The Devil's Highvway by Luis Alberto Urrea

This book was published almost 20 years ago and describes how the immigration system in the US is broken on every level. He describes a particular crossing of a dangerous part of the border in a desert with no shelter or water that lead to multiple deaths and for those who survived, a costly rescue and resuscitation effort. The author is best known for his depiction of the border country. He portrays the Coyotes as people who exploit immigrants for money; for them, the goal is to get people across the border under whatever conditions are convenient. This includes packaging people in trunks and leading them into hazardous terrain, all while simultaneously extorting most of their money and savings. Ultimately, most immigrants have limited education and understanding of the border, and can’t find other options for entry. The amount of money that is spent rescuing people from the desert could be better spent on improving the circumstances in Central America and decreasing the situations that lead to the desperation that sends people northward .