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Racisravest threat to man—the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reasons

—Abraham J Heschel, rabbi and philosopher (1907–72)

Benita Sanchez was al into a rattlesnake as she was US Customs and Border Protection The CBP would send her and her husband back to Mexico But a snake… The way José said she should creep across the ground—always staying low, very low—ht, when the temperature cooled She could easily stumble into one Maybe they’d hear a brief shake of the rattle, but they’d never see its beady eyes or sharp fangs before it struck Since they’d lost their coyote, or sler, they had only the moon to help them And it was barely a sliver—a sliver that looked like a tiny rent in a gigantic doht edged toward dawn

Although they’d crossed the border with thirty-one other Mexican nationals, they were now alone Everyone had scattered when the border patrol spotted theo Had any of those peoplecell? She and José had escaped “La Migra,” but she was no longer sure she considered the her? He said he did He’d coo And their coyote had promised they’d have only a six-hour walk Even if she deducted for the tihteen

As they came to a cluster of mobile homes, José whispered to circle wide and crouch lower He’d once told her it was easy to sneak across la frontera But it hadn’t been easy at all Although he’d insisted she wear several layers of clothing, the thorny plants that scrabbled for purchase in the rocky soil still h the fabric or scratch her soer, thirst, ho-runners, thieves, unfriendly Ara—and it was almost unbearable The whole world felt hostile

Tears began to burn behind Benita’s eyes She wasn’t sure she could go on She hoped the presence of these trailers meant they were on the outskirts of a tohere she could at least get a drink of water, but even if they were close, two h the desert

“José?” She could hear the determined crunch of his footsteps in front of her

At the sound of her voice, he stopped “You must be quiet,” he replied in rapid Spanish “Do you want the people in that trailer to hear you? If they do, they’ll call the border patrol!”

The mobile home they skirted was one of the nicer ones she’d seen, a double-ith a yard and everything But its white paint seehost with flat, eodforsaken land How could it be the paradise José promised?

“Maybe we could drink froested

He hesitated and finally agreed He had to be thirsty, too But as they drew close, a dog began to bark, so he grabbed her hand and yanked her away

“Agua!” she begged

“We can’t risk it”

“Then let’s try another place Maybe the next one won’t have a dog”

“We’re almost there”

He’d been saying that for“I’m scared I want to turn back”