Fearing Checkpoints, Undocumented Immigrants Cut Off From Medical Care
Those who live north of the border, but south of a string of Border Patrol checkpoints, say they feel trapped in what some call "the cage."
The detention of a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy in South Texas last month for immigration violations spotlights a harsh reality of the borderlands. Undocumented immigrants who live north of the border, but south of a string of Border Patrol checkpoints, say they feel trapped. They fear seeking specialized medical care or visiting family. Some call it la jaula, which is Spanish for "the cage"; others call it la isla, "the island."
The federal government maintains 34 highway checkpoints within 100 miles of the border as a
