Border Policies Affecting Both Immigrants and Refugees

     I listened to "The Moving Border: Part Two, The South" on Latino USA.  This episode was first broadcast on May 27, 2020, and I listened to this podcast on September 9, 2021. The host, Maria Hinojosa, tells us about the story of a man, Josue, and his journey of refuge.  She goes in depth about how Josue is stuck between immigration policies at an immigration center in Tapachula, Mexico and ongoing conflict in his home country Honduras.  Not only did the immigration policies impact Josue's experience with the immigration/refugee system, but it turned out that Mexico "suffers from many of the same issues around safety as the places migrants are escaping from"(44:55-45:07).  So ultimately, Josue's choices are to stay with his grandma in Honduras where he is constantly targeted and beat, or to flee to a refugee center in Tapachula, Mexico that is very underfunded, understaffed, and cannot fully promise one's safety.

Refugees in line at a camp in South America.

    As far as what I liked about the topics discussed in this podcast, I gained a perspective on the lengths that people are going to in order to get a chance to be in the United States.  Though Josue's story is not an ideal experience, it has taught me to be grateful for the opportunities that I have as a United States citizen.  In terms of things I did not like about the topics, I just think it's unfair that the U.S. sometimes can't share some of the good things it has with other countries.  For example, in Josue's case, "he left Tapachula the day before [Maria Hinojosa] arrived" because some guys "had beat him up in the market" leaving him scared for his life (34:37-34:43).  When one flees to another country seeking refuge, they hope to be kept safe by refugee and immigration centers, so I think that that is something the United States should be more open to doing.  A topic that I think the radio show should cover is how immigration policies and refugee centers in South America are affecting other migrants.

    A current event that can be related to this podcast is the refugees in Afghanistan coming to the United States.  I read an article titled "Americans Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Afghan Refugees, Even as Political Rhetoric Heats Up" by Holly Bailey and Annie Gowen of The Washington Post.  To sum it up, the United States is expecting many refugees to arrive from Afghanistan as a result of the withdraw of the U.S. army and the return of the Taliban.  In preparation, the State Department "approved 34,500 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. military over two decades"(Bailey). However, this is sparking debates politically as both democratic and republican representatives are voicing their opinions on the matter.

Sen. Joni Ernst, in apron, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speak to reporters about the Hawkeye State’s refugee relocation plan Aug. 18. (David Pitt/AP)
Iowa representatives talk to reporters about refugee plan.

    This podcast has opened my eyes to more of the issues that go on outside the U.S. and things that I don't usually see every day.  The news article that I read gave me a better idea on how people from different political parties think.  I also got to see both democrats and republicans express their views about the topic of immigration.  For example, republican representative Tom Tiffany said that the White House should "abandon this dangerous, ready-fire-aimplan and mitigate risk by transporting Afghans to safe third countries for vetting before bringing thousands of unknown people into Wisconsin or other U.S. states"(Bailey).  This ties into the theme of humanity because although many people may not have had the same experience as Josue, but there are plenty of people that have had problems with seeking refuge and immigrating before.  And although it is not an experience that many people share, Josue's story causes people to feel some kind of emotion towards him, and I think that's what connects us as humans.

Works Cited

Bailey, Holly, and Annie Gowen. “Americans Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Afghan Refugees, Even as Political RHETORIC Heats Up.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 21 Aug. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/national/americans-prepare-to-welcome-thousands-of-afghan-refugees-even-as-political-rhetoric-heats-up/2021/08/20/55cbc638-012d-11ec-85f2-b871803f65e4_story.html.

Hinojosa, Maria.  "Latino USA." PRX, 27 May 2020, https://beta.prx.org/stories/353395?play=true.


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