Trump’s administration plans to ramp up prosecution of unauthorized border crossings. Here’s the story of how it became illegal in the first place.
- Professor, History and African American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
In 1954, US Border Patrol’s Operation Wetback promised to deport millions of undocumented Mexicans. It fell far short of its target, but made a mark in the minds of immigrants who lived in fear.
From Chinese laborers to ‘bad hombres,’ the US settler mentality has perpetuated an immigration system that pushes out unwanted groups and bypasses the Constitution.
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