- Netflix’s six-part documentary “Immigration Nation” began filming in 2017, its creators embedded in the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service.
- The documentary shows ICE agents lying to immigrants, illegally breaking into a home, and expressing joy at the order to “arrest as many people as possible,” The New York Times reported.
- The Trump administration tried to block the release of the job until after the 2020 election, according to The Times.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The Trump administration struggled to prevent the release of a new Netflix documentary that provides a behind-the-scenes look at its immigration policy in action, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Filmmakers Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau began work on the project shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, embedded in the reported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service.
Although the project was approved by ICE leadership, the Trump administration attempted to block the release of the final product until after the 2020 election, and avoid releasing certain segments entirely.
According to The Times, the six-part documentary shows that “ICE officers lie to immigrants to gain access to their homes,” and shows an officer “illegally opening the lock on an apartment building during a raid.”
And although the agency publicly stated that it was prioritizing the deportation of murderers and rapists, The Times reported that “the filmmakers observed numerous occasions when officers expressed satisfaction after supervisors told them to arrest as many people as possible, even those with no criminal record. ” “
An ICE spokeswoman, Jenny Burke, told The Times that the agency “wholeheartedly disputes the allegations made by the filmmakers of this production” and denied the allegations.
But the agency was unable to stop its release: “Immigration Nation” will appear on Netflix in August.
Do you have a news tip? Email this reporter: [email protected]
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider parent company Axel Springer, is a board member of Netflix.