The Devil's Highway

One of the major problems with discussing immigration is that politicians tend to present reductive positions on the matter. In order to appease their constituents, they must make the problem smaller than it is. The truth, as The Devil’s Highway clearly shows, is that immigration is an incredibly complex issue. One way to ensure that nothing ever changes is to spout platitudes and offer simple solutions, such as: “We’ll just deport everyone” or “Build a wall.” But the fact that a problem is complex is no excuse for not having a real discussion about it. Real discussions must go beyond “They’re taking our jobs” in order to be helpful.

The Devil’s Highway presents one of the simplest arguments against attempting to immigrate illegally: it can kill. For all the talk of a better life, trying to cross the border is a calculated risk. 

Most of the choices made by the walkers in The Devil’s Highway are not based on evidence. They are a function of luck and (often misplaced) trust. When a citizen decides to make the walk instead of continuing in his situation, he is making a gamble that things really will be better in another place. When he thinks about it enough to enlist the services of a Coyote, he gambles that the Coyote is telling the truth, or that he is as invested in the walker’s safety as he says he is.

Once in the charge of a Coyote, he gambles that the Coyote will take him to an appropriate spot for the walk and not simply rob him or leave him stranded. Once the walk itself begins, he gambles that the Coyote will actually know the way, and will not get lost. When the sun rises, he gambles that his physical strength and abilities will allow him to survive. And once he finally arrives on the other side of his journey, he gambles that he will be able to find work and send money home. In The Devil’s Highway, every outcome is as uncertain as the shimmering heat waves on the dunes.