Camouflaging cars and swapping license plates: How agents make immigration arrests

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 2:21: administration, Epstein's lawyers, government vehicles, ICE's policy manual

Notable quotes from "Camouflaging cars and swapping license plates: How agents make immigration arrests"

• Some federal agents seem to be driving around without license plates when making immigration arrests.

  about immigration arrests · at 0:00

• One plate on the front of a car and a different plate on the back, and using a Mexican flag and a Mexican license plate on cars that appear to be used by federal agents.…

  about Mexican flag · at 0:54

• Arrests in the first place and on what grounds. Several agencies including the FBI, DEA, IRS, and local police have been tapped to conduct immigration related investigations…

  about local police · at 1:43

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• politicians — Person · 1 mention · first at 0:26
  Enforcement has also been alleged by activists, court filings, and politicians. Flipping license plates or altering them in any way to avoid detection is strictly prohibited in Illinois.
• Epstein's lawyers — Person · 1 mention · first at 1:30
  The paperwork every time a car without plates is used. Immigration advocates and lawyers, among others, argued that not being able to identify a vehicle can make it difficult…

Books & papers

• ICE's policy manual — Book · 1 mention · first at 1:11
  Displaying government plates if it would interfere with their quote critical duties. But according to ICE's policy manual, exemptions have to be requested.
• World Trade Center — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement — Company · 1 mention · first at 0:35
  This is part of a pattern we've seen over the last few months of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers or ICE and other federal agents concealing their identities. This includes taking license plates off vehicles, flipping.
• local police — Company · 1 mention · first at 1:48
• administration — Company · 1 mention · first at 2:01
  But those names are sometimes not displayed on their vehicles. The administration plans to hire 10,000 more immigration officers by the end of this year. And that means these…
• DEA — Company · 1 mention
• FBI — Company · 1 mention
• ICE — Company · 1 mention
• IRS — Company · 1 mention
• NPR — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

• Mexican flag — Product · 1 mention · first at 0:58
• Mexican license plate — Product · 1 mention · first at 0:58
  One plate on the front of a car and a different plate on the back, and using a Mexican flag and a Mexican license plate on cars that appear to be used by federal agents.…
• government vehicles — Product · 1 mention · first at 1:05
  On cars that appear to be used by federal agents. Federal law says that government vehicles can be exempt from displaying government plates if it would interfere with their…

Concepts & topics

• immigration arrests — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:04
• immigration enforcement — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:19
  It's not just video from bystanders, though. Manipulation of license plates on federal vehicles used in immigration enforcement has also been alleged by activists, court…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Some federal agents seem to be driving around without license plates when making immigration arrests.

0:06 No, no, don't open. We weren't the only ones to notice this. Don't let him in. Don't let him in.

0:15 It's not just video from bystanders, though. Manipulation of license plates on federal vehicles used in immigration enforcement has also been alleged by activists, court filings, and politicians. Flipping license plates or altering them in any way to avoid detection is strictly prohibited in Illinois.

0:34 This is part of a pattern we've seen over the last few months of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers or ICE and other federal agents concealing their identities. This includes taking license plates off vehicles, flipping the plates, so using one plate one day and a different plate the next, using one plate on the front of a car and a different plate on the back, and using a Mexican flag and a Mexican license plate on cars that appear to be used by federal agents. Federal law says that government vehicles can be exempt from displaying government plates if it would interfere with their quote critical duties. But according to ICE's policy manual, exemptions have to be requested.

1:16 NPR asked to see all of the exemptions that have been filed by ICE over the previous year. But ICE didn't send us the documents to confirm they are doing the paperwork every time a car without plates is used. Immigration advocates and lawyers, among others, argued that not being able to identify a vehicle can make it difficult for people to pursue legal claims against agencies when they do something wrong. And it also makes it difficult to identify who is making arrests in the first place and on what grounds. Several agencies including the FBI, DEA, IRS, and local police have been tapped to conduct immigration related investigations and detentions, but those names are sometimes not displayed on their vehicles. The administration plans to hire 10,000 more immigration officers by the end of this year. And that means these kinds of tactics may become more common. With more federal agents in the field, there

2:12 will be more encounters with them and the public and likely more use of unmarked vehicles.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Camouflaging cars and swapping license plates: How agents make immigration arrests"?

In order: 0:00 administration, Epstein's lawyers, government vehicles, ICE's policy manual.

What is mentioned in this NPR episode?

17 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including immigration arrests, immigration enforcement, politicians, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mexican flag, Mexican license plate. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Camouflaging cars and swapping license plates: How agents make immigration arrests"?

The episode runs 2 min; the transcript is about 376 words in 6 timestamped sections.

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