The Book

A reported account of how the first Trump administration tried to remake American immigration.

Co-authored with Julie Hirschfeld Davis. Drawing on years of reporting from the West Wing and the border, Border Wars reconstructs how a small group of officials — most notably Stephen Miller — engineered the most aggressive overhaul of U.S. immigration policy in a generation.

From the early travel ban to family separations at the southwestern border, from the dismantling of the refugee program to the long campaign to block asylum seekers, the book traces a clear arc: the steady erosion of the bipartisan consensus that, for decades, governed how the United States welcomed — and turned away — immigrants. Davis and Shear show how decisions were made, who pushed them through, and what the human cost has been.

The narrative draws on extensive interviews with current and former senior officials, internal documents, and on-the-ground reporting from Washington, the border, and the courts. It is, at heart, a story about how a single administration’s agenda — when sustained by a small, determined cadre — can reshape the country’s relationship to the rest of the world.

“This is a story about an idea, and the men who made it law.”

— From the introduction

For the publisher’s description, table of contents, and purchase links, see the Simon & Schuster page.

Conversations about the book

• The Sit-Down — CBS Local New York · long-form interview with both authors
• CBS New York — Davis & Shear on Border Wars · televised conversation
• All TV & video appearances →