Undocumented: Immigration and the Militarization of the United States-Mexico Border

Photographer Moore’s harrowing photo essay, the culmination of over a decade of work, documents the grueling immigration process for undocumented Mexicans and Central American coming to U.S., from the abject poverty and vicious gang violence that often propels them to leave to their everyday experiences once established in the United States. Some of the most haunting photographs depict the physical journey across the borders. A series of photos details the notoriously dangerous journey atop a freight train known as “the Beast”: dozens of migrants piled on top of the train in the blazing sun, a Nicaraguan immigrant clad in a plastic bag on the train during a thunderstorm. In addition to action shots, Moore includes yearbook-style layouts of headshots of Honduran gang members, trainee border agents, undocumented inmates serving time in an Arizona jail, and newly naturalized U.S. citizens. Essays by Elyse Gobb, director at the National Center for Border Security and Immigration at the University of Arizona, and Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigration rights activist and undocumented mother living in Colorado, offer additional context and are provided in both Spanish and English. The book paints a sobering picture of the undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrant experience. Color photos. [em](Mar.) [/em]