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Jonathan Blitzer

Photo by: Thea Traff

In this episode of Words on a Wire, host Will Rose sits down with Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and author of the New York Times Top 10 Book of 2024, Everyone Who Was Gone Is Here. Blitzer delves into the intricate and often overlooked ties between U.S. foreign policy in Central America and the modern immigration crises at the southern border. Drawing on years of immersive reporting and personal interviews, Blitzer highlights the human stories behind the headlines, including the transformative narratives of individuals like Juan, whose life embodies the far-reaching consequences of Cold War-era policies.

The conversation touches on key moments in immigration history, such as the evolution of deterrence strategies in El Paso, the humanitarian crisis fueled by asylum seekers, and the shifting demographics of border crossings. Blitzer also shares his concerns about the potential consequences of a second Trump administration, predicting aggressive policies that could reshape immigrant communities and asylum processes.

Additional information

To download the podcast version visit wordsonawire.org

Originally aired on December 8, 2024

Will Rose is a longtime technology and marketing executive based out of NYC and Texas. He is the co-founder of Words on a Wire’s publishing imprint, eRadical Books, and now spearheads marketing strategy for the Words on a Wire podcast. He also serves as Chief Technology Officer at the EdTech startup, Student Select, and as Head of Data Science at the artificial intelligence company, Harqen AI.