How Fear Changed America.
Homeland Insecurity is a new documentary podcast from RAICES that chronicles the untold story of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We go back to the beginning, when our government built a powerful new agency in the wake of 9/11 to protect America from terrorists — only to use that agency to terrorize immigrants. From family separation to federal agents deployed in Portland, the scope and cruelty of DHS continues to expand. Is anyone safe?
Season 1 is hosted by civil rights leader Erika Andiola, a galvanizing voice in the fight for migrant justice.
Who Is Raices?
Homeland Insecurity was created by RAICES — a not-for-profit that has operated on the national frontlines of the fight for migrant justice over the past 35 years.
We advocate for immigrant rights to shift support in favor of freedom, as well as provide direct legal and social services for individuals, families, and unaccompanied children. Since 2018 alone, our team has defended over 65,000 service recipients, assisted an average of 200 newly arrived refugees annually in laying the foundation for successful resettlement, and paid $15 million in bonds throughout Texas and across the country in coordination with the National Bail Fund Network.
Join our movement.
¡Ya basta! It’s enough! We are here. We are not going to go anywhere. And we are going to beat white supremacy.
Who is Host Erika Andiola?
Erika Andiola is the Chief Advocacy Officer at RAICES and a leading voice in the fight for migrant justice, hailed most recently by USA Today and the World Economic Forum as one of the foremost civil rights leaders shaping America right now. Originally from Durango, Mexico, she immigrated to Mesa, Arizona, with her family when she was 11 years old, and her own journey as an undocumented immigrant has given her the drive and passion to fight for the protection of our human rights.
Prior to joining RAICES, Erika served as Political Director of Our Revolution, a progressive American political action organization that educates voters, involves people in the political process, and organizes to elect progressive candidates. Our Revolution was spun out of Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign for which Erika was Press Secretary for Latino Outreach.
Erika made history at the forefront of the movement for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and continues to advocate for the program’s survival. She is the co-founder of the Dream Action Coalition and was voted as the first president and lead organizer of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, where she mobilized hundreds of students to fight for the passage of the DREAM Act legislation.
Listen Now
Trailer
Enemy Lines
What does September 11th have to do with separating families at the border?
Episode 1
The Department
A nation is shaken after an unprecedented attack on the homeland, and immediately searches for ways to regain control.
Episode 2
Early Warning Signs
Congress approves extraordinary funding to secure the border in the name of national security – not thinking through the practical implications or unintended consequences.
Episode 3
Detention Expansion
A new economy forms around detaining immigrants, handing power to private corporations with financial incentives and deep ties to Washington. There is no turning back.
Episode 4
Si Se Puede
Instead of hope and change, a new regime conscripts local law enforcement to do DHS’s bidding and furthers the narrative of the “bad immigrant.”
Episode 5
Jailing Families
The Obama administration locks up families and labels mothers and their children as national security threats — setting the stage for Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
Episode 6
THEY SEPARATED YOU FROM ME
The Trump administration gets ahold of DHS and implements a new, horrific policy: Family Separation.
Episode 7
ASYLUM ENDS, COVID BEGINS
As a deadly pandemic looms, DHS doubles down on plans to abolish immigration to the U.S. — sickness and death be damned.
Episode 8
WE ALL BECOME THE ENEMY
DHS is deployed against U.S. citizens and descends upon nationwide protests for racial justice. Just how far will this go?
Don’t Look Away
The U.S. can be a better place for all of us if we fight for migrant justice together — in the streets, within the halls of Congress, and at the polls.