Hard Knock Radio Recap: Javier Gonzalez of ICEBreakers Sounds the Alarm on Mass Deportations and Surveillance State

In a powerful and urgent conversation, Hard Knock Radio host Davey D sat down with Los Angeles organizer and longtime activist Javier Gonzalez of ICEBreakers to break down the deepening immigrant crackdown and the political infrastructure behind it. Gonzalez, known for his street-level organizing and insight into power systems, laid out how ICE raids have become more aggressive and widespread " not just targeting Latinx communities, but also Black and Asian immigrants across the country.

Gonzalez traced todays deportation machinery back to bipartisan roots " spotlighting how Democrats like Janet Napolitano and Barack Obama laid much of the groundwork now being amplified by Trump and Stephen Miller. He criticized nonprofit industrial complexes and legacy immigrant rights groups for becoming complicit, cashing in on DACA renewals and providing PR cover instead of real resistance.

He warned that the real danger isnt just ICE"its the creation of a national surveillance apparatus, bolstered by federal funds and linked county-to-county through systems like the Joint Regional Intelligence Centers. These networks, Gonzalez argued, are quietly enabling a privatized deportation army with bonuses for arrests and long-term political aims, including postponing elections and expanding authoritarian control.

Despite the grim landscape, Gonzalez emphasized the need for grassroots rebuilding " from forming new organizations and mutual aid networks to confronting city officials about their complicity. The refuge is in the home, he said. We build from there.

He called out performative activism and urged people to act with intention: organize, do research, hold officials accountable, and use art and social media strategically. We dont need everyone. We need the fearless ones, Gonzalez declared, reminding listeners that resistance begins with trust, family, and community.