Immigration Debate from Both Sides of the Border Print
Written by Robert ID2605   
Thursday, 11 May 2006 02:06

As hundreds of thousands take to the streets to protest the proposed changes to U.S. immigration laws, OBJETIVO: EL NORTE transports viewers into the hot Sonora desert to meet the people who risk their lives every day crossing the “corridor of death,” as well as those dedicated to helping them save their lives. The program features an interview with a “coyote” about the trafficking of human lives, while chronicling the experiences of two young men who follow their family tradition by undertaking the perilous journey across the border.

Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group will premiere of OBJETIVO: EL NORTE, an original documentary that examines all sides of the fierce immigration debate currently raging across the United States. The one-hour special debuts on Discovery en Español on Sunday, May 21, at 9:00 PM ET/PT, with encore showings set for Wednesday, May 24, at 9:00 PM ET/PT and Saturday, May 27, at 7:00 PM ET/PT.

The documentary also presents those on the other side of the issue: opponents who see the immigrants as invaders taking away jobs that belong to American workers, depressing wages and forcing changes in the American way of life. Discovery en Español’s cameras closely follow these people as they patrol the border on the ground and in the air – with some predicting that Arizona will be the site of the next great civil war.

In addition, OBJETIVO: EL NORTE explores the diverse views of politicians, immigration lawyers, business leaders and economists on the impact of the new legislation, as 12 million undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S. await their fate. Participants include: Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano; Ambassador Cresencio Arcos, assistant secretary for international affairs, Department of Homeland Security; Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas); Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, governor of the state of Hidalgo, Mexico; Al Garza, national executive director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps; Hector M. Flores, national president, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Grisel Ibarra, immigration attorney, and many more.

“We are committed to providing thought-provoking programming that consistently speaks to the issues that matter most to U.S. Hispanics,” said Luis Silberwasser, senior vice president and general manager of Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group. “Through a lively and provocative investigation of all points of view, OBJETIVO: EL NORTE will engage viewers and encourage further discussion about these important immigration issues.”

“By combining dramatic first-person accounts about what it’s like to live in the shadows as an undocumented worker with revealing interviews with community leaders and legislators who are at the center of the debate, the documentary provides a compelling examination of the national discourse,” added Angela Recio Sondon, director of programming and production, Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group.

OBJETIVO: EL NORTE was produced by New World Video Productions for Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group.

Discovery en Español ‘OBJETIVO: EL NORTE’ to Examine the Immigration Debate from Both Sides of the Border

Two brothers will share real-life account of their journey across the border. Political opinions, expert analysis and demonstrations to highlight original documentary airing on Sunday, May 21, at 9:00 PM ET/PT