SASABE, Ariz. (KGUN) — Between the Lukeville and Nogales ports of entry is the Sasabe area of the Arizona-Mexico border, where hundreds of migrants are crossing into the U.S. every day through rugged terrain.
Humanitarian aid volunteers set up a camp for migrants in mid-December, roughly 15 miles east of Sasabe.
After hearing from Border Patrol, volunteers have also moved parts of the camp to avoid blocking space for construction vehicles. Contractors are working along the border wall to manage erosion.
The camp includes tents and makeshift shelters made out of tarps and blankets. There is also a kitchen area with propane tanks and stove tops, along with plastic water bottles and food like peanut butter, applesauce, rice and beans.
Aid volunteers say migrants stay at the camp almost every night.
“We had some people dig trenches for bathroom facilities,” said Gail Kocourek, a humanitarian aid volunteer with Tucson Samaritans. “We’re trying to make it healthier and safer for people while they’re waiting for Border Patrol to come pick ‘em up. And they eventually do come and pick ‘em up.”
Border Patrol had a more noticeable presence in the Sasabe area this week, compared to last.
But some migrants choose not to wait for Border Patrol to pick them up. Some walk more than 16 miles over steep hills toward the CBP processing center.
Many, like Uriel Verdugo, tell KGUN it’s already been a long journey.
Verdugo is traveling alone. He left his home in Chiapas, Mexico about a month ago to escape the cartel, he says, arriving in the Sasabe area early this week.
“The past is not easy but we are looking forward to moving forward,” he told KGUN in Spanish. “Because where there is life and health, we have to keep fighting to move forward.”
Nearby, cartel groups are fighting. Aid volunteers say while this week is quieter, they’ve heard gunfire ringing out over the hills south of the border.
It’s a reminder of the dangerous journey to get to the U.S.
“Somebody took care of my family when they came here in 1632,” said Kocourek. “We weren’t very nice to the Irish and weren’t very nice to the Italians. But now they’re part of the fabric. And that’s what we are, we’re fabric. We’re all woven together.”
Volunteers say the camp will be there as long as people need it.