The killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers has forced the country to look more closely at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When applying that closer lens, that scrutiny moves beyond individual agents to the system itself. It’s one built through laws, budgets, and a long-standing decision to treat immigration as a criminal problem.

César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a law professor at Ohio State University, studies the once less known aspects of the U.S. system: where immigration enforcement operates like criminal policing, and detention functions like punishment even when the government calls it “civil.”

His latest book is “Welcome the Wretched: In Defense of the ‘Criminal Alien.'”

García Hernández joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what kind of immigration system is actually being built in the name of Americans, and how we got here.

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What does it feel like when a city has its breath taken away—not just by frigid weather, but by sudden shocking violence that cuts into the lives of neighbors and friends?

In Minneapolis, there is a texture to the streets that doesn’t show up in social media clips. Day after day, in bitter cold, people have come together protesting, marching, and organizing neighborhood watches. Their gatherings have been sparked by a wave of federal immigration enforcement in the city and by two fatal shootings.

On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. Video evidence has raised serious questions about whether the force used was justified.

Then, on Jan. 24, Border Patrol agents killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti. Federal officials initially claimed Pretti violently resisted and brandished a gun. But video footage, eyewitnesses, and independent reporting refute those claims. The discrepancy between the official account and the evidence has become a flashpoint for protests and calls for accountability.

In recent weeks, journalist Hamilton Nolan has been on the ground in Minneapolis, walking with people in the cold, listening to residents, and trying to make sense of what “resistance” looks like right now. He’s written about what he’s seen and heard in his Substack newsletter How Things Work. 

He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what he saw on the ground and what Detroit can learn from Minneapolis.

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The William G Anderson Lecture Series: Slavery to Freedom, An American Odyssey formed at Michigan State University 26 years ago. The series brings in guest speakers to lead thought provoking discussions about solutions to issues impacting civil and human rights.

This year the guest speakers are Dr. Jelani Cobb, the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York, Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) and Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway of Gee’s Bend Quilting Collective.

Dr. Marita Gilbert is the Associate Dean of Osteopathic Engagement & Community Practice at Michigan State University. She leads the lecture series. Dr. Gilbert joined The Metro to talk about the lectures this year, and the big question of who really influences history.

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Women have been at the forefront of civil rights and human rights movements throughout history. Yet, their stories are left untold and forgotten.

Dr. Keisha N. Blain is a historian, speaker, advocate, and social justice activist who is a best-selling author. She is a professor of Africana studies at Brown University.  Her most recent book “Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights” takes a historical look back at various civil rights movements and the Black women behind the scenes who created global change. 

Dr. Blain spoke at Wayne State University as part of the university’s annual Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. She joined The Metro to talk about the women who helped progress human rights, often leading to systemic change.

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During President Trump’s second term, immigration enforcement has become more dangerous and more visible. 

Detention has expanded rapidly. Last year was the deadliest year in more than two decades. Federal records show people have continued to die in custody in the opening days of this year.

There have also been multiple fatal shootings at the hands of on-duty and off-duty ICE agents in recent months. 

In Minneapolis, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. That killing prompted lawsuits from Minnesota and its largest cities. There were also resignations inside the Justice Department after leadership declined to open a customary civil rights investigation.

Other people have also been killed by ICE agents, including Silverio Villegos González near Chicago and Keith Porter Jr. in California. Those deaths, though, did not trigger the same national response.

In Detroit, City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is pushing the city to act. She represents Southwest Detroit and chairs the City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee. She’s asking whether Detroit can legally restrict ICE activity on city property and in sensitive areas, such as schools and hospitals. 

Santiago-Romero joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how cities can respond when federal immigration enforcement becomes more aggressive, and how local governments weigh responsibility, risk, and trust.

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