Category Archives: Environment

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The Weight We Carry: Hope, Humanity, and Toothpaste

Environment, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

Guest Post by Dr. Reed McKinney

When Dr. Latham had brought this trip up to me about a year ago, I was hesitant to say yes – but of course agreed to help in the best way that I could. Show up with a positive attitude, contribute to the team dynamic, and bring my expertise with forensic dental examinations to the table. I’m not sure what I expected from the trip. I knew that we would be busy, and I was excited to work with Krista and the team, network and get to know everyone, but what I left with was more than I could ever have planned for.

University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center Shirt
University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center Uniform Shirt
Dr. McKinney and Dr. Latham in the field
Dr. McKinney and Dr. Latham in the Field

We, as people, are trained (I think that’s the word for it?) to be “good” all the time. Show up, do good work, go home, repeat. One of the things I struggled with was allowing myself to take the mask off, of being expected to be “good” every day, when really the work we are doing is truly heavy. Yes, we were walking most days searching for remains and signs of migrant activity, but the reality of it is that we are looking for fellow humans who are looking to better themselves, their families, and their lives by coming to America – and unfortunately, not everyone makes it. I had kept a journal for each day and shared with my parents, family, and friends so they knew what I was up to, which helped me to “dump” some emotions down, but the weight of the week we had in Brooks County still is with me even a few days upon returning safely home to San Antonio.

View of Remote Ranchlands in Brooks County
An Example of the Landscape in Brooks County

One of the most “humanizing” moments I had was one of the very first days we were in the field. In a motte, some personal items were found in a backpack as a sign of migrant activity. Some pain medicine, some food, and some toothpaste. I know, classic dentist, focusing on the toothpaste we found. But – what a reminder of the safety, the personal hygiene, the normalcy we have that we take for granted. I had a moment of humility here. If I was packing a bag, of course I’d bring my toothpaste along. And that’s just it – I was able to put myself in this person’s shoes for a moment and really try to see the world from their eyes. I said a quick little prayer for whoever this was, hoping they are better off now than from where they set off, and asked God to guide me through this experience to do my part, and to remind myself I am a human, these people are humans, and we are all experiencing this world together.

Backpack left in the brush with personal items
Backpack With Personal Items and Toothpaste

As I reflect on the week, certain memories come to mind. Shared laughter with the team over dinner every night. Vulnerability with one another sharing about our personal lives and experiences. Fellowship with one another, sharing this amazing humanitarian experience together. Extra breadsticks at Pizza Hut. The burning sun, only reminding us how austere this environment can be. Constant reminders to have a “water break!!” to hydrate in the field. Lessons learned from experts in their fields. All pieces of our human experience.

Deputy White and Members of the Beyond Borders Team
Team Members Preparing to Search the Brush

I’ve argued with myself regarding returning to Brooks County to help with human search and recovery efforts. I know I can bring a level of experience to the table now, having worked for five days with such an amazing team. I’ve spent this weekend after the trip truly reflecting and digesting the experience I’ve had, the lessons I’ve learned, and the reminder that everyone deserves anything if not kindness. I know I’ll be back; I just have to remind myself of the gravity of the mission and be willing to cope with that again. It may seem trivial to anyone on the outside looking in, but there is nothing to prepare you for this type of work. Yes, the forensic side of the mission exists – and always will – but. The human piece of the whole trip, the quiet parts about what’s actually happening – migration, human trafficking, escape from home to something unknown on the horizon – are the heaviest, but are the best lessons to keep in mind when contextualizing how much strife people must endure to try to better themselves, their lives, and forging an easier path for their families.

Dr. McKinney and the Beyond Borders Team
The Jan 2026 Beyond Borders Humanitarian Forensic Science Team

I set a goal for myself this year to be more intentional. In my time, in my relationships, and in my work. I’ve made a point to focus on personal, professional, and spiritual growth; challenging myself to feel things completely as opposed to subdue them. I also made a goal to branch out more and strengthen my personal and professional relationships. How crazy that all of these goals were achieved within the first week of 2026. I’m using this experience to truly kick off my year, and I can’t wait to see how I can use this experience with the UIndy Beyond Borders team, the Brooks County Sheriff Department, and the amazing team that I had the honor and privilege to be a part of during this mission to grow. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has prayed for us, donated to the cause, or just have thought of us over the last week.

Two quotes stick with me that I have found and included in my own personal log of the events from this trip.

“The greatness of humanity is not being human, but being humane.” – Ghandi

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at a first glance” – Jodi Picoult, My Siter’s Keeper

Both of these quotes serve as a reminder that we – as humans – are resilient, we are strong, but most importantly, we are in this together. Ecclesiastes 4:12 states that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken”. This highlights the strength found in unity and partnership, two themes which were highlighted this last week. I challenge us all to be better humans, which is easier said than done, but the yoke is lighter when carried together.

-Reed

Powerlines
Powerlines Running Through the Ranchlands

What Is Left Behind and What We Carry With Us

Community, Environment, General, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

Content Warning: This post contains references to sexual assault.

I woke up at 3:30 p.m. today. Yes, literally 3:30 p.m. I slept for 16.5 hours last night. After arriving back in Indianapolis, I felt exhausted and desperately in need of a shower. I decided that everything in my suitcase needed washing, even technically clean items, because everything felt like it was coated in dirt and smelled like sweat. That was after spending only five days intensely searching the remote Texas wildlands.

Every conversation I had opened my mind to perspectives I had never considered before. I intentionally asked Don and Ray difficult questions about what the journey for migrants entails, how coyotes operate, why people cross the border, and what they have witnessed through years of fieldwork. Each day, I learned about new hardships migrants face, including how they navigate the vastness of ranches and the challenges that follow.

Vastness of the ranches in the Texas border lands
Miles of remote Texas wildlands

The food, water, and belongings migrants carry are carefully calculated to minimize weight, conserve space, and remain essential. We saw countless empty tuna packets, cans, water jugs, discarded clothing, and other items. Every object brought serves a purpose, and once that purpose is fulfilled, it is often left behind. The less weight carried, the less energy expended. I also learned about the extreme measures people have taken in attempts to cross border checkpoints: hiding in small, concealed spaces inside vehicles, breathing through straws while submerged in barrels of sewage, and other dangerous conditions. Many of these attempts end when border patrol dogs detect them. Because of this, traveling through ranches is often viewed as the “safer” option, despite the prolonged exposure to heat, limited shelter, and scarce food and water.

American Eagle shirt turned inside out as to indicate it was taken off
American Eagle shirt turned inside out

One day, we came upon a very distinct tree. Certain items of clothing were on the ground and hung in its branches. I felt confused and unsettled. I didn’t even think about sexual violence. I was aware of the hardships of navigating the harsh environment and how physically and mentally exhausting it is to partake in the journey. I failed to consider how coyotes treated migrants during this journey. At this tree, a migrant’s personal items suddenly turn into a heinous message, a system to warn others what happens when someone disobeys the coyote. 

Blanket tied to a tree
Blanket tied to a tree

Coyotes are supposed to be the ones to protect and help migrants cross the border. However, if a migrant pays them upfront, they become expendable and their payment can be used against them. If they wait to pay in full later, a migrant may be extorted for more money than initially agreed upon and forced into a human trafficking situation. Neither is a safe option. The thought about being tired, dehydrated, and afraid, only for one’s autonomy and dignity to be stolen, has stayed with me. Migrants are aware that this major risk exists and that it is common. Some even take preventative contraceptives before embarking on the journey- just in case. It is painful to confront how broken the system is when individuals feel compelled to place themselves in such vulnerable positions, enduring the abuse by those who hold power over them. Migrants often know the risks and still proceed to leave their current situation. It forces me to reflect on how desperate their circumstances must be to make risking their lives feel like the only option. Migrants do not want to cross the border illegally; many feel they have no other choice. From the stories shared by Don and Ray, when a migrant is found alive in the field, many are done and want to be turned in so they can go home. 

Finding remains adds another complex layer to this work. I have learned how bone scatters may appear, how sand, brush, and cacti may conceal bones, and how animals transport them. Rats often carry long bones to build their nests. Larger predators tend to move bones into protective spaces for eating. Some predators will ingest bones altogether, making it unlikely to find certain bones. I was surprised by how easily bones can be hidden. Bones can roll from strong winds, be stepped on by animals, or even be covered up by natural debris like blowing sand. The movement, location, and condition of the bones tell a story. I also did not fully understand how bright-white a sun bleached bone looked until seeing them for myself, as they closely resembled the bone casts we use in class. 

Non-human bones scattered in the distance
Non-human bones scattered in the distance

Throughout the trip, I felt an immense amount of privilege to be surrounded by my team every day. We all looked out for each other while also serving those who lost their lives on the journey. Every day, I had proper gear, plenty of water, protection, and nutritious food, and I was still struggling. By midday, I was usually already physically and mentally exhausted. However, I stayed grounded in my values. I showed up every day ready to work and empowered to make a difference. 

Amanda with Texas brush around her
Amanda hiking through tall grasses

The conversations, emotions, and experiences from this trip will stay with me. I will carry them forward to educate others and shape my future work. I told someone today that there is absolutely no combination of words that could truly convey what I experienced. You will never fully understand until you’ve experienced it for yourself. I left nothing behind on this trip, as every part had an impact on me. I will move forward with intentionality and respect, not only those who cross the border, but those who search for them. I will cherish my memories with Don, Ray, Reed, Melissa, and the 2026 UIndy Beyond Borders Team. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and cannot put into words the emotions and growth I have experienced this trip. This experience has changed me; I have a responsibility now to continue to learn, educate, and stay up-to-date on what is happening at the Texas border. Ultimately, I strive to carry what I have learned forward in ways that continue to make an impact and ask hard questions to think deeply and reflect on my time in the Texas borderlands.

The Beyond Borders 2026 Team poses under the night sky for the last time
The Beyond Borders 2026 Team

– Amanda

P.S. I did get plenty of dog time through Socks and Oakley, who were both very cute and sweet girls.

Amanda and Socks
Amanda and Socks

She is just so cute!

Reflecting and Processing

Environment, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

I was not expecting there to be much of a difference between my reflection from the Beyond Borders 2025 trip to this one. We went to the same county to do the same kind of work, so I was expecting to be prepared for the field work and confident in how I would emotionally handle being there. Reflecting now, I see how misguided that was. Despite going over the same week as last year, with the same amount of physical preparation, the circumstances were vastly different. 

Team member obscured by the dense brush.
Team member obscured by the dense brush

The climate that we had encountered last year was cool during the day, so with our gear we were mostly comfortable to search without fearing for heat exhaustion. A big lesson that I took away last year was that the cool weather was a double edged sword. Yes, the days weren’t hot but the nights were dangerously cold. For migrants traveling on foot for days through the ranch landscapes, layers weren’t practical, making travel exhausting and dangerous. During this year’s trip, it was hot. Every day was above 80 degrees and we were only afforded a breeze for some of them. Back in Indy, this would be considered a nice summer day, but on the ranches, where shade can be sparse and covered in thorns and bugs, it was draining. We were incredibly lucky that if it was too hot we could be done for the day, or if we ran out of water, there was more back at the trucks to fill up. A migrant who has already been traveling for days, or more, by the time they reach Brooks County, is not afforded this. The weather that we were experiencing was not even the hottest that area gets, as summers are mostly over 100 degrees everyday. So whether oppressive heat or debilitating cold, there is no time when the climate makes this journey easier. 

Trash bag that has head and arm holes cut into it so it could be used as covering
Trash bag that has head and arm holes cut into it so it could be used as covering

Migrants are paying thousands of dollars to cross the border and alongside every weather condition sapping their strength, there is staggering violence that they have to endure. This past year has enhanced a lot of animosity to the migrant community and even just watching the news, you can see incredibly hateful rhetoric being spouted. People believe that a migrant can just cross the border and go back to living their life, but that is not even close to the truth. A migrant’s journey is filled with violence, as well as after they are done. This year, some of the artifacts that we were able to identify showed us how this violence is fostered by the coyotes leading the groups. It was jarring to see the evidence of the treatment that migrants are encountering while already being physically and mentally exhausted. I feel lucky that I can go home, live in comfort, and call my family and friends but I also feel inadequate that there isn’t more that I can do. 

On our last day, our whole team was gathered to share a final meal and we were discussing the things we had learned and why it was important for us to do search and recovery work. Something that particularly stuck with me in our discussion was the belief that migrants that are recovered deserve to be returned to their families because that is what we would want someone to do for us. Many of these individuals are in a forced migration situation and they pay exorbitant amounts of money to go north. But that does not guarantee safety. They endure horrific conditions that will either stick with them forever or kill them.

The Beyond Borders team with another team members Melissa and Danny
The Beyond Borders team with other team members Melissa and Danny

So yes, we went to the same county, to do the same work, but the circumstances of this trip gave me a glimpse of how there is more to a migrant’s journey than I could ever truly understand. I feel even more emboldened in my beliefs surrounding the situation and that I should continue to advocate for migrants who are risking everything to return to their families or to have a better life. I am so grateful for this opportunity and to have been able to return to this experience with an incredibly impressive team, and I am thankful that I was able to learn from and be supported by them all. I have learned there is no true way to prepare for this because it is a complex situation and that having people there with you to discuss and reflect is the best way to do so. My reflections do not end with this post, just as my previous reflections did not end after I wrote it. These past two experiences will stick with me forever, and I will use them to continue to learn, educate, and advocate for human rights in every area of my life, now and beyond. 

The Beyond Borders team at the end of our final day in the field
The Beyond Borders team at the end of our final day in the field

Lilly