In mid-March of 2024, Federico and his family—his mother and sister—arrived at Kino Border Initiative with the few belongings they could gather and deep fear in their hearts. They had been forced to suddenly leave their home in Chiapas and attempt to seek asylum in the United States. Whenever he has a day off from work, Federico stops by the comedor to visit. He shares updates about his family and his life in Nogales. “Time has gone by so fast—it’s been almost two years since I arrived in …Read More

Fernando lived in the United States for more than 35 years. His parents brought him to live in Houston when he was just two years old. His father passed away when Fernando was ten, and from then on, it was just him and his mother. “I don’t know anything about Mexico. This is my first time on Mexican soil,” Fernando explained to us as he shared part of his story. “There are two things that make me extremely anxious and worried: my family and how to start over,” he emphasized. “Being in …Read More

“The truth is, I don’t feel at home in Nogales. These days since I was deported have been hard. All I can think about is my family—especially my babies—and everything I built in the U.S. I did things the right way, and for that, I paid the price of deportation,” Daniel tells us, frustration heavy in his voice. Daniel lived in the United States since he was seven years old. As he passionately explains, he built a life and a community that can’t be replaced overnight. We welcomed him to our …Read More

"Since several months have passed, I sometimes remember when I arrived in Nogales. I came without even knowing how to ask for help, or who I could ask. With a lot of fear, I dared to ask if they could help me with a medical consultation and a psychologist. I felt a bit of relief when they told me yes," Fernando shares with us. After nearly two years moving from one detention center to another, Fernando was deported to Nogales. One of his main concerns was being able to maintain consistent …Read More

“I was born in Jalisco, but I had never been there before now. My mother brought me to the United States when I was 5 years old. She taught me to love Mexico, but it’s not where I grew up, and I don’t feel very connected to the reality here,” shared Julián when he finally felt ready to tell us some details of his story. We met Julián during one of our visits to the Unidad Deportiva in Nogales, the location designated by the Mexican government to temporarily shelter deported individuals as …Read More