"My name is Brandon Ramirez, I’m 18 years old and I’m from San Pedro Sula. I arrived in Tijuana four months ago, but I’ve been in the camp for one month. It’s hard for me to talk about what I miss because I didn’t have a very good time in my country. Honestly, I don’t miss much about Honduras, except for my family. I hope to cross as soon as possible, since life in Mexico is also difficult—but still better than back home. Here, I skate and rap with some friends. I have fun."
The border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego, near the “Nido del Águila” neighborhood—a location known for low surveillance and frequent illegal crossings by migrants. April 2021.
"My name is Zitlali, I’m 15 years old and I’m from Michoacán. I came to Tijuana with my brother, dad, and mom. We’ve been camping here for a month. We heard about the opportunity to apply for asylum, and that’s why we’re here. We left our home state because of insecurity and lack of opportunities. What I miss most about my hometown is hanging out with my friends in the plaza and laughing with them."
A U.S. surveillance tower stands next to the border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego. April 2021.
Zitlali, 15 years old, from Michoacán, braids hair to earn money inside the migrant camp located at El Chaparral in Tijuana, Baja California. April 2021.
The border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego, near the “Nido del Águila” neighborhood—a location known for low surveillance and frequent illegal crossings by migrants. April 2021.
Edwin de Jesus, 17, from El Salvador: "I really don’t miss anything. I just want to cross as soon as possible."
Edwin Rosales, 19, from Honduras: "I miss my mother, singing with my friends, and having a good time without stress. Everything here is uncertain. Now I plan to start my YouTube channel, hoping people will see what we are going through."
Antonio Aymar Cruz Plata, 16 years old, from Honduras. “I came with my mom, and we’ve been camping in Tijuana for a month and a half. We’re trying to request asylum. What I miss most about Honduras is eating baleadas and walking through El Picacho city park. I’d prefer not to talk about the reasons why we’re seeking asylum.”
The flags of the United States and the state of California are seen through the steel bars of the border fence, from the Mexican side in Tijuana, Baja California, April 2021.
An improvised kitchen made of partitions and wood inside the migrant camp in Tijuana, Baja California. April 2021.
The border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego, near the “Nido del Águila” neighborhood—a location known for low surveillance and frequent attempts by migrants to cross the border irregularly. April 2021.
"My name is Jonathan, I’m 18 years old and I’m from Havana, Cuba. What I miss the most is my home—my uncles, cousins, talking with the guys in the neighborhood, and playing football. If I had the chance to go back for a day, I’d visit my family and spend the whole afternoon chatting in the neighborhood. I hope to achieve the American Dream so I can help my family and make sure they never go hungry."
A jacket hangs from the border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego, in the “Nido del Águila” neighborhood—a location known for low surveillance and frequent crossings by migrants attempting to enter the U.S. irregularly. April 2021.
The border wall separating Tijuana from San Diego, near the “Nido del Águila” neighborhood—a location known for low surveillance and frequent illegal crossings by migrants. April 2021.
A view of the improvised camp next to the international border crossing at El Chaparral. At the site, there are at least 1,500 people, including adults, children, and teenagers, living in tents, according to data from April.
Keiry Mancia, 15 years old, a teenager with a hearing impairment, shows her favorite drawing that she created. Keiry and her mother left Honduras with the intention of seeking asylum. "Keiry loves drawing. She used to sell commissioned drawings while staying in different states, which helped us during our trip to Tijuana," says Ana, Keiry's mother. "She misses playing sports with her friends in Honduras."
If birds could fly between cages
If Birds Could Fly Between Cages presents a photographic series documenting the lives of young migrants, both accompanied and unaccompanied, who were stranded in Tijuana, Mexico, in early 2021. This moment occurred after the cancellation of the “Remain in Mexico” program (Migrant Protection Protocols) by President Joe Biden, leaving thousands of migrants trapped at the border, many of them adolescents facing profound uncertainty, unsure of what the future held for them. In this context, more than 18,000 unaccompanied minors were waiting in precarious conditions at various shelters along the border while their asylum applications were processed. Through portraits, the young people were asked what they missed most about home, aiming to capture not only their vulnerability but also their memories and desires during such a difficult time at the border.
The series shows these young people, some accompanied by their families and others alone, as they wait at the El Chaparral border crossing in Tijuana. In this space, filled with uncertainty, it becomes a place of both physical and emotional discomfort. Despite the hope that the new U.S. government would expedite the process, the situation remained precarious. In their responses, the young people shared what they missed most: from the food of their countries to the security of being with their loved ones. These portraits not only depict the faces of waiting but also the feelings of nostalgia and loss, reflecting how, even amid adversity, they seek solace in their memories while facing painful separation and an uncertain future.