Podcast Summary: What A Day — "Joining ICE Is Much Easier Than You Think"

Host: Jane Coaston
Date: January 26, 2026
Podcast: Crooked Media – What A Day

Overview

This episode digs into alarming trends within federal law enforcement, focusing on a recent police killing in Minneapolis and startling revelations about how easy it is to get recruited by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Host Jane Coaston interviews freelance journalist Laura Jadid, who went undercover in the ICE hiring process and exposed its minimal vetting standards. The episode also touches on government funding battles, Trump administration decisions, and political fallout after a new high-profile shooting.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Federal Police Violence in Minneapolis

[00:00–03:40]

• Recent Killing:
  Another American citizen, Alex Preddy—a registered nurse—was killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis while filming interactions at a protest.
• Disputed Accounts:
  Despite widespread bystander video evidence, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other officials put forth a misleading narrative, with senior Trump officials labeling Preddy an "assassin" and fabricating claims about the incident.
• Community Response:
  Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara condemned the repeated use of deadly force by federal agents:

  “We went the entire year last year ... and we didn't shoot anyone. And now this is the second American citizen that's been killed. ... This is not sustainable.” (B, [01:16])

2. ICE Recruitment Problems: An Insider Investigation

[03:40–14:39]

Laura Jadid's Undercover Experience

• Motivation:
  Laura attended an ICE Career Expo aiming to write about their recruitment strategies—while expecting to be quickly spotted as a critic due to her visibility as a journalist and outspoken critic of ICE.
• Expo Observations:
  “A lot of people with former law enforcement experience... you had a couple of real muscular guys... but honestly, just a lot of kind of dorky looking guys... almost no women.” (C, [06:27])
• Interview Process:
  The ICE interview lasted about six minutes, asking only surface-level questions—no deep vetting, no interest in background:

  “It was the most basic questions you could imagine... I thought it was a pre-interview, but that is not the case.” (C, [07:47])

Shockingly Lax Screening

• Job Offer Without Vetting:
  Despite failing to submit required paperwork or pass a drug test, Laura discovered she had been marked as a "final" hire with an Entry On Duty (EOD) date scheduled:

  “Without signing a single piece of paper, the mind boggles.” (C, [10:30])

• Dubious Background Checks:
  The online portal listed her background check as “completed”—three days in the future. Laura questioned whether background checks happen at all.
• Temptation to Go Deeper:
  Laura considered continuing undercover, but feared retribution if discovered during ICE training:

  “If that happened while I was in an ICE training facility ... I was very worried that they would decide I was [a domestic terrorist] and that it would go very, very poorly for me.” (C, [12:02])

DHS Denial & Laura's Receipts

• DHS Response:
  The Department of Homeland Security denied the story on Twitter, calling it “a lazy lie.”
• Laura's Proof:
  “I just posted the screen grab video... Just said, ‘You sure about that?’” (C, [13:07])
• Key Takeaway:
  Laura warns of severe consequences:

  “We have these people...armed... acting with de facto absolute immunity. ... Not only do we not know who they are, it seems like ICE might not know who they are.” (C, [13:41])

Key Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ICE Applicant Pool:

  “A lot of people with former law enforcement experience... a couple like ... real muscular guys ... but honestly, just a lot of kind of dorky looking guys... almost no women.”
  — Laura Jadid ([06:27])

• About the Interview:

  “I thought it was a pre interview... but that is not the case.”
  — Laura Jadid ([07:47])

• On Being Hired with No Vetting:

  “Without signing a single piece of paper, the mind boggles. It really does.”
  — Laura Jadid ([10:30])

• On ICE’s Failure to Respond:

  “If final offer means something different to them, I’d love to hear about it. …They just haven’t responded to the actual article and the actual thing that happened.”
  — Laura Jadid ([13:07])

• Most Ominous Finding:

  “It seems like ICE might not know who they are. And that should bother everyone, including ICE.”
  — Laura Jadid ([13:41])

Timeline of Notable Segments (Timestamps)

• [00:00–03:40] – Recap of Alex Preddy’s shooting; local and federal response; pattern of federal violence
• [04:16–05:38] – Laura Jadid on her background and interest in right-wing movements
• [05:38–07:11] – Description of ICE Career Expo and applicant pool
• [07:47–08:44] – Details about the suspiciously simple ICE interview
• [08:59–10:19] – Being offered the job and discovering she was listed as “hired” without submitting paperwork or passing a drug test
• [10:19–11:30] – Oddities in the ICE hiring portal, questionable background check process
• [12:02–12:34] – Laura’s dilemma about continuing undercover and the risks involved
• [13:07–13:35] – Laura’s public response to DHS’s denial and her evidence
• [13:41–14:34] – Summing up the dangers of inadequate vetting at ICE

Legislative Fallout and Political Responses

Democratic Lawmakers Push Back

[17:53–19:42]

• ICE Funding Fight:
  Senator Amy Klobuchar and other Democrats vow to block further DHS funding over federal violence and ICE’s hiring failures:

  “The way that this agency has been functioning is completely against every tenet of law enforcement… I'm not voting for that.” — Sen. Klobuchar ([17:57])

• Senate Deadlock:
  Divisions over funding ICE put government shutdown on the table.

Additional National and International Headlines

[19:42–23:00]

• US withdrawal from WHO;
• California joining WHO's Global Outbreak Alert Network;
• Trump’s trade threats against Canada;
• Fallout from federal pressure on Minnesota over immigration enforcement.

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Deep Systemic Concerns:
  The episode draws a straight line from routine use of force by federal law enforcement, lax internal controls, and ICE’s indiscriminate and ineffective hiring practices.
• Big Question:
  If federal agencies neither vet nor supervise their armed recruits, what does this mean for democracy and public safety?
• Action:
  The episode closes with calls to pay attention, engage with local activism, and critical reminders on the importance of oversight.

Further Resources

• Laura Jadid’s Substack: firewalledmedia.com
• Related Reporting: Washington Post, Slate, CBS, NYT, WSJ

“Not only do we not know who [ICE agents] are, it seems like ICE might not know who they are.”
— Laura Jadid ([13:41])

For continued coverage and links to further reading, see the What A Day newsletter and Crooked Media show notes.