1 This is a manuscript version in English of a chapter that will appear in Spanish translation in Mexico, in a book to be edited by Efren Sandoval of CIESAS Noreste (Monterrey). Please obtain permission from the lead author (Josiah Heyman) at
[email protected] before making any use of this paper. Copyright 2016 is retained by the authors. Bordering Processes: Contestation and Outcomes around Central American Migration in South Texas, 2013-present Josiah Heyman, Jeremy Slack, and Emily Guerra With the assistance of Alejandra Baron and Chanah Schwartz Version: Aug. 1, 2016 Introduction On June 5, 2014, the right wing news organization/blog, Breitbart News released photos of detention facilities in South Texas overflowing with women and children (Darby, 2014). The headline, “Leaked Photos Reveal Children Warehoused in Crowded U.S. Cells, BORDER PATROL OVERWHELMED,” demonstrates the contested nature of a confusing and complex policy response. The photos show dirty cells, full of young children and women, often sleeping on the floor or with standing room only. While the surface message of the photos and story was apparently humanitarian, the evident agenda was to mobilize fear about a migrant invasion at the border. Although the source of the photos in anonymous, it must have been taken by someone inside the Border Patrol or Immigrations and Customs Enforcement since photography is not 2 allowed and few people gain access to processing centers. Reported by Brandon Darby, a controversial FBI informant who infiltrated and sent two protestors at the 2008 Republican national convention to jail, the article has limited text, but asserts that “thousands of illegal immigrants have overrun U.S.