Build Bridges, Not Fences – NYT Letter to the Editor

By Alfredo Gutierrez

To the Editor:

As a commentator for a daily Spanish-language talk show in Arizona, I met a steady stream of migrants from Mexico. They brought in IDs or family photos in the hopes of connecting with a lost loved one or begged me to announce the last known location of their sons or daughters so that listeners with information could call. These painful memories returned in vivid color as I read “Death Rate Climbs as Migrants Take Bigger Risks to Cross Tighter Borders” (news article, May 21).

My experience with those distraught family members reinforces a truth that the article makes clear: If we think fences can prevent people from seeking a better life for their families, we deeply underestimate the human conditions that drive immigration.

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