Episode 31: "Cold as I.C.E." - A Conversation About Immigration w/ Rawan Arar

Given the contested nature of immigration policy and reform, discussions about immigration and refugee migration are often muddled by myths, misconceptions, and prejudices. Today we hope to address misinformation about immigration and immigrant families by interviewing Rawan Arar, a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at UC San Diego and a researcher at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies. We begin by discussing the current state of immigration and refugee settlement in the US (18:40), the history of US immigration and how it shapes present day immigration (24:15), and other factors that shape why people immigrate to the US (30:45). We then discuss myths and misconceptions about immigration (38:34), the truth about the impact of undocumented immigration on the US (42:50), and current issues such as family separation (48:50). We close by discussing how to move past the myths and misconceptions in order to find solutions related to immigration (52:02).

Other Topics Include:

00:30 - Ty and Daphne Discuss Current Events

04:27 - “Oh Lawd” News

12:50 - Introduction of Segment

14:30 - Learn more about Rawan Arar and her work

32:30 - 90 Day Fiance

36:05 - NAFTA

56:50 - Ty and Daphne Reflect on the Interview

Resources:

• Rawan Arar's twitter - https://twitter.com/rawanarar?lang=en

• Pew Reports on Immigration - http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/immigration/

• Justice Department: Use 'illegal aliens,' not 'undocumented' - https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/24/politics/justice-department-illegal-aliens-undocumented/index.html

• 90 Day Fiance - https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/90-day-fiance/