According to Minneapolis activists, Trump planned the mass ICE occupation of the city to intimidate and crush community and working-class resistance to ICE Instead, it sparked massive community and labor mobilization against the agency. The crackdown has also led to several felony conspiracy indictments, including the case of the Minneapolis 15. Cal Robinet, an electrician and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local 110, was one of those federally indicted. He spoke with Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer about the struggle and the lessons workers and the community can draw from it.
Drop The Charges! ICE, The Fascist Occupation Of Minneapolis, Labor & The Minneapolis 15
Contribute to the Minnesota 15 campaign here: https://minnesota15.org
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Behind the massive deportation machine, funded by more than 70 billion dollars, is a growing network of private airlines that activists have dubbed “ICE Air.” These companies make money transporting ICE detainees around the country, often with little public oversight or transparency.
A TEGNA documentary by lead reporter Vandervine, titled Air ICE, investigates this private detention and deportation network. We’ll hear part of that documentary, followed by Steve Zeltzer interviewing activists in Alexandria, Louisiana, where a growing detention complex is holding thousands of people.
The activists are working to find out what is happening inside the facility and bring that information to the local community—and to people across the United States.
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Next, labor and human rights lawyer and author Dan Kovalik speaks to Pacifica’s Thomas O’Rourke in part two of their interview about Ukraine, Russia, Russiagate, and prospects for the Cuban and Bolivarian revolutions. Part one aired on our Aug 31 show.
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We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Ann Garrison, Polina Vasiliev, and Thomas O’Rourke.
You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism-race and-democracy-dot-ORG”. Please subscribe to receive a link to each week’s show via email. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.
Thanks for listening.
Music:
Que Se Vaya El Hielo (ICE Leave MN) by Maria Isa
Singing Resistance — We Belong to Each Other (live at The Current)
