Background: Of the migrants arriving at the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) in 2021 who had been deported, nearly half reported some form of abuse by a U.S. official. Dozens of asylum seekers shared with KBI staff that they approached the port of entry and were turned away without having their asylum claims heard. Migrants have also reported verbal abuse, excessive force, and sexual assault by Border Patrol. Of the 1,667 reported abuses by U.S. authorities in 2021, 94% were committed by Border …Read More
Archives for September 2022
Voices of the Border
Testimonios of Migration, Deportation, and AsylumTobin Hansen and María Engracia Robles Robles, ME, EditorsForeword by Sean Carroll, SJPowerful personal accounts from migrants crossing the US-Mexico border provide an understanding of their experiences, as well as the consequences of public policyMigrants, refugees, and deportees live through harrowing situations, yet their personal stories are often ignored. While politicians and commentators mischaracterize and demonize, herald border crises, …Read More
Promoting Dignity and Entrepreneurship with the Livelihood Project
When we say we value human dignity, we must make every effort to ensure that these aren’t empty words describing an abstract concept. While our actions cannot take away from a person’s inherent worth, they can either highlight or obscure it. On the ground here in Ambos Nogales, we seek to uphold migrant dignity by recognizing that each individual transcends their experiences of migration. Each person has interests, hopes, dreams, and skills that sustained them for years before journeying …Read More
Migrant Story: “I can finally let go and express myself.” Mari describes the impact of Livelihood Project’s painting workshops.
People are more than their stories of migration. Before she fled Guerrero with her three children late last in 2021, Mari was a vendor. Every day, she would take her kids to school in her in-laws’ town. She would pick up her wares for the day and travel back to her own town to sell. It was a simple rhythm, one that sustained her family and kept them connected. Then one day, when Mari went to her house to pick up her inventory, neighbors warned her. “Don’t go to your house,” they said, “There …Read More
August – September Media Report
KBI Joins 160+ organizations calling for CBP to be held accountable for pattern of abusive practices. The ACLU amplified humanitarian organizations’ call for investigations into CBP abuses and for greater accountability. Among these abuses are numerous documented cases of border officials confiscating migrants’ belongings and failing to return them. Confiscated items include everything from money to religious objects like rosaries. Uncertainty and desperation in Nogales: asylum-seeking …Read More