Jonathan Blitzer

speaker

342 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Jul 2026 last heard 14 Jul

Jonathan Blitzer’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

Trend

recordings per month · last 12 months

Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 1 in all, peaking in Jul 2026 with 1.

Appearances

newest first · ▶ plays the moment

Fresh Air · Uncovering abuse inside America's largest ICE detention center · 14 Jul 2026 podcast

At that point, you know, the diabetes medication he was on, a number of other pills he needed to take for blood pressure and other things, he's just not getting.

He's in bed.

He's got these splitting headaches.

He's not able to urinate, which has actually been a problem he's had before that's led to his hospitalization.

And there was a specific moment where he thinks, you know, if I were to collapse, if I were to go into shock of some sort, the same people right now are not even letting me see a doctor or not even letting me have my own medication.

And he had doctors right to the facility.

I mean, basically, there was no question about what his needs were.

He says, you know, if these people are treating me this way now, what would happen if I had suddenly a medical emergency and had to be taken to an emergency room or a hospital?

Would they send me?

And so his feeling after six weeks was –

I have to save myself.

And I am at, you know, I am at mortal risk staying here any longer.

And so when the ICE official who made these regular trips to his unit to ask who was ready to be deported made his visit in December to Ray's unit, Ray finally said, you know what?

I'm ready.

I have to get out of here.

I have to save myself.

And as you mentioned, within 72 hours, he's gone.

And he said to me when we met in person, he said, it's incredible how when ICE actually wants to do something, you see how fast it happens.

He and I met in April, and I was fascinated by the dynamics of where he is in relation to his family, because

You know, anyone who knows the region, you know, the West Texas, northern Mexico borderlands, knows that El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are sister cities.

Showing 181–200 of 342 · page 10 of 18