Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced that anyone who enters the United States illegally will be prosecuted, even if they are seeking asylum. This hour, we get the details on current immigration policies, and we ask: what has “legal immigration" really meant throughout our country’s history?
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GUESTS:
- Dr. Jason Chang - Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies at UConn (@chinotronic)
- Rafael Bernal - Staff Writer for The Hill Latino (@Rafael_Bernal_)
- Jon Bauer - Clinical Professor of Law at UConn Law School, where he directs the Asylum and Human Rights Clinic
- Mark Krikorian - Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (@MarkSKrikorian)
READING LIST:
NPR: Sessions Says 'Zero Tolerance' For Illegal Border Crossers, Vows To Divide Families - "If you cross this border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It's that simple," said Sessions. "If you smuggle illegal aliens across our border, then we will prosecute you. If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don't like that, then don't smuggle children over our border."
The New Yorker: When Deportation Is A Death Sentence – “In the past decade, a growing number of immigrants fearing for their safety have come to the U.S., only to be sent back to their home countries—with the help of border agents, immigration judges, politicians, and U.S. voters—to violent deaths. Even as border apprehensions have dropped, the number of migrants coming to the U.S. because their lives are in danger has soared.”
The Atlantic: A Brief History of America’s ‘Love-Hate Relationship’ With Immigration – “But while Trump’s immigration plan is more restrictive than those of recent presidents, historians see parallels between the current moment and the early 20th century, when Congress passed multiple laws designed to shrink the number of immigrants in the United States.”
Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
