CRISIS ON THE BORDER

An examination of the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Divided into four chapters, with plentiful color images and informative sidebars, this broad dive into recent immigration issues looks at Latin American migrants who risk everything in an attempt to start over in the U.S. and the Trump administration’s efforts to curb and deter the flow of refugees. Readers first learn about the much publicized 2018 migrant caravan from Central America: Hondurans and others braved a dangerous journey to the border near Tijuana in search of asylum in the U.S. and an escape from the violence ravaging Central America. The sheer size of the migrant caravan led to the failure of an ill-equipped U.S. response that exposed an aggressive anti-immigration agenda, exemplified by President Donald Trump’s zero tolerance policy and the administration’s subsequent response to the widespread backlash against the separation of parents and children. Despite the comprehensive inclusion of differing perspectives, including an enlightening passage by an immigration judge, the author falls short of condemning the Trump administration’s policies, possibly normalizing some of the rhetoric coming out of the White House. This accessible overview excels by dedicating space for words from migrants, refugees, and Dreamers stuck in a stifling bureaucratic limbo. A final chapter on potential paths for change offers some glimmer of hope.

A generous, if flawed, survey of a complex, knotty issue.