PAST EVENT

In the Shadow of Liberty — a new book in bookstores this week from Stanford professor Ana Raquel Minian and Penguin Random House — is a critical contribution to the long and hidden history of immigrant detention in the U.S.

Through their meticulous research and superb storytelling, Dr. Minian pinpoints key historical moments that chart the evolution of an immigrant detention system designed to exclude and deter people from seeking refuge by inflicting unimaginable pain and suffering.

With great care and respect for the lives at the center of their story, Dr. Minian paints a vivid picture of the unbearably cruel and torturous detention practices and illustrates the arbitrary and senseless nature of today’s immigration system, one that comes with a horrific human cost. It is precisely the historical context we need to chart a more perfect path forward.