The zero tolerance thing came from a taxi driver, so definitely taken with a grain of salt. I think he implied that run ins with the police had a high likelihood of resulting in deportation, which I think was via termination of a work visa. He was an immigrant himself, so I don’t know if that’s just his consumption of some iffy media.
But I will push back that it’s not just an “American racism is well known” thing. Maybe their comfort in bringing it up to a stranger, but I had many conversations with the overarching theme of “there’s a job crisis in Australia, and immigrants are causing problems, both because they’re taking jobs, and because they’re causing tensions”
I remember one claim that Kiwis were frequently rough and rowdy, which I found hilarious given their representation in media. But I guess blue collar migrant workers anywhere can be a little rough around the edges.