THE BACKPACKERS/ LOS MOCHILEROS

2013 - 2019

"The Backpackers," or "Los Mochileros," is a project I’ve been working on since 2013 in the trans-boundary city of Nogales. The project highlights the stories of deported migrants in the border region between Mexico and the United States.

Of all the borders dividing the US and Mexico, Nogales has seen the largest number of undocumented migrants over the past decade. In addition to the photographs I took at the Juan Bosco shelter in Nogales, Mexico, I conducted interviews with the migrants, who were allowed to stay at the shelter for a maximum of three consecutive days.

I chose the title "The Backpackers" because the one item that nearly every migrant carries on their journey across the border is a backpack.