It’s déjà vu for US lawmakers, who failed yet again this week to agree on a solution to the country’s immigration crisis. But beyond the politics are countless human stories, as the number of unauthorized immigrants crossing the border keeps reaching record highs, and a backlog of cases in US immigration courts passes three million. If this week’s deal had passed in Congress, it would have been one of the most significant changes to US immigration policy in decades, evidence of just how long the issue has remained a stubborn political challenge. Jonathan Blitzer has covered the issue for years, and he joins the program. 

Also on today's show: Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs; journalist/author Calvin Trillin 

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