The Marauders

November 1, 2021
Journalist Strickland (Alerta! Alerta!) spotlights in this vivid, character-driven report one Arizona town’s efforts to fight back against “a flood of extremely dangerous, virulently racist, and heavily armed outsiders” who have flocked to the U.S. border with Mexico in recent years. He briskly recounts previous waves of anti-immigrant persecution, including the burning of Irish Catholic churches in Philadelphia in 1844 and the 1919 Palmer Raids that led to the deportation of hundreds of Italians and Eastern European Jews, linking these events to the resurgence of the “white supremacist movement” during Donald Trump’s presidency. Scarred by a 2009 incident in which “rogue militiamen” killed a man and his nine-year-old daughter during a home invasion, residents of Arivaca, Ariz., lobbied local businesses to ban militia members and erected antimilitia signs around town. The vigilantes and their supporters responded by livestreaming confrontations with locals and “accusing any vaguely humanitarian-minded Arivacan” of connections to Mexican drug cartels and child sex traffickers. Strickland profiles residents who spearheaded the campaign as well as those who welcomed the vigilantes, documents the extensive criminal records of militia members, and notes “the cozy relationship between many law enforcement agencies and radical right-wing groups.” The result is a fascinating and often harrowing portrait of a community in the crosshairs.

June 10, 2024

In 2009, members of a right-wing militia murdered a man and his nine-year-old daughter, stunning the small border town of Arivaca, AZ. Journalist Strickland (Alerta! Alerta!: Snapshots of Europe's Anti-Fascist Struggle) provides historical context to the contentious border struggle and interviews key actors in this real-life standoff between the citizens of this tight-knit community and the ever more unbalanced vigilantes. The self-styled "patriots" became even more emboldened by the 2016 election of Donald Trump, baselessly accusing Arivacan residents of connections to Mexican drug cartels. Strickland explores the idea of borders in several contexts, pondering the power of this arbitrary line to enact such a separation between neighbors. He gives the backstories of the key antagonists, outlining accounts of disenfranchisement from society and struggles with the law. Kent Klineman's narration is clear and concise, but, unfortunately, marred by unnatural pauses within sentences. VERDICT Though somewhat haltingly presented by Klineman, Strickland's argument is easily absorbed. A powerful portrait of one small border town and the humanitarian crises on the frontier.--Laura Trombley

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