Today was our second and last full day in Douglas!  

It was a jam-packed one, full to the brim of a wide range of conversations, events, and reflections. We started our day at Douglas ARC Kitchen, a restaurant which staffs only people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We ate an amazing breakfast there, which we were beyond lucky to share with Rosie Mendoza—she works in humanitarian efforts in the Douglas area. She is also one of the protagonists in The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez, a biography of a migrant in Douglas/Agua Prieta that we read prior to coming to the border.  

Mendoza was extremely vulnerable and honest with us—but even through hard stories, she remained bubbly. “This is one city; it has two names, two cultures, two landscapes, and a fence in the middle. We did not hop the fence—the fence hopped us,” she remarked to us over our meal.  

After a quick reflection together, we met with Douglas mayor José Grijalva at the city of Douglas council building; he shared with us that he is legally blind, and due to that, he walks everywhere. It means he is always accessible to the city, which he claims is what bonds him to Douglas and the people of Douglas. He spoke highly of his town, and the optimistic goals he has for it—running as an independent wasn’t easy, but he had the support of his town around him. “If you want a glimpse of Mexico without ever crossing the border, Douglas is the place; the culture and the people are what make this town,” he shared with us. “If we succeed, Agua Prieta succeeds.”  

After our wonderful conversation with Grijalva, we traveled down the street to Blueberry Café for lunch with Joca Gallegos—as well as local Border Patrol agents Gary Young and Tim Brownrigg. They shared with us that their goal was to paint border patrol agents in a better light, and they answered all our questions very honestly and respectfully. While they were unable to speak about anything political in uniform, they were able to mention the progressive mental health counseling they’ve implemented in their units. “You see a lot of things at work that you can’t help bring home,” Agent Young said. They’ve created support groups and chaplain groups, as well as in-patient and out-patient counseling. It was amazing to have this conversation over wonderful coffee and lunch, and we’re lucky to get to experience so many different points of view.  

After this, we got a bit of a break to relax at Iglesia Bautista Amistad, where we reflected internally in small groups about all three conversations we’d had today. “It was fascinating and impactful to gain insight on multiple perspectives of immigration,” Cassie Shortman remarked. Katherine Luna agreed, saying that she was “enlightened, and happy to expand [her] knowledge on the border.”  

We then met with Mark Adams and Ximena to participate in the migrant vigil in Douglas, near the Raul C Port of Entry into Agua Prieta. The vigil has occurred every Tuesday night for twenty five years—“rain, snow, or shine!” Ximena mentioned—and honors migrants who have lost their lives attempting to cross from Mexico into Douglas. It was a highly emotional and deeply impactful experience, and many of us broke down in tears. Walking down the street as the cars were going, it made the experience all the more moving—“it wasn’t just for those who has passed; it was also for those who were driving by, to see them all,” Zeina Gailani mentioned later. We walked for nearly an hour, placing a cross on the curb every two feet.  

Our night finished at a bit of a vibe change—the Art Car Museum served us a wonderful spaghetti dinner, and then we were able to see the interesting (but drivable!) cars that had been decorated with art. I [Emily Allison, author] wish I could explain better, but you’ll just have to visit Douglas and see for yourself! “Seeing is believing,” Dr. Maggie Commins mentioned with a laugh. It was a day of emotional highs and lows, but another wonderful day of education, bonding, and inspiration.