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Anyone who wants the facts on immigration controls, policing and border enforcement must follow/subscribe to Dr. Austin Kocher on social media and through his writings on Substack. He is a must follow! His research and data has been widely cited to and noted in both academic and media publications. Dr. Kocher is a geographer and Assistant Research Professor in the Office of Research and Creative Activity in the S.I. Newhouse of Public Communication at Syracuse University (GO ORANGE!!!). He was previously at the Civic Research Data Lab (CRDL) and the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a research lab at Syracuse University that uses Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to study the U.S. immigration enforcement apparatus. In this interview we discuss Dr. Kocher's unconventional path to becoming a well-known expert on immigration enforcement.

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He may have recently retired but you haven't heard the last of Douglas "Doug" Rivlin when it comes to progressive U.S. immigration policies and advocacy. For over thirty years, Doug has been an important voice for the immigrant community. After getting his start in the immigrant rights domain, along with Frank Sharry, as the Director of Communications for the National Immigration Forum, he became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL). Doug has worked tirelessly for immigration reforms that would keep immigrant families together, create more legal opportunities for foreign nationals to immigrate and bring more compassion to our often cruel and unforgiving system. After his work for Rep. Gutierrez, he became the Senior Director of Communication for America’s Voice and America’s Voice Education Fund. In this interview Doug talks about his professional journey and how, although he recently retired, he remains an important voice for the voiceless. You can follow Doug on Bluesky.

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Colorado state representative Naquetta Ricks' immigrant story has been a primary influence in her decision to enter the political arena. Rep. Ricks is the first African immigrant to be elected to the Colorado General Assembly, and the first Liberian American to be elected to any state legislature. At 13 years old she was forced to flee civil war in Liberia, and her family settled in Aurora, Colorado. Thanks to the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which included the amnesty program, Rep. Ricks received legal status.

She is the owner and operator of a successful small mortgage brokerage business and is the founder and President of the African Chamber of Commerce, Colorado USA. As a leading Black woman in business and politics, she works tirelessly to improve her community by helping build economic opportunities, and by championing the rights of immigrants and refugees.