On migration with dignity

By: Kaitlin O'Meara, Copy Editor

When arriving in downtown Nogales, AZ, one of the first things that you notice upon entering is the presence of the border wall. It goes 30 feet up and 30 feet down, splitting Nogales into two entities – the smaller US town and the larger Mexican city. The wall was erected in 1994 during Clinton’s presidency as part of his “Prevention through Deterrence” immigration policy, and every president since has added onto it. It not only serves as a physical divide between the countries, but also sends a stark message to those looking to enter the United States…you’re not welcome here. 

This August, I and two other Canisius students and professors spent a week at the southern border to learn more about the reality of the situation there and how it is affecting people on both sides of the border. We were granted this opportunity thanks to the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), a binational organization that seeks to promote migration with dignity and help those in all stages of their journeys. Throughout the week, we were able to listen to a variety of different perspectives on the topic – from a judge(after witnessing immigration court proceedings), to ranchers, to volunteers who provide assistance and aid, to a forensics investigator, to the travelers themselves – in order to develop a more nuanced perspective on immigration. The three of us came in having taken a few courses on immigration, but wanted to be able to see firsthand what is actually happening, beyond what we hear about and have learned about. 

One of the first things we did was go on a desert walk to get a glimpse of what those who cross through the desert experience. We were only out there for about two hours, and we were hot & disoriented, but those who cross through are often out there for days, just hoping they will be able to make it to their destination. They are often not able to bring enough water to support themselves in this environment for the amount of time that they’re there, and many pass away from dehydration or exposure to the elements. According to Humane Borders, there have been over 70 people this year alone whose remains have been discovered in the Sonoran Desert, 4,288 people have died crossing between 1981-2024 and according to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, 1,630 of these people who have been found remain unidentified. There are still many more people out there who have not been found. 

Prior to going on the hike, we also had a mini-presentation on the things people carry and the relics that Kino has found left in the desert. This included things like clothes, food and water bottles, but also family photos, a baby bottle, cologne, handwritten notes and more. These things are not only just for survival, but also for reminders of home and to remind people of their own humanity and individuality. While on our desert walk, we saw many of these relics, as well as two crosses which indicates that two corpses were discovered there. There is so much more to these travelers and their stories than what is reported on, and this is what KBI seeks to promote in talking about the dignity of the travelers.

For those of you wary of offering understanding to those crossing through the desert/between ports of entry “illegally,” I urge you to research the options for “legal” entry into the United States. As of Jan. 20, 2025, there is no longer a path to asylum for those fleeing violence, insecurity, instability etc. in their home countries – often as a result of US intervention and destabilization – which is a violation of international law and treaty obligations. This has left many people stranded in border towns like Nogales, Sonora, waiting for the policy to change so that they can apply again. For those with family in the United States hoping for a reunification visa, the minimum wait time is 20 years – as of late July 2025, United States Customs and Immigration Services has only just begun processing cases filed in April 2005. A work visa could be an option, but only if you have an employer in the US willing to sponsor you, as temporary work visas are extremely difficult to get. Also, many people are not aware of the various options they might qualify for, and might believe that crossing through the desert is their only option. 

With the way that politicians talk about the “crisis” at the border and the crime of crossing between ports of entry, you’d think it was a very high offense. Nope! It’s a petty misdemeanor, meaning it is equivalent to disorderly conduct or a minor traffic infraction. Those caught, however, are brought into court in orange or red jumpsuits and have chains around their wrists, waist and ankles. With any movement, all you hear is the chains hitting each other. People are also not given the dignity of an individual trial – they are brought in groups of 30-40 and sentenced in groups of 6-8. They are all asked the same few questions, and then are sentenced to either immediate removal (deportation) or to serve time in a detention center, which when we observed the proceedings was only for those who had been deported and then re-entered, which then becomes a felony offense. After the courtroom, we had the opportunity to speak with a magistrate judge who handles many of these kinds of proceedings. He expressed an understanding for those who cross and the situations they’re trying to get away from, but told us that there was truly little he could do because the law had been broken. 

The most important part of this week, however, was speaking with migrants at KBI’s shelter in Nogales, Sonora. We spent half of our time here, serving meals, playing with kids and hearing about the people who are most impacted by the US’s policies and rhetoric. We met people who had been deported, many after having lived nearly their entire lives in the United States, some who even had a protected status, meaning they shouldn’t have been deported. We also met many people who had been seeking asylum and had had CBP One appointments the afternoon or day after Trump’s inauguration. CBP One was an app created under Biden’s presidency that allowed people seeking entry and asylum at the southern border to submit documents ahead of time to make their appointments for entry more streamlined, but it is no longer in use after asylum was shut down. Some have begun an asylum application in Mexico, but it still brings more waiting and uncertainty. These conversations were truly the point of the trip for us – learning about the realities of migration from those who have actually lived it. 

One of the most inspiring parts of this trip was seeing and hearing the hope that all of these travelers hold on to. Despite this hardship, many of these people hold on to so much hope and faith that things will get better and that they will be able to reunite with their families. So many of us, in situations far less dire, are so quick to jump to negativity or hopelessness, yet these people who had often lost everything still maintained so much optimism for the future. Many of the people we talked to encouraged us to take what we learned by being there and talking with them and use it to inspire others to care and work for change, which is my goal in writing this piece. 

You do not have to go down to the border, however, to care about the struggles that they go through. This trip gave me new information and personal stories of immigration, but I did not come away from it with a radically changed perspective – merely a more informed one. Buffalo has a large immigrant population, but it also houses an ICE detention center. You don’t have to look beyond our community to begin seeing how people are being impacted by US policies and rhetoric, nor do you have to go any further to get involved. Even here at Canisius there are ways to get informed and involved – take a class with Dr. Richard Reitsma or Dr. Shyam Sriram about immigration or refugees, or go to an event hosted by the Borders and Migrations Initiative. Change begins by being informed and empathetic to the struggles of those around us, and then being inspired to take action.

For anyone interested in learning more, there will be a panel event on Oct. 6th at 5 p.m. in the library learning center involving students from the trip as well as community organizers and immigrant advocacy educators. The KBI shelter in Nogales, Sonora has also recently been flooded, so this event will double as a fundraiser to help with rebuilding.