The Marauders: Standing Up to Vigilantes in the American Borderlands

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.