Showdown in the Sonoran Desert

Abstract

Set in the Sonoran desert, at the U.S.–Mexico border, in the shadow of migrant deaths, this book examines one of the most daunting ethical questions of our time: How should we treat the strangers who have entered the United States illegally? Gathering a mosaic of opinions, from Civil Militia groups, Border Patrol agents, Catholic nuns, interfaith aid workers, left-wing protestors, ranchers, and other ordinary citizens in southern Arizona, the book provides a stage for different ideological voices to be heard concerning the issue of illegal immigration in the United States. The book focuses on the tragedy of migrant deaths in the Tucson Sector of Arizona resulting from heightened border security measures that have pushed migrants into more remote and perilous areas of southern Arizona. An ethnographic investigation, the book objectively juxtaposes the viewpoints of interfaith activists who turn to a biblically inspired model of hospitality, which stresses love of stranger and a “borderless” sort of compassion, with the viewpoints of law enforcement personnel and supporters, who advocate notions of safety, security and strict respect of international borders, ultimately challenging readers to consider the moral complexities of today’s immigration debate.