Zolberg Institute Launches Entry Denied, a New Podcast that Examines the Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies
The Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility has launched Entry Denied, a new eight-episode podcast series on Trump administration immigration policies including the attempts to end DACA, the construction of a wall on the southwest border, and the “Muslim ban.” With
Co-hosted by Alex Aleinikoff, the director of the Zolberg Institute and NPR’s Deb Amos, the podcast provides a comprehensive discussion of the origins, content and implications of Trump policies, as told by leading journalists, migrants, and academics.
The series demonstrates how Trump has been able to accomplish much of what he promised during his 2016 including a reduction in refugee admissions, restrictions on asylum-seekers, and a ramp up of interior enforcement. Less successful have been the Administration’s attempts to punish “sanctuary cities,” significantly increase deportations, and reduce legal immigration. The series will also focus on the impact on migrants and migrant communities, hearing the voices of asylum-seekers and refugees, DACA recipients and community members.
Aleinikoff is the former Deputy High Commissioner at the UN Refugee Agency and has written widely in the areas of immigration and refugee law and policy, transnational law, citizenship, race, and constitutional law. His most recent book is The Arc of Protection: Reforming the International Refugee Regime, coauthored with Leah Zamore.
Here is a list of the eight episodes in the series and each episode’s guests:
COVID and Migration: Deb Amos interviews Alex Aleinikoff on Trump’s entry bans, detention and enforcement policies, and the undermining of the US asylum system as part of the response to the pandemic.
How We Got Here: New York Times reporters Michael Shear and Julie Hershfeld Davis discuss the Trump campaign’s positions on immigration (including “the Wall,” the Muslim ban, ICE enforcement) and the role of Bannon, Miller and Sessions in helping to set the agenda.
First Measures: We discuss the travel bans and cuts in refugee admission adopted in the first weeks of the Trump Administration, with journalist Yeganeh Torbati, a Syrian refugee and the director of a refugee resettlement agency in Buffalo, New York. The episode shows how the travel bans have been “normalized” and the impact of the cuts in the refugee program in hosting communities.
The Wall: Washington Post reporter Nick Miroff describes the Administration’s relentless push to construct a wall and its progress to date.
The War on Asylum: Jonathan Blitzer (The New Yorker) discusses Trump policies at the southwest border, which have been virtually stopped the flow of asylum-seekers from Central America. Two Guatemalan asylum-seekers, who have been waiting on the Mexican side of the border for months, describe what they have endured in seeking safety in the US.
Migrant Children and the Trump Administration: Journalist Dara Lind describes the origins of the “child separation” policy and its abandonment in the face of public outrage. Dr. Ranit Mishori reports on a study she conducted on the mental health impacts of separation on migrant children.
Migrant Communities: Bitta Mostofi (Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, New York City) discusses the impact of Trump policies on migrant communities. Dara Lind describes the new “public charge” rule, which will affect the entry of members of migrant families, and ICE enforcement activities that have sewn fear and uncertainty.
DACA: Cecilia Munoz (Domestic Policy Advisor in the Obama Administration) will discuss why and how DACA came to be. We will also hear from a DACA recipient and a legal expert on the Supreme Court case on the legality of DACA (which will be issued in June).