AL OTRO LADO

The manager of Casa Del Migrante, a shelter in the Mexican border town of Sonoyta, had terrifying news: the cartel wanted to install one of their men at the shelter to run their operations and had given the manager a burner phone.

The shelter manager had already been kidnapped three times by the cartel after being deported from the U.S. where he had worked in the fields for 30 years. The last time he escaped, beaten and bloodied, he was found by Dora Rodriguez, who has her own story of escape and survival. In 1980, she fled the civil war in El Salvador and was one of thirteen people found near death after crossing the border through the Sonoran Desert.

Wasting no time, the manager immediately reached out to Samaritanos Sin Fronteras, who had been a steady source of support to the shelter for many years. Samaritanos volunteers put their heads together and decided to contact the owner of the property, who then contacted someone in Sonoyta’s government. The mayor, an outspoken advocate for migrants, called the manager to see what level of protection they wanted. The cartel somehow became aware of this call and withdrew their offer/demand.

Carol, one of the founders of Samaritanos, tells this harrowing story during our drive from Ajo, Arizona to Sonoyta, Mexico for the weekly shopping trip and check-in visit. Four of us are wedged into her SUV between boxes of donations. As we get closer to the border checkpoint, I admit to being worried. Did we fill out the Forma Migratoria Múltiple correctly? Will our form end up in some database and be flagged as suspicious activity? I envision a number of more dire scenarios.

In the end, the Mexican border patrol agent only gives a cursory once-over of the trunk area and asks about tequila. I am unsure whether he is asking if we are bringing tequila into Mexico or if we are planning to buy tequila. Either way, he decides that these four women of a certain age are probably harmless and he waves us through.

As soon as we cross into Sonoyta, we are approached by men with outstretched coffee cans, asking for help. Carol does not hesitate. She has obviously brought a supply of ones for this reason and has them at the ready. She stuffs a dollar into each can.

Sonoyta has everything most small towns have: farmacias, restaurantes, and a Wal-Mart. A way station for the recently deported and those preparing to cross, Sonoyta has had up to four migrant shelters. As long as guests agree to follow the rules, everyone is welcome at Casa Del Migrante: asylum seekers, men, women, children, and transgender people have all stayed there for as long as they need to get their lives together.

Since 2017, volunteers who would eventually form Samaritanos Sin Fronteras have collaborated with guests to transform what was once an Army tent site into a building with dormitories, an open kitchen, electricity, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and increased security, including a fence with concertina wire and a small camera system.

Since the new administration took office, numbers have been way down. At the height, as many as 100-200 migrants lived there. For our visit, only eleven men are currently in residence—along with five dogs and one very small desert tortoise.

The littlest dog, Chiquita, had mange when she showed up at the shelter. The cook, who has lived at the shelter for eight years, took care of her outside the fence so the other dogs would not be infected. Wearing gloves, he gave her medicated baths, vitamins, and healthy food. Carol says, “She is his most beloved. When volunteers took her to the vet for her shots, he cried. When he’s away from the shelter too long, he’ll say she’s missing him and he’s got to get back.”

In addition to delivering donations based solely on requests by shelter managers and guests, Samaritanos volunteers take the cook to two different grocery stores: the local bodega (which is more expensive but has a better selection) for fresh fruits and vegetables and Wal-Mart for staples like rice, beans, tortillas, coffee, and hot dogs that he uses to prepare two meals a day for the guests at the shelter.

Carol and the cook each grab a cart and divide up the list that will feed the shelter for a week. The cook is a total pro. He knows exactly what he wants and where it’s located in the store. Because we’re in Mexico, the Wal-Mart churns out stacks of absolutely fresh tortillas. Of course, Carol can’t resist including a special treat for everyone. This time it’s a box of assorted breakfast breads to go with their morning coffee.

Weekly volunteer reports of visits to the shelter are filled with everyday details that provide insights into the struggles and triumphs of an all-volunteer group providing trans-border support to migrant shelters through a pandemic and changing border policies.1

6/1/20: Lucia reported there are 63 migrants at Casa del Migrantes (CDM). Jan asked if Lucia knew why they ran out of food at CDM again this week. Lucia said she did not know, but hopes to know more after visiting this week. Jan asked about whether the electric bill had been paid for CDM. Nobody knows. We will ask Lucia to inquire.

1/18/23: Volunteers Tom and Doug bought 4 buckets of roof sealer, 2 roller covers, and chalk line dust at the hardware store in Sonoyta, and 5 men got to work on the roof. The cook prepared a lunch of chopped peppers, onions, hotdogs, and eggs—lots of protein. Everyone was in good spirits, and the weather was wonderful.

3/18/25: There are 8 guests today. After taking the cook grocery shopping at Bodega Aurrera, buying a guest medication, and paying the electric bill, the volunteers and cook stopped at the dentist’s office. The cook got half his new teeth! Tomorrow he gets the lower teeth installed. He also has new glasses, so he is undergoing quite a transformation. Everyone’s donations are making a better life possible for these guests stuck in limbo between lives.

Some people might read these stories and see only reform and not revolution. What is striking to me about these reports is how comprehensive the work is—from roof sealant to electric bills—and how deeply the volunteers and guests become intertwined—from sharing meals together to facilitating transformation. Most guests stay for only a short time and move on, but many leave a legacy for future guests. Other guests stay for longer and the relationship with the volunteers deepens over time as a result of shared experiences and trust. The fact is, when the cartel knocked, the manager knew exactly who to call. And they helped.

You can help Samaritanos Sin Fronteras and Casa Del Migrante by making a tax-deductible donation via their website: https://www.samsinfront.com/.

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1 These three reports have been edited for length.