With over 45,000 agents in its ranks, US Customs and Border Protection is the largest law enforcement agency in the country. Yet, as Melissa del Bosque notes in “Checkpoint Nation,” CBP’s jurisdiction extends farther than even congressional leaders realize, and relatively little is known by the broader public about how the agency operates. Last month, del Bosque, an investigative journalist and Lannan reporting fellow at the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, joined Rachel Poser, a senior editor at Harper’s Magazine, to discuss her article and the issues surrounding border enforcement. Live in conversation in Austin, Texas, at an event co-presented with The Texas Observer, del Bosque and Poser explore how, and why, the CBP has expanded over time, the use and abuse of checkpoints, and the legal strategies currently being employed by groups such as the ACLU in order to push back against CBP’s power.
Checkpoint Nation
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The Harper’s Podcast
Since 1850, Harper’s Magazine has provided its readers with a unique perspective on the issues that drive our national conversation, featuring writing from some of the most promising to most distinguished names in literature–from Barbara Ehrenreich to Rachel Kushner. Every week, host Violet Lucca joins her colleagues and contributing writers to provide listeners with a deep dive into these topics and the craft of long-form narrative journalism.
Since 1850, Harper’s Magazine has provided its readers with a unique perspective on the issues that drive our national conversation, featuring writing from some of the most promising to most distinguished names in literature–from Barbara Ehrenreich to Rachel Kushner. Every week, host Violet Lucca joins her colleagues and contributing writers to provide listeners with a deep dive into these topics and the craft of long-form narrative journalism.Listen on
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Checkpoint Nation