Ulises Martinez Garcia, male, age 16, died due to exposure in the Sonoran Desert. Santos Fabian Gonzalez-Paredes, male, age 21, died due to exposure in the Sonoran Desert. Gurupreet Kaur, female, age 6, died due to exposure in the Sonoran Desert.
“Hostile Terrain ‘94” is a travelling exhibition organized by the Undocumented Migration Project, and is currently on display in the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History; the collection of over 4,000 handwritten notes by community members represent the identified and unidentified remains of those who have passed away trying to cross the Sonoran Desert in Arizona between 1994 to 2024.
The United States Border Patrol implemented a new immigration enforcement strategy in 1994. The strategy was known as “Prevention Through Deterrence,” and it planned to utilize the hostile terrains of the Sonoran Desert to discourage migrants from entering the U.S. by closing off historically used points.
This strategy has not only failed in its mission to deter people crossing into the U.S., but has been responsible for at least 4,177 deaths.
On a panel discussion moderated by Professor Gabriela Martínez, Professors Tobin Hansen, Eleanor Paynter and Kristen Yarris gathered to discuss their own research related to migration and the importance of the exhibit.
Hansen specializes in studying deportation, migration, citizenship and belonging. He has done extensive research on the belonging and identity of those who have been deported from the U.S.
“Decisions of U.S. immigration policies don’t just have consequences in the Americas, not just in this hemisphere, but all (over the world).” Yarris’ research primarily focuses on transnational migrants in Nicaragua. Her analysis of transnational migration shows how intertwined colonial and political decisions have shaped the current patterns.
Paynter primarily studies transnational migration in Italy, migrant rights and Africa-Europe relations. She notes geography has also been a weapon of deterrence for many European countries that are using the Mediterranean Sea as a natural border and continuing to push migrants to sea.
Hansen stated that this particular project contextualizes the intersection of human movement on the U.S.-Mexico borderland due to capitalist motives and border patrols’ strategic policies, which have led to a devastating loss of life.
Due to the collaborative nature of this project, nearly 1,000 students from various classes and community members have worked on filling out toe tags since fall 2024. Hansen states, “the border is here with us … (it’s) people’s stories and it’s people’s names on the toe tag and it invites you to consider the quality and context of life itself.”
Yarris shared a student testimonial on this activity.
“This activity has shed light on a subject that I previously had little exposure to … immigration gets talked about a lot in media and politics, but it often feels very (depersonalized).”
This activity forces students and community members to recognize the realities of immigration policy on the southern border, and puts into perspective the realities of transnational migration for many.
As immigration continues to be a pressing policy issue both on a federal and state level, this particular exhibit forces participants to recognize the real lives at stake.
Not only has “Prevention Through Deterrence” been a failed immigration policy, but it is also responsible for the death of thousands in the Sonoran border, and it continues to be the primary border enforcement strategy to this day.
Exhibits like “Hostile Terrain ‘94” shed light on the neglected aspects of border policy, and put a name to the statistics posted in the news, making participants reconsider many of the ongoing narratives on foot migration on the southern border.
