In a powerful Thursday night monologue, The Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng delivered a scathing critique of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), urging the public to scrutinize the agency's aggressive tactics and controversial recruitment drive.
Questionable Recruitment and Training Practices
Chieng highlighted a concerning shift in ICE's hiring strategy over the past year. He pointed out that the agency has actively sought to bring aboard "gun rights supporters" and "military enthusiasts." More alarmingly, he cited reports that ICE's training program has accepted new recruits who had failed drug tests and possessed disqualifying criminal backgrounds, raising serious questions about vetting standards.
"Cartoonishly Evil" Acts and Neighborhood Terror
The comedian argued that ICE has been "terrorizing people in their own neighborhoods" and presented what he called a "cartoonishly evil" example. He referenced an incident where agents allegedly deployed what appeared to be tear gas on a children's Halloween parade in Chicago. "What the fuck? It's a Halloween parade. Those are just kids, they weren't actual Korean demon hunters," Chieng quipped, emphasizing the disproportionate use of force.
Chieng stressed that the violence is not incidental but intentional. "The violence and showing the violence is the point," he explained, arguing that ICE agents "don't need to be this violent."
Addressing the Fatal Shooting of Renee Nicole Good
The segment turned to the recent case of 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minnesota. Chieng directly challenged claims from some officials, including President Donald Trump, that the agent "feared for his safety" after video of the shooting surfaced.
"We also have to acknowledge that this woman probably feared for her safety, too. And for good reason," Chieng stated. He further criticized the common refrain to simply comply with law enforcement, noting it is unhelpful "when ICE has spent the past year acting less like law enforcement and more like a lawless militia."
Chieng concluded with a grim prediction, stating that such violent outcomes will continue "not because ICE is going into dangerous situations but because they keep going into safe situations and then making them more dangerous than they need to be."
The full monologue from Ronny Chieng's Thursday appearance on The Daily Show is available for viewing online.
