On Tuesday, Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer hosted a discussion on immigration policy and its impact on human rights. Speakers included award-winning journalist Sandy Tolan; Victor Narro, project director for the UCLA Downtown Labor Center; and Laboni Hoq, litigation director at Advancing Justice-LA. The discussion took place at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

The panel discussed how the media has portrayed the immigration debate in America and uncovered common media misconceptions about undocumented immigrants. Scheer also examined how political elites are purposefully exploiting undocumented immigrants for economic reasons, and he referred to Truthdig columnist Bill Blum’s recent report on President Trump’s immigration policies.

Watch the full discussion below:

—Posted by Emma Niles

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig