border patrol agent francisco cantu discusses his memoir "the line becomes a river. after that, prime minister's questions. later, imf managing director christine lagarde. ♪ this week on q&a former u.s. border patrol agent francisco cantu discusses his memoir "the line becomes a river: dispatches from the border." brian: francisco cantu, author of "the line becomes a river," when did you first think about becoming a writer? mr. cantu: i first thought about writing about my experiences as a border poll

our guest has been francisco cantu. thank you very much. mr. you so much for having me. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer: for a free transcript or give us your about this program, visit us at q&a.org. q&a programs are also available on c-span podcasts. >> if you liked this q&a program with francisco cantu, here are others. talks about journalism, politics, and his views on immigration in america. california congresswoman grace napolitano discusses immigration and the impact of the hispanic vote in u.s. elections. the head of the hispanic advocacy group formerly known as the national council of la raza. you can find these interviews online at c-span.org. >> our podcast, c-span's the weekly, takes you beyond the headlines to explain in-depth a significant news story shaping the conversation in washington and around the country. you will hear from leading journalist, experts, and

border patrol agent francisco cantu discusses his memoir "the line becomes a river." ♪ brian: franciscotu, author of "the line becomes a river," when did you first think about becoming a writer? mr. cantu: i first thought about writing about my experiences as a border control -- border patrol agent 6 months -- a year after leaving, i think. i was really trying to grapple that experience and come to terms with what i had participated in. so that's when i really first started thinking i have to write in order to make sense of this. it seems like the only option. to kind of get everything down on paper, put all of those experiences in one place. i didn't know it would be a book at the time. i think that is how all books sort of start. brian when were you in the : border patrol and where did you live during that time? mr. cantu: i was in border patrol from 2008 to 2012. i spent the first two years of my career in a field station in arizona. and i spent another year at intelligence sector headquarters in tucson. and then i spent about a half a year in el paso. brian: let me go to the basics.

. ♪ francisco cantu discusses his memoir. >> francisco cantu, when did you first think about becoming writer? mr. cantu: i first thought about writing about my experiences as a border patrol agent six months, a year after leaving. i was really trying to grapple with that experience and come to terms with what i had participated in. so that is when i first darted thinking i have to write in order to make sense of this. ,t seemed like the only option to get everything down on paper and put all those experiences in one place. i did not know it would be a book at the time. that is how all books start. >> when were you in the border patrol and where did you live at that time? mr. cantu: i was in the patrol from 2008 until 2012. i spent the first two years of my career in a field station in arizona. i spent enough -- another year at intelligence headquarters in tucson, and then i spent about half a year in el paso. >> let me go to the basics. where were you born? mr. cantu: santa rosa, california. left shortly after my birth. my mother was a park ranger, so we lived in a couple different pl

patrol -- border patrol agent francisco cantu discusses his memoir "the line becomes a river .antu, authorco ," "the line becomes a river when did you first think about becoming a writer? mr. cantu: i first thought about writing of my expenses as the border patrol agent six months, a year after leaving, i think.

book is "thef the line becomes a river dispatches from the board" our guest has been francisco cantu.ery much. mr. cantu: thank you s thank yor having me. ♪ ♪ transcript,or free visit us at q&a. org. visit us at >> if you like this program, hear are others you might enjoy? versions jorge ray moss talk about the journalism career, onitics and views immigration in america and california congresswoman grace discussion policy and the impact of the hispanic vote in the u.s. elections andian net nationalo heads the council. you can find these interviews on-line@c-span.org. this past week, the british house of commons, prime minister theesa may was asked about meeting with the crown prince and another question had to do the goff governor's response. this is 45 minutes. government d situated. >> thank you. order. questions to the prime >> order. question to the prime minister. . [shouting] thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to begin by a dating house on the government's response to the incidents that occurred on sunday and pay tribute to the work of all the emergency services who responded

francisco cantu witnessed firsthand the realities of immigration to the us.e quit. now, he's written a book called, the line becomes a river: dispatches from the border. the job of being a border patrol agent, there were certain aspects of it that appealed to me, that i enjoyed — being outdoors, learning to sort of read the landscape. but of course, there was always this knowledge in the back of my mind that all of these things that i was learning to do, you know, were really to hunt down and to catch other people. in theirjourney. those are the voices that have more to tell us about border policy than any border agent, like me, than any policy maker, than any politician. there's people who've been brought here, dreamers, who are now living in fear, and so i think we need to recognise that fear as something real and visceral and something that we are creating through policy. there were all these parts of myself and my identity that i had to sort of give over to this institution, and that's the question that is sort of at the centre of the book. coming to term

francisco cantu witnessed firsthand the realities of immigration to the us. book called, the line becomes a river: dispatches from the border. thejob of being a border the job of being a border patrol agent, the certain that is that to me andi agent, the certain that is that to me and i enjoy being outdoors, learning to read the landscape. there is always this knowledge in the back of my mind that all of these things that i was learning to do were really to hunt down and catch other people. after leaving thejob, what i carried catch other people. after leaving the job, what i carried with catch other people. after leaving thejob, what i carried with me catch other people. after leaving the job, what i carried with me the most of what i still carry with me today weren't the car chases or drug lasts. what really sticks with me are the personal encounters and conversations that i had. when i read about deaths in the desert, i remember the face of a man whose body i found in the desert. some of the discussion around the book is really about who gets to speak, who

border patrol agent francisco cantu talks about his book, "a line becomes a river," a memoir of his experience and what he has learned about our immigration system since he has left the border patrol. >> the woman is pregnant and there were lost for three days. they were drinking filthy water from cattle thanks. to a village in the border patrol got called and i was the agent who was supposed to take them in, and i started talking with them. and it turned out that this pregnant woman had grown up in iowa, and she spoke perfect english. and she was a schoolteacher in iowa, and i think her husband saw that we were talking and had a connection and he leaned over man,e point and said, hey, can we just skip the whole arrest and deportation thing. can you just drive us back to the border and let us cross into axico, ba brother -- be brother? and i said no, this is my job to my can do that, and i took the men. but what i remember about that encounter is, i remember asking their names and introducing myself to them. and i remember wanting to remember them because i had this connection. i wanted to hol

border agent fran s francisco cantu talked about his -- >> they were drinking filthy water from cattle tanks. they made it tee village and the border patrol got called. i was the agent who was supposed to take them in. i started talking with them, and it turned out that this pregnant woman had grown up in iowa and spoke effort english and she was a schoolteacher in iowa. and and you know i think her husband saw we were talking and had a connection. he leaned over at one point and said, hey, man, can we kip the whole, you know, arrest and deportation thing. can you just drive us back to the border and let us cross back into mexico? you know, be a brother? you know, and i didn't hesitate. i said, no, this is my job. you know, i can't do that. i took them in. but what i remember about that encounter is asking their names i remember introducing myself to them and i remember wanting to remember them because we had this connection. i wanted to hold them in my mind. i wanted that william to be safe and for their child to be safe. a couple of hours later i went back on control, was sitting in

we'll also talk about gun as well.egislation, we'll be right back. >> francisco cantu, talking book, a memor of experiences and he's learned about immigration since leaving patrol.er dpeekt the woman was pregnant, couldn't keep up. they were lost for three days after the group left them. from cow ilthy water tanks. they made it to the village and border patrol got called and i the agent supposed to take them in. with them ed talking and it turned out that this regnant woman had grownup in iowa and she spoke perfect english. he was a school teacher in iowa. and i think her husband saw we a e talking and saw connection and he leaned over at one point and said, hey, man, skip the st, can we whole arrest and deportation you just drive us back to the border and let us mexico, be a to brother? you know, i didn't hesitate, i this is my job, you know i can't do that. in and what i emember about the encounter, i remember asking their names, i wanting to remember them, i wanted to hold them in wanted that woman to be safe. the reason that encounter sticks with me so much, that is first humaniz

border patrol agent, francisco cantu, talks about his book "the line becomes a river, a memoir of hisxperiences and what he is learned about our immigration system since leaving the border patrol. >> the woman was pregnant. that's why she couldn't keep up. they were lost for three days after their group left in him. they were drinking filthy water from cattle takes. -- tanks. they made it to a village in the border patrol got called and i was supposed to take them in. i started talking with some. that this pregnant woman had grown up in iowa to achieve spoke perfect english. she was a schoolteacher in iowa. her husbands all that we were talking and leaned over and pleaseey, man, can get the whole arrest and deportation thing? can you drive us back to the border and let us cross back into mexico? be a brother? said no, this-- i is my job. i can't do that. i took them in. what i remember about that encounter is i remember asking their names. i remember introducing myself to them. i remember wanting to remember them because i had this connection. i wanted to hold them in my mind. i wante

border patrol agent francisco cantu talks about his book and his experiences and what he has learned about our immigration system since leaving the border patrol. >> the woman was pregnant, and that is why they were locked for three days after the group left them and they were drinking filthy water from cattle tanks, and they made it to the village and the border control got called and the border agent who is supposed to take them in, and so i started talking with them, and it turned out that this pregnant woman had grown up in iowa, and she is speaking perfect english. and you know, i think that her husband saw that we were talking, and we had a lot spilling over, and so, man, can we skip the whole, you know, the whole r arrest and deportation thing, and can we go back to the border, and cross over into mexico, and be a brother. and, i didn't hesitate. and no, it is my job. and i can't, but what i remember about the encounter is that i remember asking their names and introducing myself to them, and i remember wanting to remember them and hold them in my mind and i wanted that woman

border patrol agent francisco cantu talks about his book -- the line becomes a river -- a memoir abouthe has learned since leaving the border patrol. pregnant, thats is why she cannot keep up. they were lost for three days after the group left them, drinking soapy water from cattle thanks. they made it through a village, and the board of control -- border patrol got called and i was the agent that was supposed to take them in and i started talking to them. it turned out this pregnant andn had grown up in iowa spoke perfect english, and she was a schoolteacher in iowa. i think her husband saw that we were talking and we had a connection and teaming dover at one point and said, hey, man, can we skip the whole -- and leaned over at one point and said, hey, man kelly skip the whole immigration thing and can you let us cross back into mexico? be a brother? i did not hesitate. i said no, this is my job. i cannot do that, and i took them in. what i remember about the encounter is i remember asking their names and i remember introducing myself to them, and i remember wanting to remember them b