Strung Out 40 THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE

Send us Fan MailNot many of us have had the opportunity to view the Rio Grande in Texas.  Few of us have even been to the southern border of the US and Mexico.  Having had the opportunity to perform at border towns in Arizona, I have had a chance in the past to look not only at the inhospitable desert that makes up a vast amount of our border, but also the complex security apparatus that is maintained to dissuade, arrest and deport illegal migration.  I have seen firsthand areas where illegal migrants have paused in their journey north, the ground littered with various items no longer needed on the trek.  It is heartbreaking as well as mind numbing.  And it doesn't end.  February of 2021 saw almost 100,000 people at the border.  Trump's attempt at a physical barrier was never going to stop people determined to cross the river. Covid-19 has not stemmed the tide of people escaping dangerous situations back in their home country.The surges in border crossings is nothing new, but still, it seems that the United States is hamstrung in its commitment toward solving the ongoing issue of people seeking a better life in America.  In addition, there are factors that play in the migrant surges, such as hurricanes, gang warfare, narcotic trafficking and human trafficking as well.  When illegal immigrants do make it to the United States, they are in a legal no-mans-land of identity, status and any opportunity to turn them into tax-paying, economic opportunities.  Add in politics and the true battle emerges in which many of those crossing are pawns in a larger American political battle for primacy.  Images like the drowned father and 28 month daughter from El Salvador haunt us all.  For this podcast, I interview Nadia Minor who has worked as a paralegal for Immigration Lawfirms for the past 11 years.  Herself once an undocumented child, who made the crossing across the Rio Grande at age 10, she has an amazing sense of a person who has her feet in both worlds.  Now, about to enter law school, she sees that her American Dream she has achieved is easily denied to others.  Her insights into the working (or non-working) of the US immigration system offers not only  the complexity of the issue: the emotional, fiscal and political ramifications of not being able to create a system that can handle mass migration. Yet, it is refreshing to hear the hope in Minor's dry-eyed assessment of what needs to be done to at least start down the path of remedying  the journey across the Rio Grande. Support the showWe are always grateful to have you listening to STRUNG OUT.    Here are some important links:SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MartyfineaKMARTIN'S WEBSITE:http://www.MARTINMcCORMACK.COM  (note---you can get my weekly bulletin when you sign up on the list!)MARTIN'S MUSIC: Music | Martin Laurence McCormack (bandcamp.com)Martin McCormack | SpotifyMARTIN'S YOUTUBE CHANNELMartin McCormack - YouTubeFACEBOOKFacebook...