To read Laura Jedeed's article, go here:
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MICHAEL DUNNE: I'm Michael Dunne. There's a tremendous amount of concern locally and nationally about the increasingly violent tactics of ice, yet perhaps an even more foundational concern should be this, who are these ICE agents? How are they vetted, and how are they hired? After all, as any business, nonprofit or government entity knows, you're only as good as the people you hire. Well, if freelance journalist Laura Jedeed is to be believed, our immigration and customs enforcement agency is a poor agency with poor standards hiring poor candidates. Today on the show, you'll hear from Jedeed and hear how she fake-applied for a job with ICE, and her findings are nothing short of shocking, then we'll check in with Senator Wyden on the first-year anniversary of Trump 2.0. Laura Jedeed, a freelance journalist with Firewalled Media.com, Laura, thank you so much for coming on and talking with us.
LAURA JEDEED: It's great to be here.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I really enjoyed your piece that you wrote. I read it in Slate. I know you've done a ton of interviews. I really appreciate you carving out some time for us, for the for people who maybe didn't see the piece, or some of the interviews talk about what you did to apply for ICE and take us through this really kind of amazing journey you went on.
LAURA JEDEED: Yeah, it was. This was not intended to be an article about joining ICE. This was intended to be an article about a hiring Expo in Arlington, Texas back in August. And I thought a good way to get that story would be to apply. I have military background. I've deployed twice with the 82nd airborne if I did a skills-based resume. It looks pretty good on first glance, and I figured that would be enough to get me through round one. And then they would type my name in a computer and realize that I'm a journalist who has critiqued ice and the Trump administration a lot over the past decade, and then that would be the end of it. So that is what I did. I went to Dallas. I went to this hiring event. Did my interview? Took all of six minutes. I thought it was a pre interview, actually. And then when it was done, the woman who gave it was like, Okay, well, hang out and wait for a tentative offer. It should come within the next couple days, or possibly today. So that was, that was the process. And I went home and did not expect to hear back. Kept an eye out for the first couple days, then just kind of didn't. And so, when I did get a tentative offer, I did not see it. They sent me, It was what you would expect for a tentative offer. It was, you know, you have 48 hours to accept. Here's some paper where you need to fill out no medical questionnaire. Did you ever commit a domestic violence offense, background check information? But I didn't fill out any of it. So that really should have been the end of it. However, about two or three weeks later, I got an email, and I did receive this one, asking me to take a drug test as the next step in this hiring process. And the timing on that was a little unfortunate. Cannabis is legal in New York, where I live. I smoked about six days before the test, but you know, why not waste some of their money, right? So, I went ahead and took it, and now I am here expecting to hear back, because when you fail a drug test, they're supposed to tell you Sure. So, when I didn't hear back, about nine days later, I logged on to the hiring portal and discovered that, according to this hiring portal, I had received a final offer. I had accepted the final offer, and my EOD date, my entry on duty date was September 30, 2025 this was October 3, that I'm checking. So based on this, and I have not heard any other explanation from DHS, it seems like they hired me.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I was struck reading all this. You know, once you went through the process. I mean, you went through the entire process with sort of the same industriousness as a 30-year-old bro, living in his parents’ basement, applying for a Best Buy job to be a clerk, and yet this is, as we've been told, the front line of Trump's, you know, immigration policy. It strikes me as incredibly irresponsible.
LAURA JEDEED: Unbelievably so. I mean, this is, you know, the reaction, because we live in the time we live in, of course, the reaction from DHS and all of their fans has been, either you're lying or who cares, in any other administration, this would be a problem. There would be an investigation, because even if you think ice is great, which I don't, but even if you did, surely you would want the agents to your left and right to be people you can trust, instead of just randos who haven't been vetted.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Yeah, yeah. Take us through when you went to that center in in Texas, because I think in your piece, you thought, wow, it's, it's going to be packed with people. Wanting to join ICE. But that wasn't the case.
LAURA JEDEED: Not at all. It was a two-day affair. I went on the morning of the second day. We had to all get time slots on Eventbrite, because they're very professional, and you know, usually time slots indicate that they don't want to get mobbed all at once. Everyone's got to come in their time slot. When I arrived, there was no line to get through security, no line to hand over my ticket six people ahead of me in line for the interview. This happened in the Arlington eSports arena, which is a pretty big facility. 1000s of people can fit in there, and I would say no more than, like 150 people there at any given time while I was there for two or three hours.
MICHAEL DUNNE: And then they were even showing, sort of what you described as a propaganda video. And then someone got on stage to, kind of, I don't know, gin up the crowd. Talk a little bit about that feeling when you went there.
LAURA JEDEED: Yeah, it was very surreal. So, about the eSports arena real quick. It kind of looks a little bit like Tron. It's for, you know, competitive video games. So, there's this giant monitor set up with, it's all like angles and, like, blue lights ramming it and, like, on the, you know, they had the static defend the homeland posters, and then in the middle of that, on a very large screen, over and over again, they're playing these two 10 minute clips or so, of like, one of theme’s just dramatic music and ice breaking down doors and, like, doing cool guy stuff. And then the other one's an exploration of the history of ice, which they started in 1776 which is funny, because I started in 2003 but on repeat over and over. I mean, I can hear the music in my head like it will never leave me.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I am curious. Part of what interested me, not only what you found out, but that you did it in the first place. And, and I'm wondering, as a freelance journalist, sort of, kind of going undercover, but also very open about who you were, and, and you know your background, as you said, I think in the piece, you're very Google-able talk about maybe some of the you know preconceptions you had about what this might be like, but also, as a journalist, take us through all the different sort of you know thoughts you had at each step of this process. At first it was like, Okay, I'm going to do this and they're going to reject me. But then they didn't, I mean, take us through what it's like to be, you know, an undercover in plain sight journalist in this regard.
LAURA JEDEED: Well, my biggest concern was that they were going to Google me before I left the building and be upset with me. That was my worry when I went out there, I figured, because it was a on the spot hiring thing, they were saying, you know, you could get hired same day, which meant they would process their applications. And I was like, I've surely that involves, like, a basic background check, like, just, you know, anything, right? And so that was my concern going in. And then when the woman who interviewed me basically said, we're, we're pushing anyone's application that has law enforcement experience. So, you may not, we might not get to you today. And then I was like, Okay, well, I can relax and chill out and watch this video on repeat, and then sit through that Q and A that you mentioned. And then I went home, and truly, I was just like, Okay, that was an interesting experience. I got some cool quotes from like the people who were talking I had, you know, there's enough here for an article, and I'll work on it when I, you know, when I get to it, it didn't seem like a particularly urgent piece at the time, and I kind of just let it sit there for a little bit. When I got the drug test email, I was very surprised, just it had been so long and I didn't get the tentative email. I didn't find that until much later. So, I was surprised but amused. And I was like, Sure, I'll take the drug test, and, you know, that will be the end of it again. Like every step of the way, I'm like, and this is the end. No, but just and honestly, when I, when I opened the portal and saw I posted a screen, screen grab video of this to both x and blue sky, I truly did not know what I was looking at for. At first, I was like, This can't be right. Like I am misinterpreting this. There's no way.
MICHAEL DUNNE: You know what's funny, too, in following this story that you put together, you know, once, once it came out, and it seems like the various authorities within ICE and whatnot said, Oh, she's lying…this happened, but you posted that video, and basically you brought the receipts. Have they said anything since that time?
LAURA JEDEED: Radio silence, not a single word. And truly like, Look, if this isn't what it looks like, I'd like to know I reassure for comment. They didn't give me a comment. I posted the receipts. I haven't heard back. I mean, when it says final, like, final offer accepted, EOD, date, September 30. Like, I don't know what else that could possibly mean, and they have not chosen to elaborate.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Yeah, I'm wondering too obviously, for a huge segment of the population, ice and the agents are. Extremely unpopular because of what we've all seen, and certainly we're talking after a terrible incident where someone was killed and so on so forth. I'm wondering, you know, have you heard or made some conjecture around the fact that boy, their recruiting must not be going well because of that unpopularity and what we're seeing, or conversely, is it, you know, given your experience, is there just a level of incompetence at maybe the higher echelons that allow this kind of non-vetting to go through for agents?
LAURA JEDEED: Yeah, it's a really good question, and we'll probably not have an answer, if ever, certainly not anytime soon. You know, they're not very forthcoming. Obviously, the only the explanation I've heard postulated that, to me, makes the most sense, is this feels like an AI glitch. This feels and we know that they've had other ones where they've pushed people through training too fast, because the AI algorithm thought that they had law enforcement experience when they didn't. And this feels like a similar thing. It seems very unlikely that I'm the only person this happened to. It seems very likely this is more people than me. And I think it does speak to a sort of desperation to fill these slots, the lack of interest at this hiring event. I mean, it's a very specific kind of job, and they're very open about what they do. And I just don't think that most Americans like what they're doing. They don't want to break heads. They don't want to throw flash bangs into cars full of children. They This is repugnant to a lot of people.
MICHAEL DUNNE: And I think, if my memory serves, you know, when you were talking to that woman the recruiting center, one of the things she said was that they want as many, I think the quote was, as many guns on the street as we possibly can. Is my memory correct on that?
LAURA JEDEED: That's about right. And that was so after I had the six-minute interview, we had the option of talking to an ice officer about the job. That was part of the interview process at all. It was just a thing we could do. And that's what that agent said, Yes. He seemed very he wanted me to be to know that I wasn't going to be able to do that right away. And he even said, you know, I've had a lot of people come up to me and be like, you know, I can't wait to put cuffs on people, and I'm just trying to temper expectations. And when I expressed that, that was fine with me, that the attitude changed, like, Look No, but like, we do want, like you said, as many guns on the street as possible, that the focus is enforcement.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Boy, I am wondering too, you know, you also got to select the state that you wanted to you're from New York, and so you got to select there and, and you had talked about the fact that they were, at least, you know, at the outset, offering pretty major bonuses and whatnot, cash bonuses for people.
LAURA JEDEED: Oh, yeah. And, I mean, in this economy, that that means a lot to people, that's, that's life changing money, $50,000 bonus, that'll change your life, especially if you're in debt or something. And I think it's striking that still, you know, despite that offer, despite being like, located in Arlington Texas, which, you know, there are some Republicans within driving distance of Arlington Texas, and yet, you know, there just weren't that many people. I think it really speaks to the unpopularity.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I'm going to ask this as a conjecture question, but I am wondering, after your piece ran, do you think that, because of that, ICE is going to try and tighten down their process? But probably more importantly, you know, given, given the exposure to what you had and how it's been amplified, ICE is already, I think, quite unpopular. Do you think that that, that this is going to really open a lot of eyes for people, especially like, take Minnesota, for example, where it's become almost militarized, and there's a tremendous amount of scrutiny of everything that ICE does, coupled with the fact that, as you illustratively pointed out, there may be a lot of people slipping through the cracks that have no business, you know, holding flash bang grenades or a gun.
LAURA JEDEED: Yeah, yeah. And I think we are seeing that in Minneapolis right now. I think that, you know, we're seeing, and honestly, we've been seeing the whole time. It's not just that they're brutal, and don't deescalate, although that is certainly true. I mean, I remember in video, I think it was out of Chicago where a couple ICE agents tried and failed to throw a man to the ground and cuff it. Now, I don't think they should be doing that, but that is very basic police work. You see signs of this lack of training all over the place, and it just it does. It seems like they're just shoving people into the streets, giving them a mask and a gun, and saying, Go nuts. And we're seeing what that looks like. But I also want to point out that Jonathan Ross, the man who shot Renee good, has about a decade of experience in ice. He's a he's an ice veteran, and I think that speaks to like, ice has been a problem for a long time. Trump didn't make ice a problem. Trump made the problem much, much worse. But you know, you look back, there are reports of horrible abuses during the Biden administration, during the Obama administration. This is a bad organization, and I really hope that when people take a. From this isn't just that their hiring process is bad, but like the whole organization is very broken, and something's very wrong here.
MICHAEL DUNNE: She's Laura Jedeed, a free a freelance journalist who works with Firewalled Media, Laura, I really appreciate the piece, and really appreciate that that you, you know, were very transparent about what you did, and it took a lot of guts. I really appreciate you coming on and explaining it to our audience.
LAURA JEDEED: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Now, let's check in with Senator Ron Wyden about what this past year under Trump has done to Oregon and the nation united states. Senator Ron Wyden always great to talk to you, sir. How are you?
RON WYDEN: Michael, good to be with you again.
MICHAEL DUNNE: So, it's been one year since President Trump has regained the White House, and obviously you know more than all of us with regard to the federal government. And I'm curious to ask you, you know, is there, is there one overriding thing about this past year that has concerned and does concern you the most.
RON WYDEN: There are so many aspects of the year, but the way I would describe it, and particularly right now, is Donald Trump is always trekking around some fantasy island. You see this with the Greenland issue. You know, he constantly is saying that these tariffs are a good thing. No, no, no, no. Tariffs are taxes that are paid by Oregonians. And one out of four jobs in our state revolves around international trade and commerce and the like. And there's a long piece today in The Wall Street Journal, making the same point that these tariffs are taxes on Americans, taxes on Oregonians. And out there in his fantasy island, he focuses on these foreign follies instead of figuring out how to lower prices here at home.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Given what's happened this last year, what gives you signs of optimism, whether it's demonstrations from the opposition or just the tenor may be changing amongst Democrats or other folks.
RON WYDEN: I do think that the tenor is changing. I mean, you see that in the Virginia election. You see that in the New Jersey election in Mississippi and Wisconsin and the like. But I think that the American people are saying, Who's taking care of us? You know, the town meetings. I've had several already. I have one in every county every year. I had more than 1,100 the issues are ones that Trump doesn't talk about, you know, what he's actually going to do to hold down medical costs and groceries and housing and electric bills. He doesn't talk about all those because he's so busy repudiating his campaign promise. His campaign promise was, we're going to stay away from these never-ending wars. We're going to stay away from that. And now he's looking to get into a war any place he can.
MICHAEL DUNNE: I'm curious. Obviously, you do talk to so many people, and you hold so many town halls talk about that affordability issue. The President has famously said affordability is a hoax. I'm not exactly sure I understand what he means by that, but I am curious about especially perhaps in the more rural areas of Oregon, where, you know, a lot of these tariffs hit very hard. Talk about what people are telling you.
RON WYDEN: They're telling me that it's important that their interests come first. Oregonians have figured out Trump and he's for him, not for them, and that's the sign of optimism at town hall meetings that I've really picked up on. And you know, the reality is particularly independence in Oregon. In Oregon, they've had a belly full of this Trump illogic.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Since the last time you and I spoke, there's been tremendous, tremendous challenge, problems, issues, violence, with regard to ICE and specifically in Minneapolis, but of course, here in Oregon too, and I wanted to kind of check in with you on what's happening, and Also, again, what people are telling you about the activities and actions of ICE in city streets.
RON WYDEN: Oregonians are furious. And you know, ice was supposed to be doing things that related to borders and apprehending violent criminals, and now they've got people running around after grandmothers and kids and the like. And we've got an opportunity coming up, particularly January 30, which is the next date with respect to appropriations bills, to cut off the excess spending with respect to ice and set up some guardrails. That's what I'm interested in. And I think there ought to be a role for taking away some of the money from ICE. States and having it for local priorities, which could include, for example, protecting people on the streets.
MICHAEL DUNNE: Talk about the bully pulpit, because you you've used that with regard to what's going on in Newport. And I wanted to ask to get an update on the, you know, the federal government trying to remove that Coast Guard helicopter. I know you've been heavily involved with that. Give us an update on where that stands.
RON WYDEN: We clearly have won the immediate fight with respect to the helicopter. And I think it was a real compliment to grassroots organizing. You know, I heard about this during the Thanksgiving holidays. I had a town hall meeting, something like five or 600 people showed up on short notice to say, look, this would be terrible for our town. Be terrible for tourism, terrible for fishing, just a horrible thing to do to the community. And five days later, Senator Merkley and I were on the phone with the Coast Guard people, and they were saying, we're not going to take the helicopter. And people asked me what this meant, and I said it means that grassroots work in the Trump Era makes a big difference, because we won that fight, because folks in the local area during a holiday came out in huge numbers. And I'm going to be with the fishermen's wives this Thursday in Newport, and I'm going to say this is an example of how you get things done in the Trump era, as you beat him at the grassroots, and show that his positions have no public support.
MICHAEL DUNNE: The Trump legal action or potential legal action against the federal chair, the Federal Reserve Chair. Jerome Powell, I wanted to get your read on it, especially you know, as your position in the finance committee and what that could mean?
RON WYDEN: think it would be yet another example of deranged kind of economics. I mean, you see it with the Greenland issue, you see it with Jerome Powell, it's going to send a message that is going to hurt our economy, because people think we don't have our act together. We're not on top of interest rates, we're not on top of the economic picture. We're not in a position to deal with tariffs. We see a story today, Wall Street Journal making the point I've come back to again and again. These tariffs are taxes. We pay them, not foreigners.
MICHAEL DUNNE: He's United States Senator Ron Wyden, sir, always great to talk to you. Thanks for carving out some time for us.
RON WYDEN: Michael, good, thanks. Let's do it again.
MICHAEL DUNNE: That's the show for today. All episodes of Oregon On The Record are available as a podcast at KLCC.org. Tomorrow on the show, you'll hear from Julie Fahey, the Oregon Speaker of the House, about the upcoming legislative session. I'm Michael Dunne, host of Oregon On The Record, thanks for listening.
