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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