Growing up in the borderlands of El Paso and Juarez, I have a deeply rooted bicultural identity and a unique perspective on the immigration crisis where Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico converge. While the major issues of immigration are global, especially along the 2,000-mile stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border, my focus is on a small part of the story where one landscape is now divided.

The photographs present the tangled reality I witness on both sides of the border. The stark border wall juxtaposes serene landscapes and austere architecture, displaying both breathtaking beauty and somber darkness as it stretches endlessly across the Chihuahuan Desert from east to west. I invite viewers to explore the border wall up close, from above, and from a distance.

My goal is to evoke compassion and challenge complacency around immigration issues by giving a face to the human cost of the relentless migrant crisis and highlighting the moral and social divisions happening in history. By encouraging a deeper look at the symbolic, humanitarian, economic, and ecological effects of immigration, I hope to ignite bipartisan discussions focused on fact-based solutions in a time when truth often remains hidden.

If people don’t care, what hope does the world have?

The Wall
I am a child of the border.
Through this lens, I see.
I am driven
To photograph a wall.
The Wall
That has ripped through a centuries-old
Paso del Norte—Pass of the North.
Through my lens, I bear witness to the Wall
And all it has come to represent.
A rip
A tear
A gash
Broken families
Broken friendships
Broken journeys
Broken land
Broken cultures
Broken nations
Broken souls
Broken promises
Broken trust
Broken dreams
Broken hearts
I search for the light to shine through.