Former Border Patrol agent Jenn Budd breaks down how CBP, ICE, and DHS have structurally shielded agents from accountability — and what it will take to change the law.
Walter Rhein and Nick Paro welcomed former U.S. Border Patrol Senior Agent and author Jenn Budd to dissect how the legal and institutional architecture of CBP, ICE, and DHS protects Agents who commit violence, sexual assault, and murder — as the deliberate design. Jenn traced the through-line from internal cover-up teams called Critical Incident Teams (CITs) — now rebranded as CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility — to the ongoing obstruction of state investigations into the shootings of Alex Petti and Renee Nicole Good, connecting these cases to the broader pattern of federal agencies blocking accountability through selective jurisdiction.
The conversation shifted from exposé to strategy: Jenn announced her forthcoming ICE primer ICE: What Everyone Needs to Know and explained her pivot from documenting individual agent misconduct to targeting the policy and legal frameworks that make accountability structurally impossible — specifically the Federal Tort Claims Act, which effectively bars civil suits against federal agents for assault and battery. Walter’s note landed the episode’s most disarming gut-punch: his seventh-grade daughter, told that the U.S. is the only country to have dropped nuclear bombs on civilians, responded, “Well, who else would it be, dad?” — a moment the panel read as proof that the next generation already sees through the indoctrination.
The discussion closed with a clear call: film federal agents when you can, primary spineless Democrats, support independent media, and show up in community — because peaceful, visible resistance is both strategically superior and the only thing authoritarian systems can’t easily justify crushing.
I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community!.