Humane Borders

08/27/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Humane Borders stands in solidarity with the Tohono O’odham Nation and expresses our deep concern regarding reports of federal personnel and contractors entering tribal lands without consultation and consent. As a humanitarian organization committed to dignity, safety, and respect for all communities along the border, we affirm the Nation’s sovereign right to govern its lands and uphold its laws.

According to public statements issued by Tohono O’odham leadership, federal agents and contractors entered tribal land before dawn on Aug. 26 in advance of border‑barrier construction, in violation of the Nation’s civil trespass code. The Nation further reports that a vehicle blockade prevented tribal police from issuing citations and removing contractors. These accounts raise serious questions about transparency, consultation, and respect for tribal authority.

We respectfully urge federal agencies to pause all activities related to border‑barrier construction on Tohono O’odham land until meaningful government‑to‑government dialogue occurs. We echo the Nation’s call for federal personnel to honor commitments to tribal sovereignty and to ensure that any actions taken on tribal lands are lawful, transparent, and grounded in consultation.

Humane Borders also asks federal agencies to consider the broader humanitarian and ecological impacts of border‑barrier construction across the borderlands. Communities are concerned about groundwater depletion, habitat disruption, and damage to culturally-significant sites. These concerns deserve careful review and open communication.

Humane Borders remains committed to humanitarian neutrality, respectful collaboration, and the protection of human dignity in all border communities. We will continue to listen to tribal leaders, local residents, and partner organizations as this situation evolves.

08/24/2026

Temps may be in the triple digits in Arizona, but our summer volunteers get it done! For 26 years, Humane Borders has saved lives by maintaining dozens of permitted water stations along the southern border. We can’t fix all the problems in the world, but we can offer water in the desert so no one dies of dehydration and exposure. Join us! Learn more at humaneborders.org

08/21/2026

People dying in the desert by the dozens is not normal 😓 Recommended reading (link in comments)

08/20/2026

This isn’t about crime or criminals.

"Undocumented migration does not raise crime rates, huge study finds," reports Nature, which cites the paper whose lead author is University of California, Irvine Chancellor's Professor Charis E. Kubrin. Co-authors of the study published Aug. 10 in the Journal of Urban Affairs include her colleague in the Department of Criminology, Law & Society, Professor John R. Hipp. https://ow.ly/8cUi50ZA0oQ

08/12/2026

Arizona’s newest jaguar is documented again, but environmentalists warn that its route back to Mexico to find a mate is closing fast behind the advancing border wall. ⤵️ Find a link to the story in the comments.

08/11/2026

Monthly migrant deaths in Arizona are at the highest level in two years. The border is not “closed” and people are still crossing and dying. Please read our news release and share 💔

New Humane Borders and Pima County data record 19 migrant deaths in July 2026, the deadliest month in two years, and 4,505 in southern Arizona since 2000.

08/10/2026

“Let the courts decide, not the desert.” Thank you, La Vanguardia, for covering our lifesaving work (link in the first comment)

08/10/2026

BREAKING: The number of migrant deaths reported by the Pima County Medical Examiner in July was 19. This is the highest monthly number in two years.

Recently-found individuals grouped by PMI (Post Mortem Interval):
5 dead less than a day
2 dead less than a week
3 dead less than 5 weeks
1 dead less than 3 months
8 dead more than 6-8 months
Total: 19

Updates for previous cases: 7 individuals were newly identified by name (1,645 cases remain unidentified).

A map of the remains reported in July 2026 is at https://humaneborders.info/latest/

Total deaths currently recorded in our database: 4,505.

We are committed to saving lives and transforming the border into a space of dignity, justice, equity, hope, and human understanding ✝️😓