2025 in Review: Is ICE in the US operating as secret police?
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We’re looking back at 10 of the episodes that defined 2025 at The Take. This originally aired on November 19. None of the dates or references have been changed.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is operating in an unprecedented way during US President Donald Trump’s second term. The agency has existed for over 20 years, but now operates as a masked force. Imposters posing as agents have committed crimes such as kidnapping and sexual assault. The FBI has urged ICE officers to unmask and identify themselves. How did the agency get here?
In this episode:
- Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam), Reporter, ProPublica
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili and Diana Ferrero, with Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Hey everyone. This week, we're continuing to bring you the takes year in review. |
| 0:16.0 | We're closing out our review of 2025 with today's episode. |
| 0:20.0 | Is ICE operating a secret police in the United States? |
| 0:25.0 | This episode first aired on November 19, 2025. |
| 0:28.8 | All dates and references are from that time. |
| 0:31.5 | Here's the show. |
| 0:32.3 | Let us know what you think in the comments. |
| 0:43.4 | Music in the comments. Today, are U.S. federal immigration agents operating a secret police? |
| 0:49.4 | This is not law enforcement. |
| 0:51.3 | This is becoming an American Gestapo. |
| 0:55.5 | Agents routinely conduct violent arrests without identifying themselves. Lawmakers and even the FBI |
| 1:02.4 | say it needs to stop. So why is it happening anyway? I'm Natasha Del Toro, and this is The Take. |
| 1:19.8 | Before we continue with today's show, don't forget to leave us a comment and let us know what you think about this episode and what kinds of |
| 1:27.6 | stories that you'd like to see us do next time. And if you're listening on the podcast app, |
| 1:32.4 | let us know where you're listening from and leave us a five-star review while you're there. |
| 1:37.9 | It helps people find the show. |
| 1:42.3 | Hi, I'm Hannah Alam. I'm a reporter at ProPublica. I'm based out of the Washington, D.C. Bureau, and I cover national security with a focus on counterterrorism and immigration in the counterterrorism world. |
| 1:56.2 | Hannah, welcome to the take. Just really excited to have you here. It feels like every single day now, |
| 2:03.7 | there's a new disturbing video of immigration and customs enforcement or ICE, conducting violent arrests of suspected undocumented immigrants. |
| 2:14.1 | Violent confrontation caught on video involving masked federal agents in Santa Ana. |
| 2:18.7 | And witnesses say a man was beaten with a baton and pepper sprayed in broad daylight yesterday. |
... |
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