Summary

In "The Courthouse," Markham describes a packed immigration courthouse in Harlingen, Texas where three dozen children are brought in for their initial hearings. A paralegal from a local pro bono agency is there to help them, but they have no real legal representation. They are given their Notices to Appear for their later court dates before being quickly dismissed.

In Chapter 5, Ernesto and Raul traveled to California to live with Wilber Jr., their sponsor. Wilber Jr. is able to be their sponsor despite the fact that he is undocumented; they have been assured that this will not affect his status or put him at risk for deportation. After arriving in the US, Wilber Jr. had enrolled in school, but soon quit as he struggled with English and needed to work to pay off his coyote dept. Despite the fact that he...