We know firsthand that the border region is economically and culturally vibrant, home to stunning natural beauty, and its cities rank among the safest in the United States. But President Trump consistently talks about the region in apocalyptic terms to whip up fear in support of policies that will further militarize the region. Border communities are tired of Washington outsiders mischaracterizing their homelands and ignoring their voices when it comes to setting border and immigrantion policies.

In Voices from the Border, border residents reclaim the narrative about their home, discussing what’s it like to grow up, live, and raise families in the borderlands as the federal government continues to expand its reach into their communities and lives.

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Voices from the Border: Our Communities Need Revitalization, Not Militarization

"This lens of violence is being used on an issue that's humanitarian and until that's changed we're not going to have an answer" - Jorge

 

Voices from the Border: Family Separation Has Been Happening for a Long Time

"I feel like it's a betrayal to me because I'm a citizen." - Ricardo

Voices from the Border: The Border Region Shouldn't Be a Laboratory for Civil Rights Abuses

"We were surrounded by federal agents⁠—their hands in their holsters or near their holsters. The first thing that I instinctively said to my cousin was, "You need to put your hands up." - Jorge

 

Voices from the Border: Existing as a Muslim Woman in the Borderlands

"There's always this air of suspicion, that just by leaving my house, existing as a brown Muslim woman, that I'm a threat." - Daisy  

Voices from the Border: Living in a Region Where Rights Are Violated and it's Considered Normal

"The biggest thing that I take away from the education I've received is how easy it is to hide the fact that your rights are being violated right under your nose." - Maria

 

Voices from the Border: When Communities Suffer From Family Separations

"We fear for our neighbors, we fear for our colleagues, our students⁠—we just fear for our fellow people." - Zaira