CFAM Migration and the Common Good Service Experience

The Realities of Life at the Border in Nogales, Arizona

Our visit to the US-Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona, shifted our understanding of what it is really like to live in a border city, especially one divided by a physical border. Our guide, Manuel Morales, shared his experience of living on the border and witnessing its transformation over time. Through his stories, we realized the border was more than a militarized line between two countries; it was a space greatly shaped by policy, history, and hardship. He briefly spoke about the impact of treaties like NAFTA, which contributed to economic hardship in many regions of Mexico, forcing many individuals and families to migrate in search of stability. He also described the increasing militarization of the border, including the use of surveillance technology, multiple layers of fencing, and enforcement strategies that have pushed migrants into more deadly crossing routes such as the Sonoran Desert.

Throughout the experience, BorderLinks gave us the opportunity to hear directly from individuals who are experts in their respective fields related to migration, as well as from immigrants who have come to the United States and are now making a meaningful impact through their work in Tucson’s community. These stories put into perspective everything we had learned thus far, to understand more profoundly the lived realities of those who are most impacted by migration. 

One story that particularly stayed with me was Wendy Lopes’s. After immigrating from El Salvador due to gang violence, she and her family faced multiple migrations and legal challenges, creating periods of instability. At one point, just before her appointment to be approved for asylum, the border closed due to COVID-19, leaving her family in a state of uncertainty and desperation. Additionally, while they waited for a verdict on their asylum case, her son became seriously ill, and the cost of treatment was overwhelming.

Despite these hardships, Wendy found strength in community. Through an organization that provided materials for migrant women, Artisans Beyond Borders, she learned embroidery and eventually became a supervisor, helping distribute resources and support others. 

Today, she continues to lead embroidery workshops, sell artisanal products, and support other migrant women who were once in her shoes. At the end of her talk, she shared with us her goal to create stability for her family and eventually own a home, while also continuing to give back to others navigating similar circumstances. Her story truly revealed the struggles that many migrants like her face beyond the journey itself.

Our Hike in the Sonoran Desert and the Water Drop

Later in the week, we participated in a desert hike along a path frequently used by migrants, called the Sonoran Desert. Extreme heat, scarce water, and vast isolation make the journey especially dangerous, as people must travel long distances through remote and unforgiving terrain. In addition, the crossing is unauthorized and often routed through these harsher areas, where there is also the risk of encountering border patrol agents or criminal groups. As we walked through the harsh rocky terrain under the scorching sun, we carried and left water jugs for individuals making the arduous journey. The physical conditions made it clear how dangerous these crossings are. The heat, isolation, and rough landscape created an environment that was both physically and mentally exhausting, even for the short time we were hiking.

We learned new information every day on this trip, but one of the most heartbreaking, shocking pieces of information that we learned was given to us during the hike by our guide Tito from BorderLinks. He explained that, in some cases, individuals such as the US Border Patrol agents have been known to slash the water jugs or tamper with food left behind to deter migrants from continuing their journey. Hearing this while physically carrying those same jugs through the desert was difficult to process. It emphasizes the many other dangers and barriers migrants face in pursuit of safety and opportunity.

The Criminalization of Migrants in the Courtroom

Returning to the courtroom later in the week, I began to better understand what I had witnessed at the start of the trip. We learned about policies like Operation Streamline, which allows for the mass processing of migrants in court, often limiting their access to due process and legal representation.

Seeing the system in action and learning about the policies behind it added a new level of complexity to my understanding. The speed at which individuals were processed, sentenced, and removed from the courtroom raised important questions about justice and fairness within our group. It challenged us to consider how views of legality and morality do not always align, and how systems can dehumanize individuals in the process.

Solidarity in Action

Throughout the week, we were also reminded that the main goal of our trip was to enact what we learned and apply it to our community. Each student in our cohort decided to make personal commitments to put into action what we learned. Amelia Moroney ’26, one of our cohort leaders, has extensive grant-writing experience and has decided to apply to numerous grants on behalf of BorderLinks. Sophie Lewandowski ’29, intends to write an article through The Observer, the tri-campus newspaper for which she is a staff writer, detailing her trip and what she learned from it. Other students have vowed to start or continue volunteering at organizations like La Casa de Amistad and Our Lady of the Road, which serve marginalized communities in South Bend. I personally am planning to continue my research through the Student Policy Network of Notre Dame University, which works to compile information and data for our community partner, Universidad Popular, a non-profit organization in Little Village, a borough in Chicago, Illinois, that serves the immigrant and Latino communities there. Collectively, we've decided to create an art exhibition in Moreau Gallery, here at Saint Mary’s, composed of the photos that we took during our trip, which we feel perfectly encapsulate our trip and what we learned from it.

Looking Ahead and Continuing the Work

As the week came to an end, our cohort reflected on what we had learned and began discussing how we could carry these experiences forward. These conversations focused on how we can apply what we learned to our own communities and continue advocating for more humane systems.

For me, this experience was a deeply personal academic opportunity. I applied for this trip because of my interest in pursuing a career in immigration policy and law, as well as my family’s connection to immigration. Being in Tucson, a place tied to my family’s history, allowed me to better understand the realities they may have faced. My mother and father came into the US in vastly different manners. My mother had the privilege of having a more streamlined immigration process in which she was able to immigrate to the US with her entire family legally under the Bracero program. My father came to the US undocumented, crossing into the US on foot.

Moving forward, I plan to continue engaging with these issues through my studies, future career, and community involvement, building on the work our cohort has already begun. Experiences like the SPES Service Experience are made possible by the Saint Mary’s community, allowing Belles to participate in transformative, travel-based learning opportunities that focus on justice both locally and globally, experiences that educate and inspire students to participate in Catholic social teaching. Continued support from alumnae and the broader community is essential to ensure that these opportunities remain accessible to future Belles.

While this experience did not provide us with simple, straightforward answers, it offered us a deeper awareness of the complexities of migration and our responsibilities to remain engaged in social issues like this. Grounded in Catholic social teaching, particularly the call to uphold the dignity of every human being and to stand in solidarity with them, the stories I encountered and the perspectives I gained will stay with me far beyond this week. This experience reminds us that topics like migration are our collective responsibility to respond with compassion and justice.  

April 29, 2026