Two of TV's favorite topics popped up on the March 24 episode of CBS’s FBI: white nationalists and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the episode titled “American Dreams”, a terrorist-style hijacking of a school bus loaded with 26 children leads the agents on a hunt for the ringleader of a white nationalist group. An ex-con who developed his hate-filled attitude in prison plots the terror attack in retaliation for the perceived destruction of America because of immigration and Muslims. The leader of the group, Tyler Kane (Steven Boyer), demands $1M ransom.
Tyler Kane: What happened to the American dream? To the jobs? To the hopes that we had for the future? They were taken from us by those from the inner city, by outsiders, by immigrants-- parasites all latching on to what's ours. We need to reclaim this country for real Americans. That requires a violent, watershed moment from which a white nation will rise again. It won't be easy—
With the ringleader identified by the video, the FBI sets out to deliver the ransom. Special Agent Omar Adom 'O.A.' Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) is sent to deliver the payment. At first, Kane doesn’t believe O.A. is an FBI agent because he is Muslim-American. O.A. flashes his badge as identification and Kane snarls his disapproval by saying, “Muslims running the agency, that’s what it has come to.”
At the end of the episode, Jess LaCroix from the Fugitive Task Force who was called in to help assist with this FBI case deals with his daughter being swept up in an ICE raid at a food bank. His daughter is a middle school student who volunteers at the food bank, used mostly by Latinos.
Tali: Dad--dad, can you hear me?
Jess: Yeah, Tali, what's going on?
Tali: I don't know. I'm at the food bank where we volunteer, and it's being raided!
Jess: Raided? Raided by who?
Tali: I don't know--hey! Give me my phone back!
Jess: Tali? Tali!
O.A.: Jess, let's go.
Daniel: The ICE agents came in right before we closed. They herded everybody together and asked for ids.
O.A.: They have a warrant?
Daniel: If they did, I didn't see it. They separated our ten Latina women and girls and Tali.
Jess: Well, this is nuts. Didn't anybody tell them who she was?
Daniel: Hell yeah, I was screaming she was from the middle school. The other kids told him too. Tali even tried telling him her dad was FBI. The head agent said she didn't look American, and that she was going in with the other illegals.
Tali’s Uncle: Funny, she's probably the only real American in the place.
Daniel: I'm sorry. I did everything I could.
Jess: I know you did, Daniel. I appreciate it.
Chloe: Mr. Lacroix? Tali gave it to me before they took her away. They wouldn't let her keep it. I really hope she's okay.
So, an episode about a violent terrorist, a member of the white nationalist movement, develops a random parallel storyline about an ICE raid. The location of that raid just happens to be a food bank and Jess LaCroix’s young daughter just happens to be a volunteer there. The implication is that ICE raids are evil and racist, apparently. How lame.
