The American eugenics movement; immigration update

Guests: Julián Aguilar, Daniel Okrent

Writer DANIEL OKRENT tells the ugly history of the American eugenics movement of the late 19^th and early 20^th century in his timely new book, The Guarded Gate. Okrent traces the rise of pseudoscientific theories of racial superiority, popularized by leading social scientists, intellectuals and social reformers, and used to demonize Italians and Eastern European Jews, among others. The eugenics movement led to the passing of the country’s most restrictive immigration law. Okrent, a former editor at TIME and The New York Times, comes in to talk about the history of eugenics movement and what it says about our current immigration debate. But first, Texas Tribune immigration reporter JULIÁN AGUILAR updates us on today’s migrant influx, apprehensions, new detention centers and the status of separated families.