The Dove and the Law

The Dove and the Law tells the story of two women's journey from Cuba to the United States through 12 countries.

"La paloma y la ley" (The Dove and the Law) follows two women, Marta and Liset, who left Cuba in May 2016 with no plan, just the name of a coyote—a human smuggler—scribbled on a piece of paper, and a dream to make it to the US. They hoped to arrive before the imminent end of “wet foot, dry foot,” a policy that fast-tracked Cubans to asylum and permanent residency. Photojournalist Lisette Poole followed along on 51 days of this journey through 13 countries, across 10 borders and 6 days in the Darien Gap—a roadless stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama. She posed as a migrant and photographed on several formats including a smartphone, 35mm film and a GoPro. Lisette has continued documenting Marta and Liset’s new lives in the United States in the years since she made the journey with them. Migration is one of the critical issues of our times, but the stories told are often hyper-dramatized, oversimplified, and rarely personal or intimate.The book, "La paloma y la ley" upends these superficial narratives with one of the most comprehensive accounts of migration ever published. The book renders the journey in all its danger, complexity and humanity.