We are getting ready to launch Season 8 of The Jesuit Border Podcast. A lot has changed on the border since our last season. A new presidential administration took over on January 20th and made immediate changes that have impacted the lived experience on the border and people’s ability to seek protection in the US.

In this teaser, we give updates on what January 20th was like on the border, and how things have evolved since then. Joe shares the story of Regino, who fled violence in Honduras with his family only to be kidnapped and tortured in Matamoros. Regino and his family had a CBP One appointment to enter the US, but it was canceled on January 20th when the new administration took over. Brian shares the story of 22 asylum seekers who missed their CBP One appointments before January 20th because they were kidnapped. Even though their families paid their ransom, and they were released before the inauguration, CBP denied them entry to the US while citing “capacity issues.” Now they are all stuck in shelters in northern Mexico.

What has been happening on the border since the inauguration? What options are available to asylum seekers now? What hard choices are they having to make? We discuss these questions in light of what we are seeing on the ground in this teaser to Season 8. 

The first full episode of the new season will be released on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025.