This American Life

880: What Is Your Emergency?

February 1, 2026

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  • The 911 calls reveal a pattern of confusion and uncertainty among both callers and dispatchers regarding how local police should respond to the presence and actions of federal immigration enforcement agents. 
  • Federal immigration operations, characterized by tactics like impersonating utility workers and aggressive street stops, are causing widespread disruption to daily life, leading citizens to call 911 for issues outside the typical scope of local police jurisdiction. 
  • Activists and journalists, like Memo Torres with his 'Daily Memo' archive, are creating detailed, ongoing records of these federal operations because established news outlets and local authorities are not providing a comprehensive daily accounting of the events. 

Segments

911 Calls Context Setting
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(00:00:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode contains unbeeped curse words, directing listeners to the website for a censored version.
  • Summary: The episode includes explicit language without beeps, offering an alternative version on the show’s website. The prologue features 911 calls illustrating chaos left in the wake of immigration enforcement movements. Dispatchers struggle to categorize these calls, as they involve federal agents rather than typical local emergencies.
Dispatcher Confusion Over ICE
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(00:01:22)
  • Key Takeaway: 911 dispatchers are often unsure how to respond when callers report the presence of federal ICE agents on private property.
  • Summary: A caller reported agents impersonating exterminators to gain entry, leaving the dispatcher unsure whether to dispatch police assistance for intimidation on private property. The collection of 911 calls provides a portrait of widespread, everyday encounters with immigration officers, contrasting with viral video incidents. Many calls involve people who are not targeted by ICE but are reporting their presence as an interference with daily life.
ER Call and Property Dispute
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(00:02:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Federal agents were reported inside an Emergency Room interfering with patient care, and a hotel owner called 911 to demand agents leave their private property.
  • Summary: A caller reported six self-declared ICE agents inside the ER, armed and interfering with care, prompting a request for police removal. Separately, a property owner demanded agents leave their hotel premises, citing concerns over guests being made uncomfortable and unauthorized parking.
Chicago Geofencing Incident
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(00:04:08)
  • Key Takeaway: A U.S. citizen in Chicago reported being ‘geofenced’ by unmarked ICE agents during Operation Midway Blitz, leading to confusion over what local police could do.
  • Summary: A caller reported ICE agents in unmarked cars with covered license plates surrounding a street near Rico Fresh, leading the caller to question the legality of the action. The dispatcher struggled to determine the appropriate response, as the caller was not requesting medical aid but reporting federal overreach. The incident highlights the difficulty local 911 systems face when dealing with federal law enforcement actions against citizens.
Agent Violence and Medical Need
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(00:06:03)
  • Key Takeaway: A caller reported that federal agents knocked down a woman with a bike and possibly used ‘bombs,’ necessitating a transfer to the fire department for paramedics.
  • Summary: The caller reported an injured person after agents allegedly knocked someone down, leading the dispatcher to transfer the call to the fire department for medical assistance. The caller’s description of agents ’throwing bombs’ suggests the use of non-lethal crowd control measures during the operation. The incident underscores the immediate physical danger reported during these federal sweeps.
Hypothetical Kidnapping Inquiry
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(00:07:04)
  • Key Takeaway: A caller, fearing future abduction by masked men, asked 911 for advice on self-defense, including whether they could use a gun against them.
  • Summary: A man who felt his rights were violated by masked individuals asked the dispatcher for guidance on what to do if he were kidnapped next, specifically inquiring about the legality of using a gun for self-defense. The dispatcher could only advise that 911 is the number to call during an actual kidnapping and could not offer legal advice on self-defense. This call illustrates the public’s deep anxiety and lack of clarity regarding federal agent conduct.
Charlotte Escalation Sequence
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(00:12:02)
  • Key Takeaway: A sequence of calls in Charlotte showed ICE agents with obstructed plates intimidating a citizen, followed by a hit-and-run involving an ICE detective, culminating in the citizen’s alleged abduction.
  • Summary: The first call involved an agent with a deliberately crossed-out license plate intimidating a caller who was documenting them at a gas station. Seventeen minutes later, a second caller reported being hit by an ICE detective’s car, who then fled the scene, leading to a confrontation where guns were allegedly pointed. An hour after the initial incident, a third call reported the U.S. citizen cousin from the second call had been abducted by ICE.
Local Police Inaction and Federal Immunity
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(00:19:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Local police often cannot intervene in federal immigration enforcement actions, leading callers to feel abandoned, while federal officials claim immunity for obstructing actions.
  • Summary: Callers learned that local police would not interfere with federal immigration officers, and dispatchers sometimes advised callers to ‘play along’ to avoid escalation. Stephen Miller explicitly stated that ICE officers have federal immunity, and anyone obstructing them commits a felony. The brutality and perceived incompetence of the operations are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore nationally.
Border Patrol Reckless Driving Stop
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(00:20:05)
  • Key Takeaway: A U.S. citizen in Charlotte reported being recklessly pursued and rammed by two Border Patrol vehicles before being forced to the ground and detained for six hours.
  • Summary: The caller, a U.S. citizen, reported Border Patrol agents in unmarked Wagoneers driving recklessly and attempting to ram his car while trying to pull him over. He complied by getting on the ground, but witnesses confirmed he was handcuffed and dragged out of his car while yelling his citizenship status. Although initially charged with assault on a federal officer, the charges against Joshua Long were later dropped by the DOJ.
ICE Calling 911 for Support
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(00:22:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Federal agents themselves call 911, sometimes for routine matters like accident reports, but often to request local police assistance managing crowds and protesters during arrests.
  • Summary: ICE agents called 911 to file a traffic accident report after a fender-bender and to report a theft of their laptop and ammunition. In cities where local police are non-cooperative, federal agents call 911 to summon local backup specifically to manage crowds surrounding their operations, as seen in Worcester, Massachusetts. In one instance in Oxnard, California, ICE agents lied to 911, claiming an activist backed into them, to secure local police assistance during a pursuit.
Citizen Shot While Warning Others
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(00:27:43)
  • Key Takeaway: A U.S. citizen, Marimar Martinez, was shot in her car by a Border Patrol officer while driving around Chicago warning people about approaching ICE agents, mirroring later incidents in Minneapolis.
  • Summary: Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was shot three months before the Minneapolis shootings while warning her neighborhood about agents, leading to charges against her for assaulting a federal officer. The officer, Charles Exum, later bragged about the shooting in texts and was recorded telling her to ‘Do something, bitch’ before firing. The government dropped the case after bodycam evidence suggested the officer swerved to hit her vehicle first.
Police Chief’s Admission of Ignorance
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(00:31:14)
  • Key Takeaway: A police chief in Minnesota admitted to residents that he does not know how to handle situations where ICE agents break the law, suggesting citizens should still call 911.
  • Summary: West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon stated he lacked answers regarding how to address ICE agents breaking the law, noting they operate under a different playbook his officers are not trained in. Despite this admission of ignorance regarding federal conduct, his suggestion to residents experiencing fear or witnessing activity was still to call 911. This reflects the broader jurisdictional confusion highlighted throughout the episode.
Home Depot Raids and Cat-and-Mouse
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(00:33:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Home Depot parking lots in Los Angeles have been repeatedly targeted by ICE raids, including the use of ‘Operation Trojan Horse’ where agents posed inside a moving truck.
  • Summary: Following pressure from Stephen Miller to target day laborers at Home Depots, DHS used tactics like Operation Trojan Horse, where agents emerged from a disguised Penske truck to make arrests. Despite repeated raids, day laborers continue to show up daily, creating a months-long cat-and-mouse dynamic. El Centro, a non-profit safe zone, provides shelter, forcing agents to obtain warrants to enter the fenced-off area.
Ethical Dilemma at El Centro
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(00:38:07)
  • Key Takeaway: A staff member at El Centro faced an ethical dilemma during a raid, choosing to lock the gate to protect those inside, which resulted in a man known to them being arrested outside.
  • Summary: During a raid involving tear gas, a man became stuck in the gate while trying to enter the safe zone, reaching for staff member Joshua’s hand. Joshua chose to lock the gate to prevent agents from entering and potentially capturing everyone inside, a decision he wrestled with as a ’trolley problem’ scenario. The man was subsequently overpowered and arrested by agents outside the locked perimeter.
The Glutton’s Archive Work
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(00:44:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Memo Torres, formerly a food reviewer known as ‘El Tragón de Los Angeles,’ shifted his focus to creating a detailed, daily archive of ICE raids in Southern California because no one else was tracking the incidents with such rigor.
  • Summary: Torres and his colleague Izzy Ramirez verify and archive videos of raids, arrests, and sightings, providing a daily accounting that surpasses local news coverage. The ‘Daily Memo’ is specifically aimed at younger, online Latino family members who are navigating bureaucracy for their parents. This archive documents the evolution of raids, from agents in street clothes to militarized appearances, and serves as evidence for legal defense against assault charges.