As we begin Donald Trump’s second term, it’s painfully clear that many journalists are failing to meet the challenge of covering immigrants and immigration in this Trump era.

While some exceptions exist, mainstream news outlets continue to repeat Trump’s narratives, framing immigration around “criminals” rather than acknowledging the reality: under his first administration, Trump’s policies targeted families, separated children at the border, and even went after legal immigrants and naturalized citizens.

This time, Trump has already signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship for children of noncitizens and shut down the CBP One app, which asylum seekers use to apply for legal entry into the U.S. Meanwhile, Democrats have largely ceded the immigration debate, even attempting to pass a border bill that would have dramatically increased funding for immigration enforcement.

Here to talk to Jose about all these issues and more is the legendary Maria Hinojosa, a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Peabody Award-winning journalist. As the longtime anchor and executive producer of Latino USA on NPR and the founder of Futuro Media Group, Maria has spent over 30 years covering immigration with integrity and truth. 

In this episode, they discuss:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to uncover what’s really at stake for immigrants in the next four years.

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On Christmas night, for the first time since arriving in California as an undocumented immigrant on August 3, 1993, I left the United States. Crossing the border into Mexico for a U.S. consulate interview in Tijuana, I had a chance at finally obtaining a visa after living undocumented for 31 years.

With no guarantee of approval, I packed for an uncertain journey that could last days, weeks, or months. While waiting for my interview results, I wrestled with profound questions:

During those intense hours of self-reflection, I came to a powerful realization: my work is global. 

For me, being undocumented is not an identity—it’s a condition. Above all else—beyond being gay or Filipino—I identify as a human being who happens to be a journalist. Journalism is the lens through which I understand the world and my role within it. At a time when migration in the modern world is one of the most defining issues of our era, I believe there is no more critical moment to document and shed light on this global movement.

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to hear what happened next on my journey to legal status and my thoughts on the broader immigrant experience.

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In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas speaks with immigrant advocates Nneka Achapu and Cesar Espinosa in Houston, a city where 25% of the population is foreign-born. Meanwhile Texas Gov. Abbott has sent busloads full of immigrants to cities like Chicago and New York as inhumane political stunts. Despite red-state politics, these advocates continue to prepare for a second Trump presidency. Achapu, founder of the African Public Affairs Committee, speaks of the nuances of the Black immigrant experience, needs of new immigrants, and her thoughts on cross-cultural movement building.

Espinosa, co-founder of FIEL, the largest immigrant-led civil rights organization in Houston, says Houston is ground zero for immigrants rights and what happens in Houston predicts America’s future.

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In this episode, award-winning journalist and author Jean Guerrero joins Jose Antonio Vargas for an in-depth discussion on immigration, politics, and media representation. A New York Times Opinion contributor and author of Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir and Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda, Guerrero has dedicated her career to amplifying immigrant stories and Latino voices.

This episode dives into:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode for a powerful exploration of the intersections between immigration, politics, and media.

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“Even a rough estimate of my district, I would say easily, a third are undocumented, if not higher,” says Texas State Representative Gene Wu, who represents District 137 in southwestern Houston and serves as the new chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. ““They work for your companies, they clean your house, they mow your lawn,” says Wu, “And if they're gone–if they're deported, I promise you, you will feel it immediately.” 

In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas speaks with Rep. Wu about the realities of living in a district with one of the largest immigrant and refugee populations in Texas. Rep. Wu explains why mass deportations are impractical and the economic impact of undocumented workers.

This conversation explores:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to understand the realities of immigration policy in Texas and what it means for the future of America.

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For undocumented immigrants in America, the constant news cycle of deportations, political rhetoric, and uncertainty can feel overwhelming. But beyond the panic and gloom, how do we hold on to hope, resilience, and joy—regardless of who is in the White House?

In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas sits down with Yosimar Reyes, the artist-in-residence at MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana) and the first-ever undocumented poet laureate of Santa Clara County, California. Yosimar shares his journey of using art as a form of resistance, self-expression, and survival in a system that often ignores the humanity of immigrants.

This conversation delves into:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode for an inspiring discussion on resilience, creativity, and the undocumented experience.

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At a rally in Madison Square Garden, Donald Trump vowed: ““On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out.” Since then, a lot of people have been asking how, exactly, the incoming administration plans  to target 11 million undocumented immigrants, a population the size of Belgium or Bolivia. Is this even possible?

In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas speaks with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the nonpartisan American Immigration Council, to break down the logistics, costs, and human impact of mass deportations. 

Reichlin-Melnick was called as a witness by the Democrats when the Senate judiciary committee held a hearing titled “How Mass Deportations Will Separate American Families, Harm Our Armed Forces, and Devastate Our Economy” to look at the human and economic costs of Trump’s proposed mass deportations. Such a plan could separate families, harm the economy, and weaken the U.S. military. 

While there was a lot of political theater going on in the hearing, Reichlin-Melnick offered mostly concrete data that we unpack in this conversation including:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to hear the facts, myths, and real-world impact of Trump’s immigration policies.

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Did you know that undocumented Asian immigrants are the fastest-growing undocumented population in the United States? Yet, mainstream immigration discussions almost exclusively focus on the U.S.-Mexico border and the Latine community.

As of 2017, approximately 1.7 million undocumented Asian immigrants live in the U.S., meaning 1 in 6 undocumented immigrants is Asian, and 1 in 7 Asian immigrants lacks legal status. According to Pew, “Some 54% of the 24 million Asian Americans living in the U.S. are immigrants; among Asian adults, that share rises to 67%.” In other words, Asian people in this country are actually more immigrant than any other racial group in America. Despite these numbers, Asian immigration remains largely absent from national conversations.

In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas speaks with Bethany Li, Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation (AAF), to unpack:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to learn about the realities of undocumented Asian immigrants and what’s at stake.

📌 Resources & Advocacy:

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In this powerful episode, Jose Antonio Vargas sits down with his friend Gaby Pacheco, a prominent leader in the immigrant rights movement and President & CEO of TheDream.US, the largest scholarship fund for undocumented students in the United States.

Jose met Gaby a week before “coming out” as an undocumented immigrant. When he met her and told her what he was about to do, apologized for not doing  it sooner, because while he was building a career as a journalist, she was risking both her life to advocate for the immigrant community.

Gaby Pacheco’s journey began in 2010 when she and three other young activists walked from Miami to Washington, D.C., advocating for the DREAM Act and bringing national attention to the struggles of undocumented immigrants. As an early advocate for DACA, Gaby has worn many different hats, playing a pivotal role in shaping immigration policies and supporting undocumented youth.

This episode explores:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to understand the impact of Gaby Pacheco’s work and what’s at stake for undocumented students and families.

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"There's a huge disconnect between how we benefit from immigration as a nation and how Democratic leadership talks about it," says Andrea Flores, Vice President of Immigration Policy at FWD.us and former immigration advisor for both the Obama and Biden administrations. “It wasn't that President Biden tried a number of pro-immigrant policies and the country rejected them. It's that there was really no policy vision offered on this issue, and so when people saw problems at the border, problems and cities, they were going to go to the party that was providing solutions.” 

In this episode, Jose Antonio Vargas and Andrea Flores break down how Democrats failed to offer a clear immigration policy vision, allowing Trump and Republicans to dominate the conversation. This episode explores:

🎥 Watch or listen to the full episode to uncover the missteps in immigration policy and what’s next for the fight for immigrant rights.

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