Migra! A History Of The U.S. Border Patrol by Kelly Lytle
HernandezUniversity of California Press, April 15, 2010 What
could be a more contentious issue today than the conflict
surrounding our border with Mexico? Some would argue that the
history of the border patrol is irrelevant to our problems
today, but they would be wrong. Everything about the 2000 miles
that connects us with Mexico--including the establishment of the
United States Border Patrol -- is critical in resolving the
problems of human trafficking, cross border violence and drug
smuggling. Ignoring the past will surely doom us if we don't
learn from it. Kelly Lytle Hernandez's in-depth study, "Migra: A
History of the U.S. Border Patrol" is a thoroughly researched
account of the discordant beginnings to what became ultimately
the official U.S. Border Patrol. After the U.S. - Mexico War of
1846-48 when the U.S. declared victory and forced Mexico to cede
50 percent of its northern territory to the U.S., a new border
was drawn. The Rio Grande River