Netflix has had one busy year filled with breakthrough docuseries. Tiger King quickly became a cult classic back in April. And now Netflix’s new docuseries Immigration Nation is gaining popularity for its in-depth lens on the United States’ immigration system.

Here are V’s top 5 takeaways from Immigration Nation. 

1. Rare Access

Immigration Nation is a total of six episodes that are an hour long each. Throughout this hefty span of time, filmmakers take you inside some of the most secretive, bureaucratic and rumoured institutions in the country. From detention centers to immigrant homes, filmmakers Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz take audiences on an intimate ride-along. 

2. (Mostly) Objective Observations

There is no hiding the fact that immigration is one of the country’s most divisive issues. Wherever you stand, one can not deny that documentary filmmakers Clusiau and Schwarz took the time to interview both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and those who live in the U.S. undocumented. The result is something refreshing that neither fully alienates one side nor hails the other. Instead, the filmmakers place a fair but critical lens on U.S. immigration policy.

3. Three Years in the Making 

Some advice: don’t binge this series all in one day. Documentary filmmakers Clusiau and Schwarz worked on this film for nearly three years — and it shows. Yes, the footage and interviews are filled with stunning anecdotes and detail. But this is a long grueling series that takes a toll on one’s emotional state. 

4. ICE Didn’t Want This Released

In July, The New York Times reported that the Trump Administration “fought mightily” to delay the release of Immigration Nation until after the 2020 election. The Times also reported that the Trump administration threatened the filmmakers with legal action due to “misrepresentations” in the film’s narrative. Clusiau and Schwarz reached an agreement before filming the docuseries that officials have the right to check the story for factual inaccuracies. 

5. Land of Law

If there was only one takeaway from Immigration Nation it’s that the United States is a country with one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world.