Jessica selling papusas, sandwiches and champurrado at the Mariposa port of entry across the street from Kino Border Initiative. An article in Nuevo Día about two of our guests/friends, Jessica and Salvador, describes their journey from El Salvador, their original hopes, and where they are today. It is a testament to the power of faith and hard work. Your donations allow us to continue to provide housing and medical care to our migrant brothers and sisters. Donate Now. Here i

Most of Voices From the Border's work happens without attention. It is people showing up, day after day, to respond to urgent needs along the border. Last week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem came to Nogales with cameras in tow for political theater. She staged a press conference, handed out awards, and took no questions from reporters.¹ Voices From the Border joined others in protest. Noem held her event steps from the border wall, but the people who actually govern Nogales weren

This week, we met with 52 men who had just been deported. Some had been in the US for a long time. One man for 28 years, married and with seven children; another man, married with three kids, had been there for 22 years. Also, younger guys who had been there for 2 to 4 years. They were from Idaho, Utah, Texas, and other states. They had all been in detention in various states for various lengths of time; some had been moved from one to another. They were staying in a shelter

On December 12th, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we closed the year with another wonderful collaboration. A joint friend-raiser/fundraiser with the Border Community Alliance and the Patagonia Creative Arts Association, the evening began with an open-to-the-public celebration of the Blessed Mother by the local  Guadalupanas  from St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church in the courtyard. A dinner reception featuring an authentic homemade Mexican feast with honored guest

In the last newsletter, we told the story of a couple from El Salvador who make tamales every evening to sell in the early morning hours by the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora. Since that writing, there have been problems with permitting.  As street vendors, they need work permits to sell in a specific area. The Port of Entry is always busy, making it the best place for them to sell. After days of Pancho reaching out to his various connections, he finally secured pe

In late fall 2019, a documentary filmmaker, Barbara Benitez, reached out to us about creating a short documentary featuring Pancho and our work together in Nogales, Sonora. We had a few conversations, and then Covid happened, stalling the project. She reached out again in early 2021, and we hosted her that spring and again in the summer. A few weeks ago, Barbara shared the finished version with us. We think this is a beautiful piece of work, and we are so happy to share it wi

Mario and his wife once lived a quiet, peaceful life in Guatemala, running a small restaurant that sustained their family of six. But their lives were shattered when they became victims of ruthless organized crime. The local criminals demanded a monthly “protection fee,” and as the payments increased beyond their means, threats turned into violence. (This is a familiar story that we have heard from many of the migrants we’ve helped over the last seven years.) Their nightmare

Some of you may recall the story of the young Mexican family who crossed the border last year using the CBP One app. The family had been working through their asylum claim while living in Glendale, AZ, and subsequently chose to self-deport out of fear once Trump took office in mid-January. We covered that story in this previous newsletter. On July 26th, Diego Oré reported on this story in detail, providing new information after visiting the family in Michoacán. You can read t

"For too long, immigration has been used as an issue to divide working people and protect the interests of corporations, billionaires,...

In January, Voices from the Border was honored to attend the annual  Common Ground on the Border Conference  at The Good Shepherd United...

Pancho helping the Michoacan family, who self-deported because they feared deportation and separation. Two days before the inauguration,...

"Know your rights" red card in Spanish When Donald Trump was elected and mass deportation became imminent, one of our colleagues started...

On the threshold of what will undoubtedly be a challenging and eventful new year, we invite you to look back at some of our 2024...

What an honor to get to know the families sheltering in our apartments. The women are strong, good-natured, resourceful, and resilient. A...

Picture a quiet morning, the road ahead stretching like a blank page. This film chronicles a bike ride from Tucson to the U.S.-Mexico...

According to  GivingTuesday.org , this day of giving was founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United...

Several of our co-founders leading the Keep Families Together March in Nogales, AZ, in 2018 Like you, we are horrified by the election...

It's been a busy summer and fall. Our apartments continue to be full with mostly moms, their children, and single women. A couple from...

September 7th was our third annual  "Peek Behind the Curtain"  event, which was held at the beautiful Wittner Museum in Nogales, Arizona....

A Heart-Centered Response for the Haitian Community in Springfield, OH