The Infiltrators

The Infiltrators: two Dreamers go underground in a 'for-profit' detention center in Florida to get other immigrants released

'The Infiltrators', directed by Christina Ibarra and Alex Rivera, was aired Monday, October 5, 2020 on PBS POV and Latino Public Broadcasting. PBS reduced the viewing time slightly from the 95 minutes if the Oscilloscope Labs release.

The film documents the story of two 'Dreamers', Marco and Viri, who pose as undocumented aliens and get themselves arrested and sent to the 'for-profit' detention center (it is connected to a prison and it looks like there is a landfill near it) in Broward County, FL, so they can work undercover incognito to secure the release of undocumented persons who have not committed any (other) crimes. Their motive is solidarity. But these incidents happened in 2015, 2016, before Trump. The effort was organized by the National Day Laborers Movement and the National Immigrant Youth Alliance.

The film mixes real video with acted re-enactments, so in a sense it is a �docudrama�.

The detention center held 600 men (it was hard to believe when it doesn�t look very big in the models).� Many of the detainees are given details, just like in the military (they get paid $1 a day, but if they work more, they may get more visitors).

Interesting stunts happen, like switching envelopes when sweeping a floor in a classroom.� There is talk of a hunger strike which becomes a �religious observance�.

It also becomes difficult to get people out without separating families.

The film ends with some of the former detainees watching the election returns in November 2016 when Trump pulls the upset.

The �Democracy Now� channel interviews the two Dreamers in two spots. The channel has also interviewed Avi Schiffmann (creator of a major coronavirus tracking website) and noted he started it before the public knew there was a pandemic in China. The channel is very good at probing undercover work.

The director Rivera speaks briefly at the end of the film about one if the detainees who is still not released.

Name: The Infiltrators

Director, writer: Christina Ibarra and Alex Rivera

Released: 2019

Format: 1.85:1

When and how viewed: PBS POV, 2020/10/5

Length: 95 (85 on PBS); Spanish with subtitles in many scenes

Rating: NR

Companies: Oscilloscope, PBS POV

Stars: ****_

There is no connection to the action film 'The Infiltrator' reviewed July 16, 2016.

 

(Posted: Monday, October 5, 2020 at 11:30 PM EDT)