Code Switch

How local police extend ICE's reach, even in sanctuary cities

Sanctuary policies have been described on both sides of the aisle as protecting immigrants. But in many ways, in practice, they have given rise to a specific kind of policing that gives ICE a much wider reach than it might otherwise have. We talk to anthropologist Peter Mancina, who is the author of a recent book, On the Side of Ice: Policing Immigrants in a Sanctuary State about his on-the-ground research  embedding with police in New Jersey.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Freedom through the eyes of foes: Rev. Martin Luther King and Sen. Barry Goldwater

In honor of MLK Day, we sit down with historian Nicholas Buccola, author of One Man’s Freedom, to re-examine the concept of "freedom" by comparing the legacies of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and conservative politician Barry Goldwater. In our conversation, Buccola reveals the profound gulf between Goldwater's abstract view of freedom and King's focus on the daily fight for dignity and individual liberty– and he helps us understand what this historical battle can teach us about the fight for freedom today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Venezuela and the long tradition of US interference

The U.S. ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is just the latest chapter in a long, troubling history of American intervention in Latin America. NPR immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd brings us to the New York courthouse where President Maduro was indicted by the U.S. government. We also talk to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Greg Grandin, who explains how the modern concept of national sovereignty — a country’s right to govern itself — originated in Latin America as a response to U.S. expansion.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jelani Cobb talks democracy, Trumpism, and the future of journalism

2026 is off to an intense start, but many of the events we're seeing play out today come out of dynamics that have been building for years. Jelani Cobb, a journalist, historian, and the Dean of Columbia's journalism school, talks to us about his new book, Three of More is a Riot (Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-2025), which analyzes some of the major events of the United States' past decade and a half, and how they've set the groundwork for much of what's happening now.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How 'The Joy Luck Club' highlighted the complicated dynamics of immigrant families

Connecting across generations can be tough, even in the same family. This is at the heart of Amy Tan’s 1989 novel The Joy Luck Club. This week, we're bringing you an episode from NPR's Books We Loved series, where our very own B. A. Parker, along with Andrew Limbong and The Indicator’s Wailin Wong, discuss how miscommunication and misunderstandings between parents and their children continues to be a theme in stories of immigrant families today.You can listen to more Books We Loved in the Book of the Day podcast feed.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy