President Trump returned to power on the promise to “carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.” The campaign has already deported thousands, sent waves of terror throughout immigrant communities, and even pushed the country to the brink of a constitutional crisis.

In our first episode, California legal scholar Kevin R. Johnson puts the first months of Trump’s administration in perspective and helps us understand California’s unique role and disturbing role in the country’s immigration history.

Then we look into one for of resistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), “Rapid Response Hotlines.” These community-run, 24/7 lines keep on ICE activity in their neighborhoods, and dispatch legal assistance to those who need it.

To understand how they work, we sit down with filmmaker Paloma Martinez, whose beautiful short documentary “Enforcement Hours” follows the San Francisco Rapid Response Hotline during President Trump’s first term. We’re joined by Finn Palamaro, a staff member at the non-profit Mission Action and the lead organizer on SF’s Rapid Response Hotline.

Thank you for listening to Radio Pacific, from KALW. We're fully independent, local media. The biggest thing you can do to support us is share this episode with your friends, and subscribe to and rate this feed!

You can sign up for our newsletter at radiopacific.co. And please reach out, we'd love to hear from you: eli.cohen@radiopacific.co.