Central America

What reporters couldn't see when they toured a Texas shelter for child migrants

June 14, 2018

The Casa Padre shelter for child migrants is the largest of its kind in the US. But the children still aren’t free to leave, and have a difficult time making their case, especially if they were separated from their parents.

Immigration

For this mother and daughter, separated a year ago at the southern border, Trump's ‘zero-tolerance’ policy isn’t new

PRI's The World

June 06, 2018

The Trump administration has recently implemented a policy of separating migrant children from their parents if they cross the southern border other than at a checkpoint. But they began testing a similar policy a year ago.

Environment

Spring's uncertain arrival poses problems for migrating birds

Living on Earth

May 20, 2018

Migrating songbirds have finally found the springtime weather in North America that they need to survive and thrive. Only a couple of weeks ago, they had to fight unusual cold and deep snows in the Northern states.

Conflict & Justice

President Trump’s ‘animals’ comment points to a dark history of using dehumanizing language

The Takeaway

May 18, 2018

The terms President Trump has used to describe a group of Latino immigrants can have serious societal consequences.

Business, Economics and Jobs

Want to see where immigration policy changes put workers at risk? Go to Harvard.

PRI's The World

May 09, 2018

The end of Temporary Protected Status for many immigrants threatens the university’s support staff — and many of the campus’s more active union members.

How does seeking asylum work at the US border?

PRI's The World

May 01, 2018

After weeks of travel across Mexico by bus, freight train and foot, more than 150 migrants from Central America — part of a caravan that has gained international attention — await their turn to apply for asylum at the Southern US border. Just how does the process work?

Immigration

At the US-Mexico border, migrants face an uncertain wait

PRI's The World

April 30, 2018

Some lawyers question why US border officials are unable to process the asylum-seeking migrants from Central America, as the "caravan" has made international headlines during its travels north through Mexico.

Conflict

At least 9 dead in Nicaragua as civil unrest continues

Reuters

April 23, 2018

Protests began last week after the government of President Daniel Ortega, a former leftist guerrilla leader whom critics accuse of trying to build a family dictatorship, launched a plan to overhaul the Central American country's welfare system.

Justice

The US Coast Guard is operating floating prisons in the Pacific Ocean, outside US legal protections

PRI's The World

November 24, 2017

There's a secret US detention system in the War on Drugs, too — and this one is aboard US Coast Guard cutters sailing in the Pacific Ocean.

Conflict

Mexico's earthquakes complicate life for Central American migrants fleeing violence

PRI's The World

October 30, 2017

The state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico is still recovering from the strongest earthquake to hit the country in a century. The epicenter of the damage occurred on the main route that Central American migrants travel on to the US, complicating their journey north.

Justice

The US Coast Guard is operating floating prisons in the Pacific Ocean, outside US legal protections

PRI's The World

November 24, 2017

There's a secret US detention system in the War on Drugs, too — and this one is aboard US Coast Guard cutters sailing in the Pacific Ocean.

Medicine

How Costa Rica became the epicenter of the black market in kidneys

The Takeaway

August 19, 2014

A year-long investigation by the New York Times shows the huge unmet need for kidney transplants across the world, and how Costa Rica has become a key place for people willing to buy themselves off of massive waiting lists.

Justice

Why some people seeking asylum in the US are afraid of going to court

PRI's The World

August 01, 2017

The fates of Central American families seeking asylum in the United States are particularly stark.

Science, Tech & Environment

Shark finning proves tough to eradicate, even in 'green' Costa Rica

PRI's The World

December 17, 2013

The practice of catching sharks and cutting off their fins for soup and other products is lucrative business, and regulated. But illegal "finning" is tough to stop: Exhibit A is Costa Rica, which claims to be a global leader in environmental sustainability.

Environment

China's American canal could sacrifice Nicaragua's great lake

PRI's The World

February 19, 2015

Updated

02/20/2015 - 8:15am

China's $50 billion plan for a new Central American canal connecting Atlantic and Pacific may damage the freshwater Lake Nicaragua, changing the environment for those who depend upon it. The plan faces opposition in parts of the country.

Justice

Why would any parent send their kids on the deadly trip to cross the Mexico-US border? Here's why.

PRI's The World

August 18, 2014

Updated

08/20/2014 - 3:00pm

A young couple from El Salvador explains why they crossed illegally into the US and how rising danger in their homeland forced their children on the dangerous trip north to join them.

Conflict

Families that are deported after crossing the border say they return home feeling hopeless and desperate

PRI's The World

September 04, 2014

This year, an increasing number of Central American attempted to enter the US illegally. Now, as many are deported back home, there are concerns that due process was not served while they were held in detention facilities in the United States.

Conflict & Justice

Protests spread north over unaccompanied migrant children coming to 'our town'

PRI's The World

July 21, 2014

At first, there were isolated protests in border states like California and Arizona over relocating migrant children to detention centers while they awaited immigration proceedings. This weekend, anger and protests spread across the US, reaching New Hampshire, Maine, Minnesota and even Alaska.

Environment

We need phosphate to grow food. But should we be digging it up from the sea floor?

PRI's The World

October 04, 2016

Most of the phosphorus used for crop fertilizer currently comes from phosphate rock on land, but those supplies are dwindling. An plan in Mexico for the world’s first underwater phosphate mine dredges up questions about priorities.

Arts, Culture & Media

How the US is trying to deter migrants from Central America — with music

PRI's The World

July 17, 2014

A catchy song is getting plenty of play on Central American airwaves, but not everyone knows it was funded by the US government.