Insha Rahman: Americans are Pissed, Energized, and Paying Attention

In this episode, I sit down with Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy at the Vera Institute of Justice and Director of Vera Action, for a conversation about public safety, immigration, and the growing disconnect between political rhetoric and reality.



We unpack how crime and immigration have been deliberately weaponized in national politics, despite data showing declining crime rates and the fact that most people targeted by immigration enforcement do not have criminal convictions. We talk about the lack of accountability within ICE, the real human impact of immigration enforcement, and why fear-driven narratives continue to dominate the public conversation.



The episode also explores federal power and recent Supreme Court decisions, including a ruling that limits a president’s ability to deploy the National Guard under the current justification. We discuss why that decision matters, what it signals about executive overreach, and why vigilance is still necessary moving forward.



We focus on why local action matters, how states like Alabama are central to the future of criminal justice reform, and what evidence-based, community-driven public safety actually looks like in practice.



Finally, we talk about what comes next. Insha shares concrete ways people can get involved locally to support immigrants and resist federal overreach, and we discuss how Democrats have an opportunity to reclaim the public safety conversation heading into the 2026 elections.



Got a hot take? Think you’re not wrong about something? I want to hear it. Call me and leave a voicemail at (205)538-3202 and follow along on Instagram @HesNotWrongPodcast, and let’s keep the conversation going.



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