Upon arrival into Agua Prieta, the Mexico side of the border, you’ll find a line of families waiting for their case number to be called by Border Patrol. As we spent time with the 21 families in line on the day we visited, we found some families that had been waiting 2 days and others for 2 weeks – in that same line.
After conversations with residents staying in makeshift tents, it became apparent that they were not only unprotected from the sun, but they were also unprotected from the driving rain and insects. Without plumbing, they had to use a separate tent as the bathroom and had no washing basin for their hands.
But people were making due with what they had – a few bits of string, tarps, or pallets. We knew there was something we could do to make their days even a little easier…
We went off to the local supermarket and hardware store, where we bought cases of bottled water, larger hand sanitizers with pumps for easy use in the bathroom tent, and mosquito spray in individual bottles for families.
We were also able to find some plastic shingles that would not disintegrate under the intensity of the sun and provide much need protection from the strong rains of monsoon season.
The best gift of all? We witnessed one of the residents, Roxanne, and her family have their case number called and enter into the USA.
Meet Jilla! Growing up as an immigrant in Minnesota, Jilla learned the value of community from an early age. Throughout her youth, Girl Scouts helped to ground her in that community, nurturing a strong love of where she lives and giving back to the people around her. As the Global Quality & Results Officer at Alight, she supports teams in using data in ways that showcase the humanity of the customer behind each data point. Fun fact, she earned the honor of representing her home locally and internationally as the 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows. She even received a crown and resided over a real-life ice palace!
