This week’s reflection will be two separate reflections: Week 2 and Week 2.5. It may also be helpful to read my previous blog post for context.
A Little Mining Town
Down in Southern Arizona, around 40 miles from the US-Mexico Border, there lies a small unincorporated town called Ajo. The area is considered a tri-state region, being near the intersection of the US, Mexico, and the Tohono O’odham Nation. In the mid-19th century, this was a bustling mining town, where the mining company owned everything, from the houses to the stores and hospitals. In the 1900s, the town was segregated into Mexican, Indian, and Anglo villages. In the early 1980s, the mine shut down, leading to a massive exodus from the town. In the wake of the rapidly declining population, the town lost much of its younger working generations, and job opportunities became difficult to find.
In recent years, the International Sonoran Desert Alliance has worked to revitalize the area through what they refer to as “place keeping.” Many of the buildings have been maintained and repurposed. The Ajo we visited was covered in bright, colorful murals that both remember the history of the region and allude to Ajo’s important role in humanitarian aid.
Good Samaritans
In Ajo, we spent our nights at “The Barn,” a place known for its history as a site for humanitarian aid groups. Sleeping under the stars was a breathtaking experience, offering some of the most stunning views of the stars, sunrises, and sunsets.
In addition to the beautiful views, “The Barn” is best known as a humanitarian aid space that was involved in a federal court case against humanitarian aid worker Scott Warren. In 2018, a couple of Border Patrol agents decided to set up their own surveillance site the mountains around “The Barn” to keep an eye on Dr. Warren. They captured what they believed was evidence of Dr. Warren aiding and abetting travelers. This led to Dr. Warren, who is part of a group called No More Deaths, facing felony charges for his humanitarian aid of giving food, water, and shelter. He was eventually acquitted on the basis that providing aid to those in need was part of his spiritual beliefs. This is just one of the example of how although providing humanitarian aid is not illegal, it is often criminalized by Border Patrol and other organizations.
Southern Arizona is one of the deadliest stretches of the US-Mexico border. As of the time of writing, there have been nearly 5,000 human remains recovered from the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. It is estimated that the total number of bodies along the U.S.-Mexico Border is around three times that number. We met with the Ajo Samaritans, who shared their experiences of placing water in places where there have been high numbers of deaths recorded. They have received medical training to help those in need whom they might encounter and keep medical records that document the times they have helped people. They operate on the policy of helping the people whom they see in need of help, without questioning. If someone needs food or water, they will do what they can to provide it within the boundaries of the law.
It is important here to address the history of the US-Mexico border region. There have been crossings of the border since it was established, most of which came through areas near ports of entry. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that the border became so highly militarized and that people started crossing through the desert. In 1994, when NAFTA was passed under the Clinton administration, it gave heavy favor to the United States’ agricultural industry, through subsidization of corn. This directly impacted small farms in Mexico, forcing many farmers to leave their homes in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
In preparation for the massive movement about to occur in Mexico, the United States sought to prevent these individuals from moving northward to the US. They believed that increasing the militarization of the ports of entry would force people to cross through the desert, thereby preventing crossings through the US-Mexico border. This series of policies was called “Prevention through Deterrence.” They hoped that as people died in the desert, it would send a message back to their countries not to attempt to cross into the United States. However, they underestimated what people would be willing to risk to find a better life.
In the map shown below, created by Humane Borders, each red dot represents a place where human remains were found in Southern Arizona. This virtual map gives more details about the people who have been found in the desert, many of whom remain unidentified.
There are several Humanitarian aid groups operating in Arizona, many with the goal of preventing people from dying in the desert. The three primary groups of aid organizations that work in the desert to provide aid and prevent deaths are: Humane Borders, which focuses on providing water, the Samaritans, who focus on providing food, water, and general aid to travelers, and No More Deaths, which focuses on advocacy and on-the-ground work.
This week, we had the opportunity to attend a meeting of the Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans as well. This group consisted mostly of retirees who spend their free time climbing mountains in the desert, driving along the wall, and providing humanitarian aid.
One of the Samaritans we met at the meeting, David Damian Figueroa, who shared his upcoming documentary, called Samaritans with us. This highlighted the stories of Samaritans like Shura, Nancy, and Father Randy, who have been helping people in the desert for years. The film emphasized that humanitarian aid is not a crime, told stories of the circumstances of some of the individuals seeking asylum or attempting to cross, and the violence that often comes with crossing the border. The Samaritans in the film, whom we met, spend several days each week near the border, helping people in need. Mr. Figueroa has made several other films, including Shura, They Call Me the Cross Man, and Food Chains that touch on social issues, especially surrounding the border region.
The stories of these people who have dedicated their lives to helping people at the border are incredible. Simply by leaning on shared humanity, they fight to challenge the negative narratives migration and to prevent people from continuing to die in the desert. This week has further shown the vast span of what we will be learning, and I look forward to continuing to write about these experiences through these blogs.