Photographs from the U.S.–Mexico border, witnessing movement, waiting, and survival.

Three children and a woman standing in the doorway of a shop or home, smiling at the camera. The woman is wearing a t-shirt with cartoon characters and has a backpack, the children are in casual clothes. The scene is in black and white.

In 2022, I spent time in Ciudad Juárez with my good friend, veteran photojournalist Roberto Rosales, documenting what was unfolding along the Rio Bravo at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Juárez felt like a waiting room built out of concrete and light. Families slept under bridges, moved along canals and train tracks, and gathered near shelters and storefronts that offered some kind of help, some kind of hope. People carried everything they owned in backpacks and plastic bags. Children played anyway. Adults stayed alert anyway.

We met many migrants from Venezuela and other places, moving north with whatever strength they had left. Some nights it was a slow walk through the dark, guided by streetlights and rumor. Other times it was the river. I watched parents step into the water holding their kids high. I watched strangers lift wheelchairs by hand. I watched people reach the far bank and keep going, as if stopping would let the fear catch up.

It was tragic to be that close and still powerless. I could not change policy. I could not make the journey safe. So I did what I know how to do. I stayed present. I watched. I made photographs that hold a few seconds of a long, dangerous journey, and the small human moments that survive inside it.

People holding protest signs outdoors, with one sign reading 'NO MÁS' and another with spray-painted text, under a bridge.
A group of five people, including children, walking along a path at night under streetlights, with a fence topped with barbed wire and illuminated by overhead lights in the background.
A black and white photo of a woman and a man outdoors near a canal or river, with a bridge overhead and a cloudy sky.
A young boy crouching on a sidewalk holding a toy gun, wearing a lion-themed hoodie, with a group of people sitting in the background.
Two children playing outdoors, one boy with hands on head, and one girl with arms raised, both showing expressive faces. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A young girl walking along a dirt path, surrounded by people sitting and standing, with discarded plastic bottles on the ground, captured in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A man and a young girl sitting on railroad tracks, with the man tending to the girl, holding her hand and a bottle. There are backpacks and bags beside them, and graffiti on a wall in the background, with at least one person standing nearby. Migrants
A woman walking with two children along a street, one child on her shoulders and another walking beside her, against a backdrop of a large concrete wall. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of children near a makeshift shelter with cardboard, blankets, and rocks, with a chain-link fence and baseball field in the background. One child is standing, others are sitting or lying down. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of people sitting and standing beside train tracks in an urban area, tents are set up nearby, with an overpass and graffiti on a wall in the background, all in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Four people, including two children, standing in shallow water near a concrete wall, with three of them wearing backpacks. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
People walking under a bridge over a dry riverbed in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A young man with a serious expression wearing a cap backward, puffer jacket, and backpack, outdoors with a fence and stadium lights in the background in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A black and white photo of a river with a curved concrete bank, two people standing near the water, and a mountain with a cross on top in the background. There are also some trees, bushes, a tent, a building, and a few birds flying in the sky.
A group of people walking outdoors at night, carrying backpacks, under streetlights, on a dirt path near a highway or railway. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of people, including children, wait outdoors at night near a car under streetlights. Some are standing, some are crouching, and one girl looks directly at the camera. The scene appears tense and somber. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Night scene with a group of people walking across a small bridge or hill, with bright lights in the background and reflections in the water below, in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
People are gathered near a riverbank, some standing and sitting on rocks, others wading into the water in a natural outdoor setting. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of people, including a child, helping a person out of a body of water at night along a riverside, with a bridge and city lights in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Group of people crossing a river, some helping others, silhouetted against the water. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Black and white photo of a young boy sitting on a man's shoulders at night, with two other men nearby, in an outdoor setting with lights and buildings in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of five children walking along a dirt path beside a construction site, with a dirt mound, plants, and construction equipment in the background, captured in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Person bending down by a river at night under a bridge, with lights reflecting on the water. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Littered cigarette wrapper and business card on dirt ground. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Two people walking through a garden or field at night, holding hands, surrounded by tall plants and flowers. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A person standing by a river at night, holding shoes in their hand with a bridge with streetlights above in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of people, including a man with a child on his shoulders, walking through a dark, outdoors environment at night, with plants and foliage visible in the foreground. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
People walking through a river at night under a bridge, illuminated by streetlights, in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A young boy with a striped t-shirt, plaid shorts, and sandals stands on a stone floor in a black-and-white photograph. He looks upward with a worried or confused expression, in an indoor setting with other children and people in the background.
Night scene of a city underpasses with bridges, streetlights, rocks, and a reflection on water. Four people walking along a pathway. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A group of people, including a man holding a young girl, smiles and interacts on a city street with buildings and a mural of a man's face in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A woman and two children standing at the entrance of a small establishment with a sign above that reads 'GraciaAb,' with words 'Esperanza' and 'Amor' visible. The woman has her hand on the shoulder of a young boy, and a girl is standing beside her. T
People gathered outside a community service center with signs in Spanish, a small open storefront, and a parking meter on the sidewalk. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Group of five people standing against a wall in an outdoor setting, with some individuals holding children, including a woman on the far right holding a small child, and others wearing face masks. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A smiling young boy with dark hair looking up at the camera, surrounded by large water bottles on the ground. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Group of people waiting in line outside a building on a city street, some wearing masks, in black and white. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A woman holding a small girl inside a small, possibly makeshift, shelter or corner with worn walls, a metal box, a plastic bottle, and a window or door behind them. The woman is smiling, and the girl looks curious. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
People gather outside a charity organization with a sign reading 'GraciaAbundanteJuarez.org' in Spanish, indicating services for hope, love, and help, with a man wearing a American flag t-shirt and a cap near the window, and a woman holding a child.
A small brick building with two window openings, located outdoors at night. The building has graffiti on the right side and a missing roof. A poster on the left side features a man and text in Spanish, indicating the man, Mariano Juarez Dominguez, is
Two men and a young girl by a canal under bridges, one man is carrying the girl on his back, all three are walking along the canal bank.Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A woman wearing striped clothing and heels is crossing a river with a backpack and shopping bag, surrounded by rocky terrain and low vegetation, with a large paved road or runway in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
People wearing masks walking near the border sign indicating the US-Mexico border, with barbed wire and traffic cones visible. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
A woman and a man holding hands, standing in front of a chain-link fence, with an official and another person nearby, on a rooftop or elevated outdoor area. The woman is in light-colored pants and a top, the man in dark clothing and a cap. The offici
A black and white nighttime scene under a bridge with streetlights illuminating the area, a person walking along a path, and a train on tracks in the background. Migrants in Juarez Mexico
Hollywood sign on a hillside in the distance, with a fence and desert plants in the foreground, black and white photograph. Migrants in Juarez Mexico