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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.

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Myles Traphagen is the ultimate champion for migrant rights: for insects, animals and humans. He is a recognized advocate for the conservation and protection of our ecology in the face of human-created devastation. Myles is consistently cited to and quoted by numerous media organizations when it comes to the negative impact of the border wall on the natural environment on the U.S./Mexico border. As the Borderlands Program Coordinator for the Wildlands Network, Myles is the foremost expert on the borderlands region with a focus on channeling collaborative efforts to maintain and restore habitat for species like jaguar, black bear and Sonoran pronghorn. His critical research has documented dramatic reductions in wildlife crossings through border walls compared to vehicle barriers and highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to preserve biodiversity and restore wildlife connectivity in the region. He is an important voice against the border wall and other human-made barriers.

Myles also serves as an important advocate for the rights of migrants who travel through the Southwest border and speaks about his experiences in assisting them. His perspective is extremely important and he embodies the MLK, Jr. quote: "let's build bridges, not walls." Please join me and listen to Myles' story and his unique experiences working on the border for the common good.

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Ehadj (El) Ndoye embodies the phrase "giving back". He immigrated from Senegal as a student and found a permanent home and community in Tucson, Arizona. However, El never forgot his roots and in 2010 he founded "The Forgotten Children", a non-profit geared towards helping the street children (talibè) in Senegal by achieving goals of self-sufficiency. What began as a means of providing clothes and other necessities to the orphaned, impoverished and homeless children in M'bour Senegal, West Africa, became a larger mission. Behind El's leadership, they established a boarding school that would provide safe housing, nourishment and education for these children in dire need. El published his memoir, Dream On, Seydou: A Memoir Of A Senegalese Immigrant, where you can learn about his life story, the motivation behind his non-profit organization and how they took a desolate plot of land and turned it into a place of education and safety for some of the most vulnerable in our world. His story serves as an inspiration for all and he has now helped many Senegalese orphans get an education and a chance at opportunity and success.

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The 1st Annual Immigration Condemnation Awards. In this episode I review some of the most ridiculous stories about our government in 2024 from immigration lawyers. At the conclusion, I name a winner of the most absurd story. Let's air our grievances on this December 23rd and never forget that Festivus is for the rest of us!!

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Andrew Fels and Natalie Cadwalader-Schultheis are human rights attorneys who bring a voice to the voiceless. Through litigation and research they are exposing the U.S. government's violations of international law and unlawful use of inhumane policies that force migrants into situations where they disappear and/or die.

Natalie and Andrew join me to discuss how this occurs under the current enforcement construct and how the U.S. Border Patrol and ICE are complicit in these acts. In one study conducted by Natalie and Diego F. Leal they collected and analyzed data from 117 respondents and found that 73 percent who were in BP custody experienced an enforced disappearance as they were unable to make phone calls and were offered no reliable publicly accessible locator system to be located by. Both lawyers are exposing these human rights violations and, in turn, hope to push for more transparency by the U.S. government. Their efforts could save lives and prevent these agencies from functioning as a secret police.

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Imagine being separated from family in your native country for 30 years. No ability to visit them and return to the U.S. Samantha “Sam” Ramirez-Herrera lived this and finally got the opportunity to visit her native land and family thanks to a special travel permit called "advance parole". As a filmmaker, the DACA recipient and immigration rights advocate documented the trip to Mexico in a beautiful film called "El Regreso". The film is described: "Against the vibrant visual backdrop of Mexico's Day Of The Dead, "El Regreso" explores rebirth through the lens of one dreamer's awakening."

In our interview, Sam provides a candid look into her evolution from being an undocumented child to having DACA and becoming a filmmaker/entrepreneur who has created over a hundred jobs in the process. Sam will not be deterred by the haters in our society and provides a refreshing perspective on life as an immigrant with no current path to citizenship.