In today’s episode, we head to the border and below to examine the root causes and circumstances that factor into immigration patterns, from economic opportunity to asylum. Max speaks with Maureen Meyer from The Washington Office on Latin America, known as WOLA, a D.C. based organization that advocates for human rights in the Americas. Meyer serves as WOLA’s Vice President for Programs, working with senior staff to develop policy priorities and strategies to advance human rights and social justice in Latin America. We’re still following the blended episodic and Phone A Friend approach for this series, so Max begins with a brief discussion about the complex nature of immigration policy and the historical relationship between the United States and Latin America.

Chapters

Intro: 00:00:36

Episode Section: 00:03:30

Interview: 00:21:20

Resources

WNYC: WNYC's Suds & Civics project brings political dialogue to laundromats across the NY metro area

American Immigration Council: CBP One: An Overview

Pew Research Center: Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023

Human Rights Watch: Venezuela: Events of 2023

Migration Policy Institute: Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023

The Baffler: Enigmas of Ecuador | Pablo Ospina Peralta

WhiteHouse.gov: FACT SHEET: The United States and Central America: Honoring Our Commitments

Forbes: 2024: A New Age For Venezuela-U.S. Relations

Gobierno de Mêxico: México y Venezuela estrechan cooperación en materia migratoria

El País: United States reactivates mass deportations of Venezuelans to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico

Council on Foreign Relations: Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle 

Council on Foreign Relations: Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America 

Congressional Research Service: Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy

Vice: The Violence Central American Migrants Are Fleeing Was Stoked by the US

Time: Welcome to the Immigration Election

Pew Research Center: How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences

Brookings: The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed

The Hill: Manchin: Failed border bill factored into decision not to run for White House

DW News: Ecuador raid on embassy in Mexico

Yahoo Finance:Border crisis might be boon for economy 

WOLA: Migration in the Americas: 'A root causes strategy only for Central America falls far short of addressing the type of migration we are seeing'

Congressional Budget Office: Director’s Statement on the Budget and Economic Outlook for 2024 to 2034

WOLA

--

If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565

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Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."

In today’s episode, we head to the border and below to examine the root causes and circumstances that factor into immigration patterns, from economic opportunity to asylum. Max speaks with Maureen Meyer from The Washington Office on Latin America, known as WOLA, a D.C. based organization that advocates for human rights in the Americas. Meyer serves as WOLA’s Vice President for Programs, working with senior staff to develop policy priorities and strategies to advance human rights and social justice in Latin America. We’re still following the blended episodic and Phone A Friend approach for this series, so Max begins with a brief discussion about the complex nature of immigration policy and the historical relationship between the United States and Latin America.
Chapters
Intro: 00:00:36
Episode Section: 00:03:30
Interview: 00:21:20
Resources
WNYC: <a href="https://www.wnyc.org/story/wnycs-suds-civics-project-brings-political-dialogue-laundromats-across-ny-metro-area/">WNYC's Suds &amp; Civics project brings political dialogue to laundromats across the NY metro area</a>
American Immigration Council: <a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/cbp-one-overview">CBP One: An Overview</a>
Pew Research Center: <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/15/migrant-encounters-at-the-us-mexico-border-hit-a-record-high-at-the-end-of-2023/">Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023</a>
Human Rights Watch: <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/venezuela">Venezuela: Events of 2023</a>
Migration Policy Institute: <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/border-numbers-fy2023">Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023</a> 
The Baffler: <a href="https://thebaffler.com/latest/enigmas-of-ecuador-ospina-peralta">Enigmas of Ecuador | Pablo Ospina Peralta</a> 
WhiteHouse.gov: <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/15/fact-sheet-united-states-and-central-america-honoring-our-commitments">FACT SHEET: The United States and Central America: Honoring Our Commitments</a>
Forbes: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/eliasferrerbreda/2024/01/02/2024-a-new-age-for-venezuela-us-relations/">2024: A New Age For Venezuela-U.S. Relations</a> 
Gobierno de Mêxico: <a href="https://www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/mexico-y-venezuela-estrechan-cooperacion-en-materia-migratoria?state=published">México y Venezuela estrechan cooperación en materia migratoria</a>
El País: <a href="https://english.elpais.com/usa/2023-10-05/united-states-reactivates-mass-deportations-of-venezuelans-to-relieve-pressure-on-the-border-with-mexico.html">United States reactivates mass deportations of Venezuelans to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico</a> 
Council on Foreign Relations: <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/central-americas-turbulent-northern-triangle">Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle </a>
Council on Foreign Relations: <a href="https://www.cfr.org/report/climate-change-and-regional-instability-central-america">Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America </a>
Congressional Research Service: <a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF11151.pdf">Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy</a> 
Vice: <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/qvnyzq/central-america-atrocities-caused-immigration-crisis">The Violence Central American Migrants Are Fleeing Was Stoked by the US</a>
Time: <a href="https://time.com/6964104/immigration-illegal-election-trump-biden/">Welcome to the Immigration Election</a> 
Pew Research Center: <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/02/15/how-americans-view-the-situation-at-the-u-s-mexico-border-its-causes-and-consequences/">How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences</a>
Brookings: <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-collapse-of-bipartisan-immigration-reform-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/">The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed</a>
The Hill: <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4478071-manchin-failed-border-bill-factored-into-decision-not-to-run-for-white-house/">Manchin: Failed border bill factored into decision not to run for White House</a>
DW News: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktq5bfE-iLE">Ecuador raid on embassy in Mexico</a>
Yahoo Finance:<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/border-crisis-might-boon-economy-091413136.html">Border crisis might be boon for economy </a>
WOLA: <a href="https://www.wola.org/analysis/migration-americas-root-causes-central-america-falls-short/">Migration in the Americas: 'A root causes strategy only for Central America falls far short of addressing the type of migration we are seeing'</a>
Congressional Budget Office: <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59933">Director’s Statement on the Budget and Economic Outlook for 2024 to 2034</a> 
<a href="https://www.wola.org/">WOLA</a>
--
If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UNFTR">www.youtube.com/@UNFTR</a>
Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/unftrpod">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565">facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565</a>
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog#subscribe">unftr.com/blog</a> to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.
Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PpzNXBub9FLngMradJByC?si=abaed3d396504fae">spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.</a>
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at<a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations"> bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (<a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com">mannyfacesmedia.com</a>). Original music is by Tom McGovern (<a href="http://www.tommcgovern.com/">tommcgovern.com</a>) and Hold Fast (<a href="https://holdfastband.com/">holdfastband.com</a>). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 

Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 

As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 

Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 
Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 
As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 
Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

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