S. Smith Patrick

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  Mislead

  Most migrants are lead to believe they will walk from Mexico into the U.S. in a few hours. Instead, they travel for days through inhospitable terrain and dramatic temperatures changes with inadequate supplies and uncertain prospects.

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  "Somos amigos. Queremos ayudar a ustedes.'

  'We are friends. We want to help you.'Voluteers from Los Samaritanos, a search team comprised of retirees, call out to migrants coming through the desert to offer food and medical help.

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  Always in Transition

  Migrants often follow riverbeds through the desert flatlands and take shelter from the glaring sun and Border Patrol under freeway overpasses.

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  Supply pack

  A volunteer from Los Samaritanos leaves a supply package for migrants who might take shelter under the highway. Members of Los Samaritanos search the desert every day to try to aid migrants.

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  Supply Bags

  Supply bags with food and water are created by members of a retirement community who are unable to leave their homes, but want to help the migrants. They are left for migrants in places where their traces have previously been spotted.

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  'Migrant Highway'

  Footprints indicate where migrants have passed. The Samaritans leave supply packs at such places.

• Campground

  The shelter of trees alongside a well worn path is a stopping point for migrants. Most travel is done at night, out of the glaring sun.

• Memory of desert nights

  Desert temperatures are often freezing at night, in stark contrast to the heat of the day.

• No public access, officially

  Migrants cross private property en route to a better life. Some property owners complain about litter left behind, others are sympathetic to the migrant plight.

• Yesterday's Life

  As they near 'civilization,' migrants abandon their few belongings and change into a fresh set of clothes to distract attention from their journey.

• Waiting

  A discarded water jug by the road was likely left by a migrant in hiding, waiting for a pick up after the long desert journey.

• The next stretch

  An early morning tire track at the side of the road is likely from a vehicle picking up migrants in the vast Arizona desert.