Stephen Miller, the architect behind many Trump-era immigration policies, recently established America First Legal, a conservative organization aimed at "resisting the radical left's agenda." This week, we break down who Miller is, the policies he enacted, and how he came into power. Later on in the episode, we spoke with journalist and author of Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda about what contributes to Miller's worldview, and why immigration was the most logical vehicle for him to advance white nationalist talking points. Jean Guerrero is an award-win ..read more

This week, Sophia and Maria consider what Title 42, a little-known provision of U.S. health law which the former Trump administration invoked to achieve its long-desired goal of shutting the border, is and how it has been carried out since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later on in the episode, Wall Street Journal reporter Michelle Hackman joins them to discuss her observations on the policy, and how the immigration space has changed over the last 5 years. Michelle Hackman is a reporter in The Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau, where she covers immigration policy and the Departm ..read more

For our first episode under a new Biden administration, Sophia and Maria reflect on one of the most impactful aspect of Trump’s time in office: his dehumanizing rhetoric toward immigrants. Later on in the episode, journalist Julio Ricardo Varela joins them to discuss how this dehumanizing rhetoric is not new at all in the immigration space and recalls the criminalization of immigrant communities that he witnesses first hand that resulted in large part because of Reagan and Clinton’s criminal justice platforms.  Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of Latino Rebels, a senior digital ed ..read more

Sophia and Maria introduce Hyphenated Cities, a new series where they explore U.S. cities by discussing how national and local immigration policies have impacted the city’s resident immigrant populations and speak to local leaders on the topic. This week's episode kicks off this new series by focusing on New York City! Later on in the episode, they spoke with NYS Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa about the NYS Dream Act, her experience running for office as a Dominican American woman,  #FundExcludedWorkers, and her plans to serve immigrants in her community.  NYS Assemblywoman Carmen D ..read more

This week, Sophia and Maria consider the history of family separation and what the policy actually is. Later on in the episode, Sophia spoke with historian Nara Milanich and discussed analogous family separation policies throughout history, and the future of the policy during President-elect Biden's administration.  Nara Milanich is a historian at Barnard College specializing in Latin America and the comparative histories of family, childhood, gender, and reproduction. She is the author of Paternity: The Elusive Quest for the Father, published by Harvard University Press.  You can fi ..read more

For this week’s podcast, we dive into different forms of immigration advocacy such as legal aid, detention oversight, and community based organizations. Later on in the episode, Maria spoke to Reyna Montoya, the founder and CEO of Aliento, a community organization that is DACA, undocumented, and youth-led. They are directly impacted people and allies who are invested in the well being, emotional healing, and leadership development of those impacted by the inequalities of lacking an immigration status. Learn more about Hyphenated America on our website. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! We of ..read more

This week, Sophia and Maria highlight a number of stories that demonstrate the ways in which injustices within the immigration space are manifested in matters of sexual assault, the COVID-19 pandemic, the prison-industrial complex, big tech, and access to government assistance.  Learn more about Hyphenated America on our website. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! We offer accessible guides, a weekly newsletter featuring immigration news, and much more! Want to contact us? Reach out at team@hyphenatedamerica.org Hosted and Written by Sophia Houdaigui and Maria Castillo Edited by Christia ..read more

Sophia and Maria consider what detention centers are, the conditions of such facilities before the coronavirus pandemic, and their current state of affairs. Maria spoke with reporter María Méndez of Texas Public Radio to discuss the outbreaks in detention centers along the border, the dynamic between local health officials and the private operators, and how we can spread awareness and help those in detention.  You can find María Méndez on Twitter. Learn more about Hyphenated America on our website. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! We offer accessible guides, a weekly newsletter featuri ..read more

Sophia and Maria break down what asylum is, who is eligible to apply for it, and the challenges associated. They are then joined by immigration attorney Ava Benach and discuss the future of asylum in light of recent rulings, barriers to work authorization eligibility for asylum seekers, and her work with pro bono transgender asylum seekers. You can find Ava Benach of Benach Collopy on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about Hyphenated America on our website. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! We offer accessible guides, a weekly newsletter featuring immigration news, and much more! --- Suppor ..read more

Sophia and Maria break down what DACA is, who is eligible, and the current assaults on the program. Juan Escalante, Digital Campaigns Manager for FWD.us, then joins them to discuss his background as an undocumented immigrant and DACA-recipient, common misconceptions associated with DACA, and the future of the program. You can find Juan Escalante on Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about Hyphenated America at our website: hyphenatedamerica.org. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyphenatedamerica/support ..read more