New podcast shares the moving and sobering journey to swiftly close a refugee encampment on the US/Mexico border.
Border expert and former Obama appointee unveils the never-before-released details of a 10-day humanitarian operation that took place in February 2021 in collaboration with international organizations, local attorneys and grass-roots activists.
December 19, 2021 — Just days before the US-Mexico border opens with the end of Title 42, Valle de Sueños podcast previews a real-world example of solving migration challenges at the border. The podcast shares the emotional, physical, and mental burden of ending a reign of inhumanity under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) from the perspective of the dedicated activists who served hundreds of immigrants in the Matamoros encampment for nearly two years. The eight-series bilingual podcast offers a learning experience about what can happen when political will, international cooperation, and an engaged community unify efforts to achieve human dignity at the border.
Valle de Sueños includes the voices of South Texas advocates such as Sister Irma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020; Jodi Goodwin, an immigration attorney and border activist; Felicia Rangel Samponaro, co-founder of Sidewalk School for Asylum Seekers; and many others.
The story was written by border native Laura Peña, a civil rights attorney, activist, and former President Obama appointee. Laura was instrumental in the humanitarian collective to shut down the Matamoros encampment and safely process its residents to the United States.
“Valle de Sueños is a story that needs to be shared. In addition to the heartfelt stories of hardship, hope and tenacity, the podcast also acknowledges the life-changing impact that is possible through advocacy, collaboration and human dignity,” said Laura Peña, podcast host and Director of Beyond Borders Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project. “I hope that Valle de Sueños inspires creative solutions to address the migration challenges at the border through a reimagined vision centered on humanity.”
The podcast was produced by Charlie Vela, a record producer and cultural historian in the Rio Grande Valley dedicated to preserving local stories and delivering creative visions in South Texas. “Storytelling is a powerful way to inform communities and drive change,” said Charlie. “Valle de Sueños offers an opportunity to reflect on the past and build a better future.”
Valle de Sueños is a critical, relevant, and timely story, especially in our current immigration climate.
To listen to the podcast, visit www.vallesuenos.com or stream it on the following apps, Apple iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
About the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)
From February 2018 and 2021, the Trump Administration forcibly returned nearly 70,000 migrants to dangerous Mexican border cities under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). MPP proliferated inhumane tent cities along the Mexican border, putting the migrants in extremely vulnerable and dire conditions. After nearly two years of human rights violations, on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, the Biden administration issued a statement announcing an effort to begin “processing” current residents of the Matamoros refugee encampment, a collective effort in coordination with the Government of Mexico. The podcast details the specific on-the-ground efforts that made the closure of the refugee encampment possible.
The State of Border Immigration Policies
The Migrant Protection Protocols is a Trump-era policy that sent migrants back to Mexico while they awaited to have their immigration hearings. Despite challenges by the court, the Biden Administration has since ended the policy. A district judge recently ordered the end of Title 42, another Trump-era policy that closed the border and expelled migrants under the guise of public health. On December 21, 2022, the Title 42 policy will be lifted and the border will be opened to process all migrants for the first time in nearly two years.
About Valle De Sueños
Valle de Sueños is a bilingual eight-series podcast reflecting on the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) under the Trump administration and the 10-day rushed dismantling of a tent city in Matamoros, Mexico. The podcast narrates the humanitarian collaborative effort to ensure the encampment residents had due process and were welcomed to the US with dignity. Valle de Sueños was created to reflect on the cruelty of the recent past and inspire immigration policies centered on humanity, safety and dignity. Learn more about Valle de Sueños at www.vallesuenos.com and engage with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Laura Peña
Laura Peña is an attorney and activist with a wide-range of legal, policy and advocacy experience in the field of immigrant justice and civil rights. She is a former Obama appointee and federal government attorney. In 2018, Laura publicly disavowed ICE when the family separation crisis hit by writing an op-ed published by USA Today. After eighteen years away, Laura returned to her border hometown to join efforts to reunify families separated by the U.S. government. She currently serves as the Director of the Beyond Borders Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project. Laura’s work has been featured in several media outlets, testified at Congress, and speaks nationally on immigration, human rights and border justice. In 2019, the Hispanic National Bar Association named her Latina Attorney of the Year. Laura lives in Brownsville, Texas with her two rescue dogs, Maya and Dulce. Learn more about Laura at www.linkedin.com/in/laurapena1.
Media Contact
Celina Peña | celina.pena@gmail.com, 210.685.8377
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