IMMIGRATION CRISIS: LIFE ON THE BORDER

In April 2018, the Trump administration announced plans to end the practice of allowing migrants to stay in the U.S. with friends or relatives already in the country while their immigration cases are pending — which has previously been described as “catch and release.” The directive saw more than 2,300 children sent into federal custody while their parents were detained, leading to public outcry and the hastily-signed executive order, which made it clear that the administration's policy was to detain “alien families together” when possible. To witness what was happening firsthand, and provide depth and context to the chaos that ensued, ABC10 sent Michael Anthony Adams and Lilia Luciano to the Texas/Mexico border to talk to families trying to enter the United States about why they had decided to escape the violent situations they were experiencing in their own countries, and how the Trump administration's aggressive policies at the border were affecting them. Michael and Lilia traveled to both sides of the border, speaking to a human smuggler, women fleeing domestic and gang violence, and young children held in a detention center in Mexico. What follows is an examination of Trump's border policies told through the stories of those directly affected by them. ABC10’s reporting provided viewers with unique coverage of a topic that was covered by national and international media outlets. Getting exclusive interviews--including one with a human smuggler who explains the process of how he gets migrants across the border--this highly produced, Emmy-winning special provides an in-depth look at all the people affected by the “catch and release” practice.