The decision to cross the international border between Mexico and the United States has long been a risky one. Immigrants seeking safety, employment, or a better life on American soil have been subjected to cruel and dehumanizing government practices, from the chemical baths at the El Paso International Bridge in the early 1900s to family separations and sub-par detention centers existing across the country today. Dangerous conditions have existed for immigrants whether they cross the border legally or not- as demonstrated by the government run Bracero Program of the 1940s and 50s. This text set aims to explore the reasons people have decided to make the perilous crossing, and what has happened to them when they do.
