In the first installment of a two-part series on immigration, the girlies ask an important question: what gives someone the right to call a place home — and who gets to decide? Is citizenship a moral construct, or just a legal one? If borders are made up, why do they control so much of our lives?

In light of the ongoing deportation horrors and increasingly aggressive border enforcement, we’re looking back to figure out how we got here. From early immigration through World War I, we trace the long, messy history of who’s been allowed in, who’s been shut out, and how the U.S. has used immigration as a tool for control, exclusion, and scapegoating.

Everyone, regardless of immigration status, has rights under the U.S. Constitution. You have the right to remain silent, the right to refuse a search without a warrant, and the right to speak to a lawyer. For more information and resources, visit ilrc.org & aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan.

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SOURCES:

4 things to know about the Alien Enemies Act and Trump's efforts to use it

A Brief History of U.S. Immigration Policy from the Colonial Period to the Present Day

A History of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798

A Letter to Columbia

American Immigration Policy in Historical Perspective

Americans’ Views of Deportations

Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts

Federal Government Detains International Student at Tufts

Historical Context: The Post-World War I Red Scare

How does deportation work, and how much does it cost? We break it down

Immigration History Timeline