The Migrant Trail Walk is not intended to simulate the experience migrants face as they cross the gauntlet of death. Walkers are accompanied by support vehicles, unlimited food and water, and medical attention: things that the migrants themselves desperately lack. However, by walking more than 75 miles in the hot summer sun, we try to make a small contribution that will someday lead to change on the border. No one should be forced to risk their life in order to provide for their family.
The Migrant Trail is not intended to be a delegation or educational experience in the traditional sense, but rather a unique opportunity to experience the borderlands of Arizona as an intentional group. While we are very organized in terms of teamwork, solidarity and reflection, we do not provide speakers, panels, or other educational structure. Our intention is to bear witness with our migrant sisters and brothers who have walked this trail and lost their lives. Conversations will and do spring up organically, and we encourage this dialogue to take place among interested participants.
We all walk for different reasons and find common ground in our witness to the inhumanity of death. Some have pledged to walk every year until the deaths on the border stop. We are committed to having a safe and transformative journey together, and from this space, organic and productive conversation can evolve. Over the years, the Walk has brought new friends together, and created allies that have gone on to do incredibly meaningful work together. We encourage participants to be mindful of the task, submitting to the experience of walking with hearts, minds and bodies open to the journey before them.
The Migrant Trail 