WhilescouringtheSonoranDesertforobjectsleftbehindbymigrantscrossingintotheUnitedStates,anthropologistJasonDeLeónhappeneduponsomethinghedidn'texpecttogetleftbehind:ahumanarm,strippedofflesh.
Thismacabrediscoverysenthimreeling,needingtoknowwhatexactlyhappenedtothebody,andhowmanymigrantsdiethatwayinthewilderness. Inresearchingborder-crosserdeathsintheArizonadesert,henoticedsomethingsurprising.Sometimeinthelate-1990s,thenumberofmigrantdeathsshotupdramaticallyandhavestayedhighsince.JasontracedthisincreasetoaBorderPatrolpolicystillineffect,called“PreventionThroughDeterrence.”
Firstairedin2018andoverthreeepisodes,Radiolabinvestigatesthispolicy,itssurprisingorigins,andthepeoplewhoseliveswerechangedforeverbecauseofit.
Part2:HoldtheLine
AftertheshowdownincourtwithBowieHighSchool,BorderPatrolbringsinafreshfacetoheaditsdysfunctionalElPasoSector:SilvestreReyes.ThefirstMexican-Americantoeverholdtheposition,Reyesknowssomethingneedstochangeandhasanideahowtodoit.OneSaturdaynightatmidnight,withtheelementofsurpriseonhisside,Reyesunveils...OperationBlockade.ItwinswidespreadsupportfortheBorderPatrolinElPaso,butsparksmajorprotestsacrosstheRioGrande.Soonafter,hegetsaphonecallthatcatapultshislittleexperimentontothenationalstage,whereitworkssowellthatitdivertsmigrantcrossingpatternsalongtheentireU.S.-MexicoBorder.
Yearslater,intheArizonadesert,anthropologistJasondeLeónrealizesthatinordertoaccuratelygaugehowmanymigrantsdiecrossingthedesert,hemustfirstunderstandhowhumanbodiesdecomposeinsuchanextremeenvironment.Hesetsupamacabreexperiment,andwhathefindsismoredrasticthananythinghecouldhaveexpected.
SpecialthankstoSherrieKossoudjiattheUniversityofMichigan,LynnM.Morgan,CherylHoward,AndrewHansen,WilliamSabol,DonaldB.White,DanielMartinez,MichelleMittelstadtattheMigrationPolicyInstitute,FormerExecutiveAssistanttotheElPasoMayorMarkSmith,RetiredAssistantBorderPatrolSectorChiefClydeBenzenhoefer,PaulAnderson,EricRobledo,MaggieSouthardGladstoneandKateHall.CORRECTION:Anearlierversionofthispiece,whentheepisodeoriginallypublishedin2018,incorrectlystatedthatSilvestreReyes'sbrotherdiedinacaraccidentin1968;itwasactuallyhisfatherwhodiedintheaccident. Wealsoomittedadetailaboutthe1997GAOreportthatwequote,namelythatitpredictedthatasdeathsinthemountainsanddesertsmightrise,deathsinotherareasmightalsofall.Theaudiowasadjustedaccordingly.
EPISODECREDITS:
Reportedby-LatifNasser
withhelpfrom-TracieHunte
Producedby-MattKielty
withhelpfrom-BethelHabte,LatifNasser
EPISODECITATIONS:
Art:
JasondeLeon'slatestworkisaglobalparticipatoryartprojectcalledHostileTerrain94 (https://zpr.io/dNEyVpAiNXjv),whichwillbeexhibitedatover70differentlocationsaroundtheworldin2020. Readmoreaboutithere (https://zpr.io/uwDfu9bXFriv).
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