News Digest: Green Card Chaos, Hunger Strikes, and Stern Dad Energy

We dive underneath the latest immigration headlines to make sense of the senseless. Why did the Trump administration threaten to shut down U.S. green card processing? Why did the press believe that Markwayne Mullin would be a kinder, gentler DHS Secretary than Kristi Noem? Why is Marco Rubio’s State Department promoting the expulsion of people like Marco Rubio? Plus a 30-second new play and a beautiful story from the steps of the Supreme Court.

==Learn More==

Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (⁠palmer.media⁠). Read more about the topics in this episode:

* Trump’s Insane Green Card Policy Doesn’t Have to Be Legal to Work (w/ Doug Rand) - The Bulwark (May 24, 2026)

* Trump on green cards: Speak loudly and carry a little stick - Doug Rand on LinkedIn (May 2026)

* Sen. Andy Kim Seeks Changes After Delaney Hall Melee - New Jersey Monitor (May 26, 2026)

* What to Know About Protests at New Jersey ICE Facility - Time (May 26, 2026)

* Trump's DHS chief rocked by wild rumor about his WIFE - Daily Mail (May 27, 2026)

* Stephen Miller in Retreat - The Atlantic (May 11, 2026)

* How Trump's Minneapolis Immigration Blitz Hobbled Federal Crime Fighting - Reuters (May 7, 2026)

* Under Trump, State Department Language on Migration Echoes That of White Nationalists - NPR (May 15, 2026)

* We spend more on ICE and CBP than all other federal law enforcement combined - Doug Rand on LinkedIn (May 2026)