Radio Reimagine

Sheriffs wield immense power over U.S. county jails, controlling the lives of a third of the nation’s incarcerated population in addition to acting as enforcers of immigration law.

What happens when the Constitutional Sheriffs network finds an ally in the White House? In this episode, we uncover how far-right networks leveraged the power of local sheriffs to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a nationwide crackdown on immigrants. In February 2019, ICE launched a series of raids across North Carolina, arresting...

Why do far-right activists in the West, from the Bundys to the militias that occupied Oregon’s federal land in 2016, harbor such deep resentment toward the federal government? And how did sheriffs become protectors of ranchers in their standoff with federal authorities? In this episode, we examine how key figures within the Constitutional Sheriffs and...

Why are sheriffs aligning with right-wing insurgents? We take you back to 2012, inside a conference room in Las Vegas, where a new far-right network of sheriffs—the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA)—held its first-ever gathering. Their mission? To combat what they saw as the “socialist” agenda under former President Obama. CSPOA openly fosters alliances...

How are far-right groups shaping the future of law enforcement and racial justice across America? After George Floyd's murder by police ignited global protests, a dark story unfolded in the small town of Minden, Nevada. Through firsthand accounts, this episode traces the chilling reality faced by racial justice protesters in 2020—who were violently run out of town by militias in coordination with their local sheriff. With echoes of the town's long history of vigilantes and law enforcement working hand in hand, this underreported story exposes the dangerous alliance between far-right militias and county sheriffs, fueled by the national network of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association.

On todays show our Host Preeti Shekar will interview three social and environmental justice activists on the topic from Bhopal to the Bay looking at connections between environmental justice struggles in India, San Francisco, and beyond. Host: Preeti Shekar Guests: Rachna Dhingra, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal Arieann Harrison, Marie Harrison Community Foundation for Social...