Building Bridges Along the Border

Members of IWES’ leadership, Media & Communications and CHC teams completed a trip to southern New Mexico in October to get a deeper understanding of the work being done to support migrants at the US-Mexico border. Our team was hosted by our partners at the non-profit Colores United, who gave us a glimpse of their daily work to serve residents in Deming, NM, and surrounding communities.

Founded in 2019, Colores United was instrumental in providing shelter, basic needs, and navigation services to the influx of migrants who crossed the border in 2013. Today, Colores United still heavily supports the needs of not only immigrant populations—including farm workers and recent Haitian migrants—but also survivors of domestic violence, families experiencing food insecurity and the youth of Deming.

During the visit, Colores United’s co-founder & CEO, Ariana Saludares, invited IWES on a tour of their headquarters which includes a food pantry for weekly distributions, teaching spaces for youth and adults, and a free “store” where folks can help themselves to any supplies they need such as diapers, clothing, toiletries and other necessities. During the visit, our CEO Dr. Denese Shervington presented to Colores United staff and volunteers about biology of trauma, which led to a rich and interactive discussion on burnout, their approaches to self-care, organizational achievements and challenges in their community. Throughout the trip, folks from IWES’ Media and Communications team began to capture the experiences of Colores United staff and volunteers (and youth!), government officials, administrators at local shelters (see below) and even folks that have crossed the border and eventually found a path to citizenship in the United States. Staff are documenting this new project in an effort to share the untold voices, stories, experiences, fears and hopes of those whose lives are most impacted by migration, specifically in New Mexico. Keep up with us for updates on this media project, and reach out to Iman Shervington if you know of anyone that may be good to interview (anonymous options are available) or any kinds of stories you would recommend we capture.

Although sobering, a highlight of the trip was a hike in the desert of Columbus, NM, at the U.S.-Mexico border to a “beacon.” Although it’s origins are disputed, our hosts believed it was originally installed by humanitarians as a last outpost for help after making the difficult journey across the border. Currently, the beacon is being observed by a blimp that is rather conspicuous due to the vast open desert landscape. The structure itself contains a distress button that is under the control of the United States Border Patrol, and if one is in dire need, if they press the button Border Patrol will come and pick them up. Another poignant moment from the trip revolved around a visit to a shelter in Palomas, Mexico (across the border from Columbus), where we had the opportunity to learn from shelter providers about the most recent policies affecting the capacity and provision of services at their shelters, such as Migrant Protection Protocol or the “Remain in Mexico” policy. The shelter contained men, women, children, and infants all waiting to be able to enter the United States or sent away from the country due to their documentation status. Everyone had a unique story, and it was an honor to meet them and to get to create art and play with their children.

General project summary

In July 2021, IWES formed the Puentes Para Invitados (PPI) project to support the creation of an asylee ecosystem in New Mexico that builds on local assets and expands the infrastructure for Trauma-Responsive (TR) services to migrant individuals and families.

Our two primary scopes of practices

First, IWES is collaborating with immigrant-serving organizations - who provide shelter, medical, legal, and social services in New Mexico - to strengthen their capacity in providing TR care and services. IWES is facilitating workshops and presentations to providers on trauma-responsive care, healing and psychosocial wellbeing, not only focusing on the immigrant populations they serve but also on their own need for self-care. Self-care is community care, and a top priority of these workshops is to mitigate and prevent secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Second, IWES is supporting narrative change by creating media pieces with the goal of humanizing asylees and changing the way society-at-large perceives people’s migration journeys. IWES is partnering closely with immigrant-serving organizations, community members, and migrants themselves to share their stories, amplify their voices, and humanize their narratives.