By: Roxane Ramos The number of women migrants from Mexico has doubled over the last 20 years. They face greater, graver dangers than their male counterparts, but still make the journey. Why? Even as migration across the U.S.–Mexico border has leveled off in recent years—due to increased militarization along the border and the frightening hazards of a desert crossing—all experts agree that the number of women migrants has increased substantially. Women make up 25–45% of undocumented … [Read more...]

By: Roxane Ramos The Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist provide aid, comfort and a temporary home to deported migrants. The first thing you notice about the Kino Border Initiative’s Aid Center for Deported Migrants is the overwhelming warmth and welcoming atmosphere of the place. This modest, makeshift space, known as the comedor, accommodates 50–60 recently deported migrants for breakfast and lunch everyday, including holidays. And the substantive meals that issue forth from the tiny, … [Read more...]

Marla Conrad, KBI Advocate/Volunteer Coordinator By: Roxane Ramos The life-altering moment occurred on a trip to Morocco in 2000. Looking back, it was little more than a commotion when three teenage boys were discovered underneath a bus bound for Spain, tied by their shoelaces and hoping to cross the border without incident. As Marla Conrad, a passenger on that bus, reflects, “I did not completely understand what I was witnessing at that time, but it was my first look at the … [Read more...]

The KBI has its roots in Ambos Nogales, but its work extends to Washington, Mexico City and beyond. By: Roxane Ramos During the height of the immigration debate in 2006, amid news of marches, protests, and escalating migrant deaths, a number of Jesuit organizations were moved to action. How could they help? What would be the best response to the current crisis? What were the greatest needs? Was a migrant ministry viable and where should it be? They conducted a needs assessment, … [Read more...]

Daring to Say Yes   By: Roxane Ramos On a sunny Saturday in January, close to 200 people gathered at the Museo del Arte in Nogales, Sonora, to listen to the words of world-renowned defender of human rights, Father Alejandro Solalinde. Despite ongoing threats and disruptions, Father Solalinde has championed the migrant cause, denouncing the drug cartels, government agencies, and state and local leaders who have contributed directly or indirectly to the human rights violations suffered by … [Read more...]