Depressing but necessary reading

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States by Ana Raquel Minian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An historical look at immigration and various policies that are truly awful, like entry fiction (meaning asylum seekers "had never actually entered the country" and "could be held at detention centers indefinetly without basic constitutional rights").

The history of Guantonomo Bay, first used with Haitian refugees in the first Bush administration, and other issues like for profit prisons being used for asylum seekers are addressed as well.

The crux of the book follows 4 asylum seekers from different eras. This reminded me of Alan Gratz's excellent book, "Refugee" A young adult book that highlights 3 fictional refugees from different eras.

This non-fiction work is intense and depressing. The inability of humans to see other humans as fully human is our worst trait. The use of laws and profits to debase other humans is utterly unfathomable, but is factual.

View all my reviews