The Least of These

Debate over immigration policy during the Bush administration led to tougher treatment of illegal aliens, with stricter detention policies that placed entire families—including children—in holding areas. Clark and Jesse Lyda's documentary examines a dispute over how such families should be housed, focusing on the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former prison outside Austin, TX, where some were kept for months while awaiting the disposition of their cases. The film follows the efforts of activists, including the Texas ACLU, to compel the Department of Homeland Security to improve conditions, especially for the children held with their parents. The Least of These melds news footage with interviews of detainees (Central American mothers and their children, as well as the Yourdkhanis, an Iranian refugee couple whose son was born in Canada before their detention and who became an international cause célèbre) and members of the groups that fought on their behalf. An epilogue shows the reaction to the 2009 decision to stop sending families to T. Don Hutto, while noting that problems continue elsewhere. DVD extras include extended and deleted scenes, interviews, an immigration policy featurette, Q&A segments, and panel discussions. Recommended. [Note: The Least of These is also available with public performance rights for $295 from The Cinema Guild, www.cinemaguild.com.] Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)