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Butterfly in the Desert

About this story

Lucila Camacho escaped an abusive husband in Mexico and seven of her fourteen children to the U.S. by walking through the cold desert night. Now, a daily struggle ensues in Arizona for Lucila and her mixed-status family, where jobs are scarce, the terrain is harsh, and a Border Patrol station looks in the center of town. This story was originally published as a 7-page spread in People en Español.

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: The Tallez family lives in fear of capture by the Border Patrol and usually keeps the front door closed and windows covered. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: A view of the Tallez mantlepiece. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: After midnight, Karla Tallez rests after a twelve hour shift at the frigid tomato packing plant. Between working, spending time with her children, cooking and cleaning, Karla rarely gets more than four hours of sleep. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Hugo Tallez, 4, and Rosa Tallez, 3, were both born in America and are two of only four kids in the family who have U.S. citizenship. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: Early in the morning, Hector Tallez, 25, leaves his trailer home for work at the tomato plant. Hector has working papers, is married to a U.S. citizen, and may be the first of the Tallez family to attain U.S. residency. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Marta Tallez gets ready to go to work at 5:45am. She works at the tomato plant in twelve hour shifts, six days a week, for $8 an hour. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Victoria Tallez works at a hydro-ponic tomato plant checking the plants for detrimental insects. She works eight hour shifts for $6.50 an hour and must drive 15 miles to the plant every day, constantly at risk of being stopped by the Border Patrol. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Marta Tallez, 19, is now supporting the Tallez family of 12 with her restuarant job. Marta graduated with a 3.8GPA in high school and wants to go to college or join the military, but cannot because she is undocumented and now must support her family. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: The Tallez family piles into the family car getting ready to go home to sleep. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: Victoria and Marta Tallez laugh at a Mexican restaurant. Both sisters are undocumented, but try to keep their spirits high. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: Victoria Tallez drives her car illegally, without a license or documentation. She transports her sister and mother to work every morning, picks them up at night, does all of the shopping, and always obeys the speed limit to not attract attention of the Border Patrol. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Marta Tallez goes back in her house to get her sister as they prepare to work at 5:45am. She works at the tomato plant in twelve hour shifts, six days a week, for $8 an hour. Marta often begins and ends the work day in the cover of darkness. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Victoria Tallez, 23, has two children of her own and is about to be out of a job when the motel closes for renovation. She wants to work in the fields, but her brother won’t let her because of the danger of getting caught. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: After midnight, Karla Tallez watches over her three children sleeping on the living room floor. Fifteen people were sleeping in the small house on this night, forcing Karla and some of her children to wherever there was enough space. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Marta Tallez sighs and rests after getting little sleep the night before and working a twelve hour shift at the tomato plant. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: The Tallez family lives in a small town relatively close to the U.S.-Mexico border, where Border Patrol agents and police have a constant and strong presence. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the younger kids are in school, and Karla along with the older children struggle to support the family. Karla and her 19 year-old daughter were recently detained by the Border Patrol and await a deportation hearing while the rest of the family tries not to get caught.

: Rosa Tallez was born in the U.S. and is an American citizen. However, her mother does not have papers and could be deported if caught. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

: Rosa Tallez, 3, plays in the motel and jumps off a pile of appliances. The Tallez family crossed through the Mexican desert into America 12 years ago and most of the family lives life in America undocumented. The Tallez family of Karla and her 14 children are now settled in America, the youger kids are in school, the older children struggle to support the family and everybody lives in fear of the Border Patrol.

Guatemala, U.S.A.

About this story

A husband and father of seven left his family in Guatemala, hoping to find enough work in the States to pull his family up from rural poverty. But the future remains uncertain, not only in America, but also back home.

This story was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

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La Frontera

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Unsatisfied with often superficial news coverage, Theo Rigby first went to the U.S./Mexico border in 2004 looking for a story. Before he connected with the Camacho family in Butterfly in the Desert, he photographed the Border Patrol, and the hardscrabble daily life on the Arizona border.

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: A Mexican boy plays by the U.S.-Mex. border fence.

: National Guard soldiers are posted at one of six observation sites along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, AZ. The soldiers have been given the task of pulling 24 hour shifts in the cover of a small tent, spotting people crossing the border illegally, and alerting the Border Patrol.

: Migrants who crossed the border and got lost in the desert, wait for another ride from a coyote who will help them get to their final destination.

: Jorge Martinez, 33, and Jesus Meneses, 27, were both caught by the Border Patrol and met at a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, Mexico. They plan to try and cross the border again soon.

: Jorge Martinez, 33, and Jesus Meneses, 27, were both caught by the BOrder Patrol and met at a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, Mexico. They plan to try and cross the border again soon.

: The U.S.-Mexico fence looking toward Agua Prieta, Mexico.

: Lights set up by the Border Patrol next to the U.S.-Mexico border.

: National Guard soldiers are posted at one of six observation sites along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, AZ. The soldiers have been given the task of pulling 24 hour shifts in the cover of a small tent, spotting people crossing the border illegally, and alerting the Border Patrol.

: Border Patrol agents meet in the street after apprehending a man who had crossed illegally. This area of Nogales, AZ, is very close to the fence and people hop the 16 foot fence, and hide in a backyard hoping to avoid the Border Patrol long enough to catch a ride out of the area.

: Stadium lights help illuminate a cattle ranch and increase vision for the Border Patrol close to the border of Nogales, AZ.

: Guadalupe Leonides Perez-Arce tried to cross the border with her two daughters, Olivia, 13, and Perla, 15, and walked in the desert for two days. The family was caught by the border patrol and Guadalupe was treated for badly swollen feet at the Centro de Recursos para Migrantes (Resource center for Migrants) directly over the border in Agua Prieta, Mexico.

: A volunteer treats blisters on a deported migrants foot at the Centro de Recursos para Migrantes (Resource center for Migrants) directly over the border in Agua Prieta, Mexico.

: Jesus Meneses, 27, from Chiapas, was caught by the Border Patrol and is about to leave a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, Mexico to try and cross the border again.

: Jesus Meneses, 27, from Chiapas, was caught by the Border Patrol and is staying at a migrant shelter in Agua Prieta, Mexico. He plans plan to try and cross the border again soon.

: Two recovering drug addicts work with ‘Agua para la Vida’ (Water for life). Agua para la Vida places and re-fills vats of drinking water in the Mexican desert for migrants about to cross into America.

: Clothes dropped from a migrant in the desert on their way to America.

: Border Patrol agent Jim Hawkins looks at F-16’s flying overhead as he stands in front of a Border Patrol camera tower that can be controlled remotely to scan for people crossing the border illegally.

: Two men who jumped the fence illegally were caught by the Border Patrol a few hundred feet from the border in Nogales, AZ. If they don’t have a criminal record, the two men will be booked, fingerprinted, and ‘voluntarily deported’ back to Mexico with 5 hours.

: National Guard soldiers are posted at one of six observation sites along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, AZ. The soldiers have been given the task of pulling 24 hour shifts in the cover of a small tent, spotting people crossing the border illegally, and alerting the Border Patrol.

: Detainees arrested for crossing the border illegally await deportation in the Border patrol station.

Los Deportados

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When caught by the Border Patrol in close proximity to the border fence, most undocumented Mexican’s are processed and sent via bus back to Mexico. The bus crosses the border in Nogales, AZ, and drops off the weary migrants 100 feet past the U.S./Mexico line. These photographs depict the moments directly after the migrants have been released.

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