strait of Hormuz, and push any discussion of Iran's nuclear program to further negotiations. According to Axios, Trump has not signed off on the agreement and neither have Iranian officials. And according to Iranian state media, the Axios report, quote, reflected the American side's narrative and could not be confirmed by Iran. So we're actually not exactly close to the end of the war in Iran. But you have to admit, let's get Iran to discuss limiting its nuclear program is a bit of a climb down from Trump telling the Iranian people back in February, when we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations, but I'm sure it's fine.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant
I don't think that there's anything untoward about having the President of the United States, the person who was President United states on the 250th anniversary bill, Treasury
Jayden Coston
Secretary Scott Besant said Thursday that his department has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring Trump. Besant told reporters Thursday he's anticipating the passage of stalled legislation in Congress to put the president on a new banknote. Besant said that authorizing the new currency will be up to lawmakers. But that, quote, we've created the bill because, quote, we have to be prepared for what, expenses that require $250 bills.
Katie Blankenship
What happened?
Jayden Coston
I don't know what happened.
Katie Blankenship
I mean, as I watched it, I thought, oh my God, he's having a stroke. And it scared me to death.
Jayden Coston
Remember that disastrous debate between then President Biden and Trump in June 2024, the one that was the catalyst for him dropping out of the race? Well, Jill Biden is talking about it. It's part of the press tour for her forthcoming memoir, View from the East Wing. In an upcoming interview with CBS Sunday morning, she reveals she was surprised by her husband's behavior.
Katie Blankenship
Did you ever see signs that he was falling into cognitive decline?
Co-host or Guest
No.
Katie Blankenship
No.
Jayden Coston
No.
Katie Blankenship
Truly.
Jayden Coston
No. Really? Are you sure?
Katie Blankenship
We need to get away. Unlike my election,
Jayden Coston
We reeled that one of you.
Co-host or Guest
Yeah.
Katie Blankenship
Hey, there could be another one.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant
Yeah.
Jayden Coston
Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie and former Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene are vacationing together in Costa Rica with their partners. Massey captioned a video America First Pacific Summit retreat on Wednesday showing the crew having a great time while fishing in the ocean. And on Thursday, Massie trolled the Trump administration for striking alleged drug boats, tweeting marked safe. Our fishing vessel survived southcom in the East Pacific yesterday with a smiling thumbs up picture. What timeline have we entered? As you first heard me mention yesterday, The Trump affiliated Freedom250 announced the first wave of performers for the Great American State Fair, an announcement that included pop duo Milli Vanilli. Guess what? Milli Vanilli had no idea they were on the list. The group's singer, Jodi Rocco, told the Associated Press that neither she, her sister Linda Rocco, or any of the group's members had been asked to come. In an email, Rocco wrote, quote, my sister and I were shocked to see our name, Milli Vanilli as one of the performers again. As you heard yesterday, I was also shocked. A Freedom250 spokesperson did not immediately respond to the Associated Press's request for comment. And that's the news. Before we go. Mark your calendars. On June 8th, what a day. Episodes will be hitting YouTube and your podcast feeds just in time for the golden hour. As you know, the news never stops. And in a week, we will get it to you even faster. The latest updates, freshest analysis and headlines as they happen. Just in time for your evening commute decompression walk or your new designated what a Day listening time. If you aren't already, subscribe to what a Day on YouTube Apple Podcasts, Spotify and follow rookedmedia on social so you never miss an episode. Same show New release time. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review don't use fake endorsements if you're running for Senate and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, I'm not just about Georgia Republican Representative Mike Collins, who featured a wide list of endorsements on his website and Twitter accounts even though they did not in fact endorse him. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe@cricket.com subscribe I'm Jane Koston and one non endorsement, a sheriff, told the Daily Caller, I wouldn't vote for Collins if he's the only one running Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Caitlin Plummer, Emily Foer, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.
Crooked Media Host
Hey Crooked listeners, If you haven't become a friend of the POD yet, you are missing out on exclusive bonus content that drops every single week. If you do join, you're helping us, you know, grow Crooked Media, which is one of the few independent, proudly pro democracy media companies left in Trump's America. If you join, you also get ad free episodes of all your favorite pods. Ad free episodes Pod Save America. Love it or leave it offline. Pod Save the World. You also get bonus content like our new extra episode of Pod Save America called Pod Save America Only Friends, Dan Pfeiffer's Polar Coaster. You also get access to all of our excellent substack newsletters like Pod Save America, Open Tabs and tons more great content. So stop what you're doing right now and go ahead and subscribe@cricket.com friends check it out.
Jayden Coston
Hate cleaning. Hate scrubbing. Hate dishwashing.
Katie Blankenship
Bro, we got you millions of videos
Jayden Coston
about smart cleaning hacks will make your
Katie Blankenship
chores feel like a breeze. Download TikTok and check it out.
Grainger Advertiser
When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
Podcast Summary
What A Day — "ICE Is Still Detaining People"
Date: May 29, 2026
Host: Jayden (Jane) Coston
Notable Guest: Katie Blankenship, attorney and founding partner of Sanctuary of the South
Episode Overview
This episode of What A Day dives into the overlooked but ongoing crisis of immigration detention in the United States under the Trump administration's second term. While media attention has shifted to many other headline-grabbing policy moves, ICE continues to detain tens of thousands, including immigrants, DACA recipients, green card holders, and even U.S. citizens. Jayden Coston speaks with immigration attorney Katie Blankenship about the conditions inside detention facilities, the opaque and chaotic transfer process as some centers (notably Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz”) allegedly prepare to close, and the expansion of local police as de facto immigration enforcers across the South. The episode delivers first-hand perspective on how these policies are affecting clients, families, and even the broader American public.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
In Florida and across Southern states, 287(g) agreements have local police acting as immigration agents—a move deliberately encouraged by state legislation.
These policies are being adopted across the South, notably Tennessee and other southeastern states, expanding the reach—and harm—of ICE beyond border states.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
Timestamps for Important Segments
Additional Headlines: Lightning Round (16:38+)
Summary
This episode delivers a sobering look at persistent, quietly devastating immigration enforcement under President Trump’s second term. It exposes the human consequences of ICE detention: from hunger strikes and squalor, to the trauma imposed by opaque transfers and family separation. It also highlights the broadening role of police as immigration agents and the ripple effects of fear and disorder across society. Through attorney Katie Blankenship’s direct experience, listeners grasp the daily harm and the policy mechanisms that “harm everyone,” not just immigrants. For those unplugged from this debate, What A Day makes clear: ICE is still detaining people, and the crisis is far from over.