Obama Calls Immigration An ‘Experiment,’ Cites ICE–National Guard Checkpoints In D.C. And L.A.

At a Sept. 16 forum, former President Obama described large-scale U.S. immigration as an “experiment,” acknowledging civic tensions while urging civil debate. He referenced visible enforcement tactics this summer—ICE working with National Guard on checkpoints in Washington, D.C., and similar activity in Los Angeles—and noted a Supreme Court shadow-docket action related to those practices. The remarks intersect with ongoing federal enforcement surges that have prompted arrests and legal challenges in multiple cities. The piece frames a policy-enforcement feedback loop between elite rhetoric and high-profile deployments.