SASABE, Ariz. — College students from North Carolina got a firsthand look at the Arizona-Mexico border, joining Tucson Samaritans and Humane Borders on a trip aimed at expanding awareness of the borderlands beyond Arizona.
Tucson Samaritan Gail Kocourek said she wants people to see the border for themselves. Kocourek and Humane Borders invited college students from the East Coast to experience the border firsthand.
The trip began at BorderLinks, a Tucson organization on 6th Avenue leading the educational tour of the borderlands, before the group drove to several spots along the route to Sasabe, a small town on the U.S.-Mexico border — roughly a quarter mile from where I was standing.
"The further away from the border, it feels like there's more fear than the people who live out in the border," Kocourek said.
Students from Wingate University, near Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the crosses of the lost and gallons of water left for those who migrate through the area.
A student who goes by Z described the experience as meaningful.
"Eye-opening and kind of gut wrenching in a way," Z said.
"It's very interesting, and I wish more people are able to see something like this and be able to live this," Z said.
Student Isaiah Moore said the trip offered a unique perspective on operations at the border.
"It's very interesting to see how the operations work like the humanitarian aid and even just how customs and border patrol works," Moore said.
Tucson Samaritans said they are looking ahead, with a focus on educating students and helping as many migrants as possible.
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