Despite waking up earlier this morning, the group started off eager and ready to get out into the field, feeling more prepared and confident with a day’s work under our belts. We met up with Don, Ray, Melissa, and Reed at the ranch they are staying at around 7:30 AM while it was still cold and dark, hoping to cover more ground before the temperature peaked around mid-day. As we were returning to the same ranch we searched yesterday, I felt less anxious knowing that I was able to navigate the unfamiliar terrain and uncertainties the day before.
The goal for today was similar to yesterday’s, searching for evidence of migrant activity around areas that Don had made previous recoveries or found residual artifacts left by migrants like cellphones, clothes, or recent food containers. Despite returning to the same ranch as yesterday, we focused our searches primarily on areas with dense brush, traversing through thorny bushes, uneven ground, pencil cacti, and many spiderwebs. This landscape made it difficult for us to conduct a traditional line search, forcing the team to adapt. However, we were able to make it through the brush with communication and patience, bonding us further as a group.
Compared to the day before, we found a lot more evidence of migrant activity—recent and old—often contained within shaded mottes (clusters of bushes) that offered protection from the sun and a place to rest. However, these natural shelters are often surrounded by and contain thorny vegetation, making them difficult to get in and out of. While exiting one of the mottes earlier in the day, my shirt sleeve was caught on a branch and ripped, setting the tone for just how careful you have to be in these dense areas. I thought about how many migrants may have cut themselves while entering the brush for a moment of respite, potentially leading to a life-threatening infection. It’s the little moments like these that seem inconsequential at first, but which force me to realize the gravity of every decision in an environment like the Texas Borderlands.
The items we came across most frequently when searching were tuna packages and black trash bags. Don taught us that migrants often use black trash bags as resting mats, or to protect from the elements, putting them over their heads to block the sun or wearing them as ponchos when it rains. Hearing stories from Melissa, Don, Dr. Latham, and Ray about their time spent working in the Texas Borderlands conducting searches and recoveries, I am struck by the resilience, determination, and innovation that seems to characterize the individuals they encounter. I think about how these stories challenge the rhetoric I have heard back home, often influenced by people who have never worked on the border or experienced what Melissa, Don, Dr. Latham, and Ray have. In just the few days I’ve spent here in Texas, the conversations I’ve had with these individuals have altered my perspectives regarding this humanitarian crisis, forcing me to think critically about topics that seemed black and white to me.
Looking out into the dense brush and seemingly endless land as we left the ranch today, I couldn’t help but think about the individuals that may have been traveling alongside us. Seeing evidence of life in such a desolate place like vast, empty ranchland has been emotional. While the things we have encountered have somewhat matched my expectations coming into the trip, the feelings I’ve had while actually being in the space have been unexpected. There’s a certain indescribable tension to the day, knowing that at any moment we could turn the corner and find an individual—living or deceased—in front of us. It’s not until I’m in the truck leaving for the day, that I feel I can truly relax. However, I realize that even this is a privilege, as migrants traveling through these areas are unable to relax, even after they reach their final destination.
