Minnesota, ICE and the makings of a US civil war
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 747 Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
US federal immigration raids continue in Minnesota, and the operation has set the stage for a standoff between state officials and the federal government. Governor Tim Walz has readied Minnesota's national guard, while the Pentagon has ordered troops to be on standby. A 2024 University of Pennsylvania simulation warned that similar state-federal standoffs could escalate into broader armed conflict.
In this episode:
- Claire Finkelstein (@COFinkelstein), Center for Ethics and Rule of Law, University of Pennsylvania
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li and Melanie Marich, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat and our guest host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, and Noor Wazwaz. Our host is Malika Bilal.
Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement.
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 | I'm Nina Khrushcheva, the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union in 1962. |
| 0:07.5 | And I'm Max Kennedy, the nephew of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. |
| 0:11.4 | We explore what was a terrifying moment in history. |
| 0:14.7 | The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis. |
| 0:17.0 | How close the world came to nuclear war. |
| 0:19.3 | And what they had to do to pull it back from the brink? |
| 0:23.0 | The bomb, Kennedy and Khrushchev. |
| 0:25.1 | Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.9 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:40.9 | Today Al Jazeera Podcasts. Today, could ICE violence in Minnesota escalate into civil war? |
| 0:46.4 | It's a perfect setup for a conflict between the National Guard and federal forces. |
| 0:53.4 | We talked to one expert who explains why the U.S. could be headed towards internal armed |
| 0:58.3 | conflict. |
| 1:01.1 | I'm Manuel Rapalo, and this is the take. Before we continue with today's show, remember to leave us a comment telling us what you think about this episode. |
| 1:16.6 | Are you watching carefully what's going on in Minneapolis? |
| 1:19.5 | And are you concerned? |
| 1:21.0 | If you're listening on a podcast app, leave us a review and give us a five-star rating while you're there. |
| 1:25.8 | It helps the show. |
| 1:29.9 | All eyes have been on the U.S. state of Minnesota for weeks now, as ice operations ramp |
| 1:35.0 | up, sparking protests, and widespread unrest across the city of Minneapolis. Then, this news broke |
| 1:41.5 | on Saturday. |
| 1:43.3 | I want to take you to the U.S. City of Minneapolis, where officials are saying they are aware |
... |
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