The first chapter is titled, “The Rules of the Game.” What is the game? What seem to be the rules?

This question invites the reader to think critically about the author’s decisions in naming his chapters. Although it is never stated explicitly, the “game” in the title seems to refer to the almost farcical, sometimes comical and often tragic, qualities of the Mexican-American border. For instance, the author describes the number of games that Border Patrol agents play in order to stave off boredom. The “rules” of said immigration game may refer to the expectation that both migrants and La Migra will maintain the status quo: migrants will continue dying, the American government will continue blaming Mexican government, and the Mexican government will continue blaming the American government.

According to Chapter One, what is “drag” (29)? What does it mean to “cut” drag?

Drags are, as the...