written for Reveal - November 2015 episode #111.

pieces to pick up

While politicians debate border security, criminal charges for crossing the border have been steadily increasing for decades. More people are prosecuted for immigration-related federal crimes than for all other categories combined – white-collar crime, drugs, weapons, etc. This population makes up 40 percent of the inmates in private prisons for noncitizens. 

This segment explains how these prosecutions work and how they became so prevalent through the story of one man, tracked down by Investigative Fund reporter Seth Freed Wessler. 

Eloy Flores ended up incarcerated at a private prison in Big Spring, Texas, but he got there through a circuitous journey. Retracing his steps takes us through Baltimore, a Border Patrol processing center and a courtroom proceeding that is like nothing you've heard before. 

Through interviews and exclusive audio obtained from the U.S. District Court, Reveal's Stan Alcorn tells the story of Flores and his family.

When Crossing The Border Is A Federal Crime

1997 James Brown Birthday Celebration Radio Broadcast on KPFA

Reveal is a new investigative reporting program from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. Available on public radio and online, the show examines what governments, businesses and communities are doing behind the scenes, hidden from public view. It's for anyone who is interested in stories that change our understanding of how the world works. 



When Crossing The Border Is A Federal Crime

Reveal

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