Stopping the Deportation Machine tells the true story of one undocumented student’s journey to America to escape death threats, reunite with his family, and pursue an education. In the blink of an eye, Wildin Acosta’s dream of becoming the first member of his family to graduate high school in the United States turned into a nightmare when undercover immigration agents in Durham, North Carolina, arrested him one morning before school, intending to deport him to his native Honduras.
This is a book about immigration, education, and community. It also tells the story of one educator’s awakening to the plight of undocumented students and a system that sometimes treats them as little more than cogs in a deportation machine.
“A valuable look at the role journalism and publicity can play in challenging government overreach.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“This book is supercharged with optimism about the ability of underdogs to organize against lawless legal systems. The writing is transparent, a window into worlds that are widely unknown. Read it and believe.”
–Stephen Haff, author of Still Waters in a Storm
“A story that reminds readers of the power of local communities and our next generation of leaders.”
–GK Butterfield, former member of Congress
“Stopping the Deportation Machine is the perfect book at the perfect time to describe the labyrinthian nature of the U.S. immigration system and its complexity and cruelty. Christopher captures the harrowing journey of one young man’s life trapped behind the system with a triumphant journey of a community coming together to help him.”
–Paul Cuadros, author of A Home on the Field and Star of “Los Jets,” produced by Jennifer Lopez
“Stopping the Deportation Machine is an engaging account by a dedicated high school teacher of the ordeal of an undocumented student, Wildin Acosta, who was fleeing gang violence in Honduras. It is a harrowing story of arrest, prolonged detention, and near-deportation, but also an inspiring account of activism on Wildin’s behalf, led by four remarkable fellow-students, and of how a community came together in response.”
–David Price, former member of Congress
Bryan Christopher 