I'm Erika Andiola: immigrant, activist, and host of the podcast Homeland Insecurity, which asks, "How did immigrants like me become the enemy?" We answer that question by investigating the unwritten history of the Department of Homeland Security. The first 4 episodes are available now. New episodes available weekly beginning September 28. 

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Nearly 20 years ago, Presidents George W. Bush and Vicente Fox stand side by side on the White House lawn, poised to broker a deal that would give undocumented Mexican immigrants in the US a path to becoming documented. That deal never came to pass. Days later, 9/11 forever changed the course of immigration in this country and the future for immigrants like our host Erika Andiola. Overtaken by a climate of fear, Congress and the White House created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a department with a vague mandate and almost unlimited resources. Join us as we trace the unwinding of US immigration policy and the dangerous consequences of increasingly unchecked powers of government.

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On the heels of 9/11, early warning signs indicate that the US is changing its approach to immigration. Congress approves a hiring spree at DHS’s newly-created Customs and Border Protection (CBP), doubling the size of Border Patrol forces by 2010. CBP quickly becomes the largest law enforcement agency in the country—and the most corrupt. The impact: dire consequences for immigrants. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.