While there is a long history of state violence toward immigrants in the United States, the essayists in this interdisciplinary collection tackle head-on the impacts of the Trump administration.

This volume provides a well-argued look at the Trump era. Insightful contributions delve into the impact of Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies on migrants detained and returned, immigrant children separated from their parents and placed in detention centers, and migrant women subjected to sexual and reproductive abuses, among other timely topics. The chapter authors document a long list in what the book calls “Trump’s Reign of Terror.”

Organized thematically, the book has four sections: The first gathers histories about the Trump years’ roots in a longer history of anti-migration; the second includes essays on artistic and activist responses on the border during the Trump years; the third critiques the normalization of Trump’s rhetoric and actions in popular media and culture; and the fourth envisions the future.

Resistance and Abolition in the Borderlands is an essential reader for those wishing to understand the extent of the damage caused by the Trump era and its impact on Latinx people.

Contributors
Arturo J. Aldama
Rebecca Avalos
Cynthia Bejarano
Tria Blu Wakpa
Renata Carvalho Barreto
Karma R. Chávez
Leo R. Chavez
Jennifer Cullison
Jasmin Lilian Diab
Allison Glover
Jamila Hammami
Alexandria Herrera
Diana J. Lopez
Sergio A. Macías
Cinthya Martinez
Alexis N. Meza
Roberto A. Mónico
José Enrique Navarro
Jessica Ordaz
Eliseo Ortiz
Kiara Padilla
Leslie Quintanilla
J-M Rivera
Heidy Sarabia
Tina Shull
Nishant Upadhyay
Maria Vargas
Antonio Vásquez

Arturo J. Aldama is chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies at University of Colorado Boulder. He is the author of many books, including Decolonizing Latinx Masculinities, which won runner-up to best nonfiction in Empowering Latino Futures. He serves as co-editor for the book series Latinx Pop Culture with the University of Arizona Press.

Jessica Ordaz is an assistant professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is the author of The Shadow of El Centro: A History of Migrant Incarceration and Solidarity.

“Resistance and Abolition in the Borderlands is a book that could not have been produced earlier. It is not the shocked outrage of books that appeared during the Trump administration, but the measured, scholarly, and timely musings about the Trump era’s impact that could only be produced with some distance and perspective. This is a must-read volume for anyone trying to understand the current state of American culture and politics.”
—Robert Con Davis-Undiano, author of Mestizos Come Home!: Making and Claiming Mexican American Identity

“The editors and contributors of this volume weave a generative pathway through incredibly difficult issues that we will continue to deal with for years to come. This timely and comprehensive collection balances the horrors of political cruelty with the hope and determination of the human spirit.”—Domino Renee Perez, author of Fatherhood in the Borderlands: A Daughter’s Slow Approach— -