Birth on the border

One million people legally cross the USMexico border every day in both directions Among them are women from Ciudad Juárez who cross to give birth in El Paso Texas Even with visas that allow them to cross their journeys are uncertain Gaby and Luisa two women from Ciudad Juárez cross legally into El Paso Texas in order to give birth Two Chicana midwives in El Paso Lina and Sandra support the women who cross After living through the extreme violence that engulfed Ciudad Juárez from 20082012 and with the looming threat of obstetrical violence in Mexican hospitals Gaby and Luisa choose to cross seeking a safer future for their children and the opportunity for natural childbirth with midwives They risk losing their visas getting turned back and harassment at the hands of US Border Patrol Against the backdrop of oppressive US border policy these womens stories of risk and resilience reveal the complexities of life on the USMexico border