Lumpkin, GA: The Hidden Heart of America’s Immigration Crackdown 2019
Distributed by epf media, 324 S. Beverly Drive, PMB 437, Beverly Hills, CA 90212; 310-839-1500
Produced by Emily Grandcolas
Directed by Nicholas Manting Brewer
Streaming, 38 mins
College - General Adult
Immigration; Law; Political Science
Date Entered: 10/26/2020
Reviewed by Douglas Reed, Department of Political Science, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARAmerica’s broken immigration system looms large in the small town of Lumpkin, Georgia. On its outskirts sits one of the largest government-contracted immigration detention facilities, a place where private business interests and social justice for unauthorized immigrants collide.
Lumpkin, GA examines the economic impact and human toll of the Stewart Detention Center. Located in one of the most impoverished counties in the U.S., this for-profit facility provides a significant portion of the county’s property tax revenue but relies heavily on inmate labor instead of Stewart County’s workforce. Interviews with long-time residents, county officials, immigration advocates, and a detainee awaiting his deportation hearing provide multiple perspectives on the enormous challenges deeply rooted in the community. A common thread that runs through their stories is disengagement and disconnect – a community cut off from opportunity, profit at the expense of human misery, and laws that fail to fit the realities of immigration.
Cast against a backdrop of closed storefronts and peeling paint, Lumpkin, GA illuminates a pervasive decline and decay that plagues not only Stewart County but also rural America.
Highly recommended for academic and public libraries, Lumpkin, GA is an excellent resource for courses in law, political science, and sociology. Because the film is under 40 minutes, it can easily be shown during a single class period, leaving time for discussion and debate. The film’s study guide provides background information on Lumpkin, the Stewart Detention Center, and U.S. immigration enforcement. It also includes a glossary of terms as well as a list of additional resources.
Awards:
Best Documentary Short at Reel East Texas Film Festival, Kilgore TX; Best Documentary Jury Award at Tolpuddle Radical Film Festival, Tolpuddle, United Kingdom; Best Documentary Audience Award at Tolpuddle Radical Film Festival, Tolpuddle, United Kingdom; Winner Best Cinematography Doc Short at Indie & Foreign Film Festival, New York, NY; and Official Selection at CineCulture Fresno State Film Series, Fresno, CA