He deported immigrants for decades. Now he helps fight their cases

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published March 23, 2026 at 11:59 AM EDT

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Brownsville, Texas. (Gabriel V. Cardenas/AP)

After 24 years as an immigration officer with the Department of Homeland Security, Eric O’Denius is now training to be a paralegal on immigration cases. He says enforcement these days has grown broader and more aggressive.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd talks with O’Denius about his journey from deportation officer to paralegal.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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