S8 Ep. 8: Ruben Reyes Jr. on Trump's Plans for Mass Deportation

fiction/non/fiction

Writer Ruben Reyes Jr. joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportation. Reyes explains how deportation could affect families or households with different immigration statuses, including those here through Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (commonly known as DACA) and with Temporary Protected Status. The three discuss Trump’s plans to involve the military in his efforts, and the difficulties he may face, given the interconnectedness of our social and economic systems. Reyes also talks about writing about the dehumanization of immigrants through science fiction and satire, and how he thinks about agency and possibility when he is portraying characters facing systemic oppression. He reads from his short story collection There is a Rio Grande in Heaven.

To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/

This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf.

Ruben Reyes Jr.

• There is a Rio Grande in Heaven

Others:

• “Trump is promising deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. What is it?” by Rachel Treisman | NPR
• Stephen Miller
• “Who is Usha Vance? Yale law graduate and wife of vice presidential nominee JD Vance” by Olivia Diaz |AP
• Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo
• "Trump's goal of mass deportations fell short. But he has new plans for a second term" by Elliot Spagat | AP
• Donald Trump TIME Interview on 2024 Transcript | Time
• "In Trump's mass deportation plan, the private prison industry sees a lucrative opportunity" by Laura Romero and Peter Charalambous | ABC News
• "If Trump Wins the Election, This is What's at Stake" by Lauren Gambino | The Guardian
• “Trump promised the 'largest deportation' in U.S. history. Here's how he might start” by Steve Inskeep and Christopher Thomas | NPR

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices