Along the southern border of the United States, thousands of migrants wait in camps, hoping to be granted asylum to enter the country. Families, young people, and unaccompanied children crowd into overwhelmed shelters and spill onto the streets while they move slowly through the bureaucratic immigration system that often takes months, even years, to successfully navigate. As they make their way through the painstaking processes in pursuit of a better life in the US, many migrants find a glimmer of hope and comfort in shelters and aid organisations dotted throughout border towns.

But how effective are these organisations? How do they combat systemic barriers to safety and peace posed to many migrants? And how do they advocate for human rights in an environment prone to dehumanisation?
During the past three presidencies, immigration has grown as a central issue in American politics. Within two decades, hundreds of thousands of migrants from Latin and South American countries have fled their homes in search of new life in the US. As a result, each administration change has brought with it a change in immigration policy, as each leader attempts to confront the dramatic number of migrants crossing the southern border. In 2019, under former president Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPPs) known as the “Remain in Mexico” initiative, granting expedited deportations for thousands of asylum seekers. In March 2020, the US sealed the border with Mexico and halted nearly all legal immigration and asylum applications under COVID-19 era Title 42 policy, which further allowed the US to expel an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants living in the US. However, although this did slow migration for a period, it only worsened already backlogged systems and put further strain on the immigration and aid systems. As conditions worsen for migrants, non-governmental aid organisations grow in importance.
In Texas, local governments have structured policy in a way that has prevented the reopening of a migrant camp in the border town of Matamoros. The camp, which first opened in 2018 in response to the growing humanitarian crisis along the border, closed in 2021 because of expedited asylum grants under a Biden administration immigration policy. However, the circumstances quickly changed, with President Biden passing new, stricter legislation following the lapse of Title 42 restrictions, resulting in thousands of migrants stranded in Matamoros. Because of new laws in the town, the migrant camp could not reopen, preventing migrants from receiving shelter, running water and food, or bathrooms as they await asylum decisions. Further, as ICE has restricted the number of asylum applications processed each day in recent years, and the US and Mexican governments have provided little assistance to support migrants seeking asylum, many migrants have found themselves stuck along the border, disregarded by governments in either direction.
In Arizona, the Kino Border Initiative demonstrates not only the immense need for grassroots humanitarian organisations, but also the complex ways in which they interact with migrants and governments alike. The Kino Border Initiative, composed of volunteers from Arizona border towns, aims to provide food, donations, and other essential services to migrants attempting to live in the US. The shelter receives migrants who have not yet crossed the border and those previously detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the maximum 20-day holding time allowed by law, meaning lines often form long before the shelter opens in the morning. Throughout the day, volunteers at the shelter engage with migrants, informing them about their options, offering translation services, providing medical care, as well as numerous other services, while offering migrants a place to live while they await asylum decisions. Volunteers at the Kino Border Initiative reflect the wider civil society movement for migrant advocacy which has persisted despite political and social pressures, displaying tenacity amidst a barrage of anti-immigration public policy, vigilante groups, and increasingly hostile social attitudes towards migrants from Latin and South America. Aid organisations, both secular and religious, have continued to expand their work even while struggling to support the existing volumes of migrants in order to provide some relief. Interviews with the leaders of Christian and Quaker aid organisations demonstrate the personal connection, solidarity, and commitment shown by those who dedicate their lives to supporting migrants seeking a new life in the US. In the series of interviews conducted, both leaders stressed the importance of solidarity, which they characterised as the commitment to share the risks, burdens, and threats of the communities they serve. Throughout their shelters, both groups used images and practices to highlight the sense of acceptance and support they intend to build through the work of their organisations. These practices not only unite volunteers to migrants on the local scale, but set an example for the US government and wider public, stressing the importance of humanity, care, and compassion when approaching the complex, painful process of immigration and political and interpersonal peacebuilding.
What do you think?
- How do migration and peacekeeping or peacebuilding intersect with each other, locally and nationally?
- Should peacebuilding efforts be driven by community organisations or governments?
- How do stories from migrants and volunteers shape your views of peace along borderlines and within communities?
- Should borderlines be places where people can find sanctuary and solidarity, or should securitisation be the main priority?
- Given that migration is likely to continue increasing over time, what peaceful solutions can you think of to address the issue?
If you enjoyed this item in our museum…
You might also enjoy The Role of Non-Governmental Organisations in Peace, The Place of Principled Impartiality in Peace Work, Pride: Peace in Social Justice and the Power of Solidarity and other items under the tag ‘refugee‘.
Sofia LoBue, May 2024