From WNYC Studios, I'm Brian Lehrer.

This is my daily politics podcast.

It's Wednesday, February 4th.

The short government shutdown has ended with Democrats winning this concession.

The Department of Homeland Security is only being funded until next Friday,

while Congress and the White House try to negotiate possible changes

to the rules of engagement for ICE.

As New York Magazine reports it,

Senate Democrats have a list of substantive demands

that include a requirement for judicial

warrants before ICE or Border Patrol arrests, coordination with local law enforcement and

deference to their use of force rules, and an end to masking.

Let's talk about that last one.

Here's Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer yesterday. Defending ICE agents wearing masks and giving them special treatment, especially when

they're so brutal and thuggy, is totally against the views of most Americans who want basic

accountability. Anyone defending ICE agents keeping their masks on is not seriously trying to solve.

This huge problem of chaos we have seen in Minneapolis and so many of our other cities

when ice is sent in there.

Senator Schumer yesterday, Atlantic Magazine staff writer Adam Surwer has a new article called

The Real Reason Ice Agents Wear Masks. He's also author of the book, The Cruelty is the Point,

why Trump's America Endures, and that, by the way, was published back in 2022. And thank you for

joining us, Adam. Welcome

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