Illegal Immigrants: A Look Behind Detention Walls

The Takeaway

It’s one of the most controversial topics for this year’s Republican presidential hopefuls: How should America be handling illegal immigration? Bachmann, Romney, Perry, and Cain have all weighed in on the issue. In the meantime, the  Obama administration set new records last year for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. And this year, the government plans to top their record by removing 400,000 more.  A new episode of “Frontline,” called “Lost in Detention,” investigates  what detaining and deporting involves, for individuals, law enforcement, and communities. The episode airs on PBS stations tonight. Maria Hinojosa,  correspondent for Frontline, and host and managing editor of NPR’s weekly radio show, “Latino USA,” talks about what she found while making the documentary.

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