Our Mission

to save lives and create a just and humane environment in the borderlands

Humane Borders, motivated by faith and the universal need for kindness, maintains a system of dozens of water stations in the Sonoran Desert on routes used by migrants making the perilous journey to the United States on foot. Our primary mission is to save desperate people from death by dehydration and exposure and to create a just and humane environment in the borderlands. Our water stations are located on government and privately-owned land with permission from landowners and managers.


Founded in the summer of the year 2000, Humane Borders, Inc. is a non-profit corporation run almost exclusively by volunteers. Donations to Humane Borders are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and we depend on gifts from individuals and  groups of all faiths to continue our work.


Education is a fundamental part of our mission. Humane Borders partners with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office to  produce interactive maps of deaths of  migrants in our region. Humane Borders welcomes researchers, students, journalists, artists, and filmmakers to join us in the field as we bear witness to what's happening in the borderlands and work to help co-create a more just and humane border.  To inquire about visiting Humane Borders, please email info@humaneborders.org.   

Water Stations

Dehydration and exposure are the LEADING cause of deaths of migrants during border crossings. That’s why HUMANE BORDERS has operated a network of water stations in parts of the Sonoran Desert since 2000.

Our mission is to save lives and our water is for everyone! Humane Borders' permitted water stations consist of one or more 55-gallon blue industrial-strength plastic barrels fitted with spigots. We place these drums on stands to keep them off the desert floor and fill them with water, which we replenish when necessary. We visually examine the water, test it for particulates, and taste the water on each run. Our barrels are replaced and refilled regularly with clean, fresh drinking water. Barrels need to be swapped out more often during the summer months to prevent buildup of algae. We're experimenting with remote monitoring of water levels and ways to shade and insulate barrels to keep the water cool and more palatable to drink, even as temperatures soar into the triple digits.


Each water truck has a 200- to 300-gallon water tank that's mounted in the bed, along with a generator and drinking-water-safe hose to deliver water to our locations. That’s a lot of weight, and it makes driving in rugged terrain even more difficult. Humane Borders drivers are trained by our Operations Manager Joel Smith to deal safely with challenging driving conditions and anything they might encounter in the field. We mark our water stations with blue flags mounted on 30-foot poles to make them visible to migrants in the vicinity. Some barrels and flags have small solar cells so they can be seen at night.


While our work has traditionally been in the interior desert, since 2023 Humane Borders has also provided water for people seeking asylum along the border wall near Sasabe, Yuma, and at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo.


Humane Borders has historically worked to deliver water used by Grupos Beta, a Mexican state agency with presence in Sasabe, Mexico, just across from the point of entry. The Sasabe, Mexico water runs are currently on hold due to cartel violence in northern Sonora, Mexico. We plan to resume these runs once it's safe to do so.

WHAT a HUMANE BORDER LOOKS LIKE

Founded in 2000, Humane Borders has been delivering water to the desert and providing humanitarian aid for almost a quarter of a century. Thank you for your interest in and support of our life-saving mission.

Share by: