A Virtual Visit to the U.S.-Mexico Border

EVERY SUMMER, Ramblers head south to the U.S.-Mexico border to learn about the plight of migrants fleeing poverty, violence and persecution; serve migrants in need; and advocate for more humane, just and workable migration policies.

But, as Summer 2020 approached, it seemed that this annual service and immersion experience with the Kino Border Initiative would become yet another casualty of COVID-19.

Then Caroline Browne ’21 approached Campus Minister Lyle Baier with a suggestion: Why not reimagine the Kino trip as a virtual experience for a world in the grip of a global pandemic? Baier conveyed Browne’s request to the educators at the Kino Border Initiative, who enthusiastically embraced the idea.

By the end of May, 10 rising seniors had embarked on the Kino experience, which included a Zoom orientation session; discussions and reflections; a virtual tour of a soup kitchen in Nogales, Mexico; and a virtual desert walk featuring personal items left behind by migrants making the treacherous passage to the U.S. border.

For Browne, the most powerful part of the week was the opportunity to speak with migrants and hear their firsthand accounts of the immigration experience. “These were real people—not statistics, numbers or measures,” she reflected, “and they had important stories to tell.”