This may be a first. “CNN NewsNight” host Abby Phillp had to warn panelists to “keep their hands to themselves” as the discussion over President Donald Trump’s deadly ICE crackdown in Minneapolis took a heated turn during an intense exchange between two commentators and almost turned physi cal. The debate centered around whether agents with Customs and Immigration Enforcement are racially profiling immigrants and minorities in Minneapolis as they patrol mostly Black and brown neighborhoods in Trump’s weekslong anti-immigration operation searching for people to detain and deport. Conservative Ben Ferguson gets into heated debate with Dr. Cornel West. (Credit: CNN Video Screengrab) The debate, which aired on Tuesday night, Jan. 20, started as right-wing podcaster Ben Ferguson, who had just had an angry exchange with another panelist, began arguing with philosopher and political activist Dr. Cornel West. West stated that “neither one of the parties want to tell the truth.” ‘Unbelievable!’: Trump Goes Off the Rails, Tries to Drag a Staffer On Camera Into Backing Dubious Evidence for His Next Power Move — and She Refuses to Play Along “That might have little to do with truth, little to do with justice. When you’re terrorizing and traumatizing people who are disproportionately chocolate, of course it’s racist,” he declared. That’s when MAGA voter Ferguson jumped in. “True or false?’ “What’s that, brother?” West asked. “Did we allow millions of people unvetted into this country, many of them who are criminals, rapists, child molesters, child rapists, murderers, gangbangers, people killing people with fentanyl,” Ferguson listed. “Ok how long is your question going to go, brother,” West interjected. “It’s a long list,” Ferguson shot back. That’s when West started tapping him on the wrist. “I think you’ve got enough.” That’s when the pair began speaking over each other. “OK, when you let 10 million, 15 million into this country,” the conservative commentator responded. “You guys did that,” he added. “Ok let me tell you what my answer is,” West began. “There’s no doubt the Democrats were a colossal failure when it came to immigration.” “Thank you,” Ferguson spit out. “That’s a fact,” West acknowledged. As Ferguson tried to interrupt, West leaned over and began trying to grab his hands. “Let me finish!” That’s when Phillip was forced to intervene. “Guys alright, Dr. West. Everybody keep their hand to themselves at the table please,” she requested. “It’s ok, I love this man,” Ferguson stated as he and West looked like they might start hugging each other. West returned the favor. While his passion remained, he assured Ferguson, “You know I wouldn’t go and start swinging on you.” “But it is a rhetorical swing because the fact is this, if every immigrant disappeared in America tomorrow, which makes it a distraction now because we’re talking about immigrants, we’d still have poverty, we’d still have deep conflict, class, racial conflict.” Dr Cornel West and MAGA podcaster Ben Ferguson get handsy on CNN's NewsNight with Abby Phillip last night. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/rNB5AUL3hp— Leigh Kimmins McManus (@LeighMcManus1) January 21, 2026 “You have a lot less crime,” Ferguson interrupted. “Well not necessarily,” West quickly countered. The discussion comes after a Minneapolis mother of three, 37-year-old Renee Good was gunned down by ICE agent Jonathan Ross the morning of Jan. 7 after dropping her child off at school. Good was stopped on a street in her neighborhood and was trying to leave a growing anti-ICE protest. Video of the scene shows Ross leaned in toward her vehicle instead of backing away and as she attempted to drive away, he gunned her down through the driver side window. Trump and his administration officials blamed Good, calling her a “domestic terrorist” then  amped up the crackdown in response, sparking widespread and ongoing protests. Criticism of ICE’s operation has been loud and vocal because its focused predominantly on minority neighborhoods in Minneapolis, which has the largest population of Somali Americans in the country and who Trump has disturbingly and repeatedly targeted with racist language and criminal accusations. Opponents have claimed the government is racially profiling Black and brown people during the crackdown and has felt emboldened to do so after a Supreme Court shadow docket ruling last September which allowed immigration agents to stop anyone they think might be in the U.S. illegally, according to The Guardian. The majority in the court’s decision, which allowed racial profiling, said ethnicity and race can be factors among others when targeting potential illegal migrants. ‘Yikes!’: CNN Debate Spins Out as a Trump Ally Sets Off a Heated Reaction, Things Get Physical — Then Cornel West Makes One Move That Stuns the Room ...read more read less