This edition of From Our Eyes features Juan Delacruz (’26 Psychology, Sociology minor), John Partida (’28 Business), and Mark Patton (’28 Sociology) sharing their experiences attending the Engaging the World event, Caught in the Crackdown, with A.C. Thompson, who reported and led the investigation for the documentary. This event screened segments from the PBS and ProPublica Frontline special, which traces the violence, protests, and arrests stemming from federal immigration sweeps across the United States, and was followed by a panel discussion.
This month, we attended Caught in the Crackdown, a documentary screening and panel discussion as part of Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences’ Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on People and Communities in Motion series. It featured investigative journalist A.C. Thompson of ProPublica and Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano, with Dr. Nancy Ríos-Contreras (Sociology) moderating the discussion.
The event began with a shortened screening of the documentary, which examined federal immigration enforcement operations and interactions with protesters across the United States. As students studying psychology, sociology, and business, we were interested in how these issues connected to government institutions, accountability, and the communities affected.
What stood out to us was the amount of time and dedication Thompson put into producing the documentary. He shared that his team spent approximately ten months reporting on the ground and collected enough footage to produce a second documentary. Hearing this gave us a greater appreciation for investigative journalism and the effort required to document these events.
Another aspect the documentary highlighted was the amount of concerning evidence regarding immigration raids and arrests. The documentary raised questions about the justification for certain arrests and charges, including accounts suggesting that some individuals were detained based on suspicion rather than being specifically identified as enforcement targets. These details encouraged us to look beyond headlines and examine how laws are enforced.
One particularly memorable scene showed federal agents receiving instructions to remain professional and ethical before an operation. However, the footage that followed showed confrontations with protesters, including the use of pepper spray and arrests. The contrast between those instructions and the agents’ actions raised questions about restraint and accountability.
During the Q&A, a student veteran questioned whether the documentary portrayed ICE negatively. Thompson acknowledged that protesters who assault officers should be arrested but explained that he had not personally witnessed the protesters engaging in violent behavior during his reporting. This exchange demonstrated how people can interpret the same footage differently and highlighted the importance of asking questions.
One of our biggest takeaways was that regardless of whether someone leans politically to the right or left, facts, evidence, and the rule of law should remain important. We may disagree about immigration policies, but those differences should not prevent us from questioning how laws are enforced or whether they are applied fairly.
We appreciate that Wilkinson College provides opportunities to engage with complex issues beyond the classroom. This experience reminded us that understanding an issue requires more than reading headlines. It requires examining evidence, considering different perspectives, and forming our own conclusions.
Photo header: (left to right) Gustavo Arellano (Los Angeles Times columnist) and A.C. Thompson (speaker) at the ETW Caught in the Crackdown screening event. Photo by Violet Gude (’29 Broadcast Journalism major; CCI minor).
