November 1, 2019

Nonprofit helping migrants sees shift in demographics

The Kino Border Initiative operates an aid center in Nogales, Sonora.

As the year winds down, so have the number of people detained along the southern border since peaking in April. Arizona 360 traveled to Nogales, Sonora this week and visited the Kino Border Initiative where communications director Katie Sharar offered insight into recent demographical shifts in the migrants and deportees seeking assistance.

“We see a lot fewer Central Americans now. Families from southern Mexico are definitely still arriving, particularly from the state of Guerrero. But what we see more now are folks coming from Cuba and Venezuela,” Sharar said. “There are certainly still families seeking asylum and they’re waiting here at the port of entry somewhere between two and three months.”

At the Kino Border Initiative, staff and volunteers serve breakfast and dinner. Volunteer health professionals also provide basic first aid. Hundreds of people show up for meal services each day, Sharar said.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona