Early December, 2022

Reporting on December 15, 2022, the Nogales-based Kino Border Initiative (KBI) stated, “Over the past 2 weeks, KBI staff learned about 5 cases of family separation at the border, a practice that disorients and traumatizes families.”

Among cases cited:

Tomas [name changed to protect privacy] was traveling with his sister after fleeing violence in Guatemala. After crossing into the US through the desert, his sister lost consciousness and they had to call 911 to get assistance. BP [Border Patrol] agents came to rescue her, but they then separated Tomas from his sister. They were not able to reunite until they were both deported and managed to find one another in Nogales, Sonora.

— “December 15 update from KBI” (Nogales: Kino Border Initiative, December 15, 2022).

Sector(s): Tucson

Agency(ies): Border Patrol

Event Type(s): Family Separation

Accountability Status: Unknown

Victim Classification: Family Unit, Single Adult