Hipolito Acosta is a former District Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration and was a guest on the McCuistion Progam’s episode on the History of Immigration. He is also the author of The Shadow Catcher.

According to his website:

In his thirty years working with the US Government, Hipolito M. Acosta was one of the most highly decorated officers in the history of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The son of Mexican-American migrant workers, Acosta rose through the ranks from Border Patrol Agent to a key position in the Department of Homeland Security.

His domestic career included front line roles in the fight against alien smuggling in key positions such as Criminal Investigator in Chicago, Special Agent with the El Paso District & Border Patrol Sector, and Supervisory Special Agent in Brownsville, Texas.

Heading a district that covered forty-two countries, Acosta oversaw high-profile investigations and successful undercover missions involving illegal operations in Central America, Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East.

As an expert in the field of immigration and alien smuggling, Acosta has been
interviewed on ABC, CNN, NBC, NPR, Voice of America, Telemundo, and Univision Television. During his I&NS career, he was featured on every major network news outlet, from the BBC to Fox News.

Articles featuring Acosta as a subject or expert have been published in dozens of newspapers including: Arizona Daily Star, Charlotte Observer, Chicago Sun-Times, Dallas Morning News, El Norte, Financial Times, Houston Chronicle, La Jornada, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Star Tribune, and Washington Post.

He is the recipient of the Newton-Azrak Award—the highest honor given by the U.S. Border Patrol to individuals for bravery and heroism in the line of
duty—and was appointed District Director, US Citizenship & Immigration Services in Houston under the Department of Homeland Security in January 2004, a position he held until his retirement on March 31, 2005.
Acosta and his wife, Terrie, live in Texas. They have one daughter and three sons.

To view the full episode with Hipolito Acosta visit the following link:

25 Years of McCuistion: A Brief History of Immigration