The Devil's Highway Part I

Luis Alberto Urrea got me hooked into “The Devil’s Highway” the first few sentences. His detailed and meticulous descriptions of migrants and border patrol is so real and poetic. He writes in a way I believe a true story should be written. He leaves nothing to the imagination of the reader with his clear descriptions. It wasn’t until after our class discussion did I realize “The Devil’s Highway” is this years common book. I suppose since I’m a junior, I’m out of the loop with things like that.

I was eager to begin this book ever since I purchased it and read the back. I have recently become very interested in immigration, specifically immigration across the U.S.-Mexican border, ever since a class I took this year focused on that topic. Before I took this class, I really didn’t have an opinion either way as far as illegal immigration goes since I wasn’t educated on the subject. However, since I spent a whole quarter looking at policies the U.S. has had dealing with immigration, detention centers, seeking asylum, and the journey migrants take to leave their country for whatever reason, I feel like I have been able to establish my own opinion on the matter and I want to continue to learn more.

I found it fascinating how Urrea was able to get so much information from border patrol. The way they are depicted in “The Devil’s Highway” makes them seem like red-neck vigilantes who enjoy hunting humans. It’s very sad but real to read about the journey that Mexican migrants make to try to enter the U.S. yet it is also very difficult to try to create a solution to the problem. I don’t believe in an open border policy, but curbing immigration so Mexicans try to enter the U.S. by more dangerous paths is not the solution either. It’s obvious that a fence is not going to do the trick. People have been immigrating for as long as mankind can remember. Immigration seems inevitable and I do not see it stopping in any time in the future.