WhilescouringtheSonoranDesertforobjectsleftbehindbymigrantscrossingintotheUnitedStates,anthropologistJasonDeLeónhappeneduponsomethinghedidn'texpecttogetleftbehind:ahumanarm,strippedofflesh.

Thismacabrediscoverysenthimreeling,needingtoknowwhatexactlyhappenedtothebody,andhowmanymigrantsdiethatwayinthewilderness.Inresearchingborder-crosserdeathsintheArizonadesert,henoticedsomethingsurprising.Sometimeinthelate-1990s,thenumberofmigrantdeathsshotupdramaticallyandhavestayedhighsince.JasontracedthisincreasetoaBorderPatrolpolicystillineffect,called“PreventionThroughDeterrence.”

Firstairedin2018andoverthreeepisodes,Radiolabinvestigatesthispolicy,itssurprisingorigins,andthepeoplewhoseliveswerechangedforeverbecauseofit.

Part3:WhatRemains 

ThethirdepisodeinourBorderTrilogyfollowsanthropologistJasonDeLeónafterhemakesagrislydiscoveryinArivaca,Arizona.Inthemiddleofcarryingouthispigexperimentswithhisstudents,Jasonfindsthebodyofa30-year-oldfemalemigrant.Withthehelpofthemedicalexaminerandsomelocalhumanitariangroups,Jasondiscoversheridentity.HernamewasMaricela.Jasonthenconnectswithherfamily,includingherbrother-in-law,whosurvivedhisownharrowingjourneythroughCentralAmericaandtheArizonadesert.

WiththehumancostofPreventionThroughDeterrenceweighingonourminds,wetrytoparsewhatdrivesmigrantslikeMaricelatocrossthroughsuchdeadlyterrain,andwhat,ifanything,coulddeterthem.

SpecialthankstoCarloAlbán,SandraLopez-Monsalve,ChavaGourarie,LynnM.Morgan,MikeWellsandTomBarry.CORRECTION:Anearlierversionofthisepisode,whenitoriginallyaired,incorrectlystatedthata person'sgendercanbeidentifiedfrom boneremains. We'veadjustedtheaudiotosay thata person's sexcanbeidentifiedfromboneremains.

CITATIONS:

Books:JasonDeLéon’sbookTheLandofOpenGraves(https://zpr.io/vZbTarDzGQWK) TimothyDunn’sbookBlockadingtheBorderandHumanRights(https://zpr.io/VTPWNJPusaCn)JosephNevin'sbook,OperationGatekeeper(https://zpr.io/UTnHFzRstAEw)Articles:Rubio-Goldsmith,Raquel,MelissaMcCormick,DanielMartinez,andInezDuarte.2006.“The‘FunnelEffect’&RecoveredBodiesofUnauthorizedMigrantsProcessedbythePimaCountyOfficeoftheMedicalExaminer,1990-2005.” (https://zpr.io/R3wSpyVCXQhJ)SSRNElectronicJournal.CheckoutmoreofCaitlinDickerson'sreportingforTheAtlantic(https://zpr.io/GAfC2nfEaBeK).

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