We dive underneath the latest immigration headlines to make sense of the senseless.

Why did the Trump administration threaten to shut down U.S. green card processing? Why did the press believe that Markwayne Mullin would be a kinder, gentler DHS Secretary than Kristi Noem? Why is Marco Rubio’s State Department promoting the expulsion of people like Marco Rubio?

Plus a 30-second new play and a beautiful story from the steps of the Supreme Court.

In This Episode

  1. Intro
  2. The Stone of Destiny
  3. The green card disaster
  4. Do you want to read the little play I wrote?
  5. Hunger strike at a New Jersey ICE facility
  6. Markwayne Mullin goes bananas
  7. Welcome to the new DHS, same as the old DHS
  8. Is Stephen Miller “in retreat”?
  9. The unspeakable ugliness of “Remigration”
  10. Funding battles in Congress
  11. The DIGNITY Act
  12. Dueling think tanks
  13. The Supreme Court and birthright citizenship
  14. The Supreme Court and Temporary Protected Status
  15. The continuing destruction of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  16. Super-secret easter egg

Learn More

Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (palmer.media). Read more about the topics in this episode:

Trump’s Insane Green Card Policy Doesn’t Have to Be Legal to Work (w/ Doug Rand)

The Bulwark May 24, 2026

Trump on green cards: Speak loudly and carry a little stick

Doug Rand on LinkedIn May 2026

Sen. Andy Kim Seeks Changes After Delaney Hall Melee

New Jersey Monitor May 26, 2026

What to Know About Protests at New Jersey ICE Facility

Time May 26, 2026

Trump’s DHS chief rocked by wild rumor about his WIFE

Daily Mail May 27, 2026

Stephen Miller in Retreat

The Atlantic May 11, 2026

How Trump’s Minneapolis Immigration Blitz Hobbled Federal Crime Fighting

Reuters May 7, 2026

Under Trump, State Department Language on Migration Echoes That of White Nationalists

NPR May 15, 2026

We spend more on ICE and CBP than all other federal law enforcement combined

Doug Rand on LinkedIn May 2026

Why MAGA has a problem with Maria [DIGNITY Act]

Politico Apr. 12, 2026

The Case for a Different Approach

Lorella Praeli Substack Apr. 30, 2026

No More Back Doors: Recapturing the Public’s Trust on Immigration

Searchlight Institute Mar. 23, 2026

Supreme Court Appears Likely to Side Against Trump on Birthright Citizenship

SCOTUSblog Apr. 1, 2026

Haiti & Syria Temporary Protected Status Case at Supreme Court: What You Need to Know

ACLU of Northern California Apr. 2026

Trump Secretly Overhauled Citizenship Agency to Focus on Deportations

The New Republic Apr. 20, 2026

New Ban Bars Half of Legal Immigrants, Even Citizens’ Spouses & Kids

Cato Institute Jan. 14, 2026

Press Unpause – USCIS Adjudication Pause Tracker