Immigrants frequently abandon their homes and former lives, often risking death for the opportunity for better living in America. The outcome is uncertain.

Doris Nordin, a campus minister, held this presentation in the Coleman Auditorium. She was an immigrant from Mexico but got her citizenship through marriage. Nordin was critical about the perception of illegal immigrants.

“I don’t like when we just talk about a group of people or a movement without talking about who these people are and why are they here,” said Nordin. “We share cultures, and the good thing is we can grow much better as a society.”

Nordin agreed we need immigration reform to protect the border to be sure who’s crossing and we need to have better border patrols, not ones filled with corruption.

“Dying to Live” is a documentary that shows the struggles of migrants trying to make it to America illegally.

Migrants give up their homes, families and everything to get a greater opportunity in the U.S. We as people strive for the same thing-to get a good paying job and provide for our families, whether it is food or shelter.

Migrants travel for days and sometimes weeks to make better lives for themselves. Some migrants making the trip take four to five gallons of water and food with them, praying not to be stopped by the border patrol, vigilantes or poisonous snakes.

Not only men, but women and children often make this trip north through the desert, and the physical part can be quite grueling.

Many migrants have given up their dream to cross the border because their feet have calloused, preventing them from walking.

Not all migrants come north on foot. Many climb onto trains and hold on for up to 17 hours, or they stand in-between two train cars and hope not to be spotted. This is a dangerous task and some have lost limbs trying to make it past the border.

The U.S. government has stepped up their game in the prevention of illegal aliens coming into the United States.

In the early 90’s, the U.S. government set up a wall on the border of Mexico and the United States after an overwhelming amount of migrants began sneaking in.

Now border patrol agents look for foot prints in the desert and also use helicopters to spot migrants.

On the border of Arizona, the documentary shows a local government-supported group named “Humane Borders” help out migrants by providing them with water as they cross over to America.

“Humane Borders” works in conjunction with the local government because it’s easier to help them out rather than paying for a burial that costs the tax payers money, the documentary stated.

Claudia Ramirez, associate producer of “Dying to Live,” said the purpose of the documentary was to present a middle ground for the migrants and to put a face to them to show who these people really are and their struggle to get to America.

“More lives are being lost at the border,” said Ramirez. “Out of basic necessity is why most migrants try and cross the border.”

Father Goody, the executive producer of the documentary, wants viewers to know that migrants are human beings looking for basic rights and basic freedoms that they cannot receive from their own country.

“I have discovered a common denominator around the world among all who migrate is their experience of dehumanization,” said Goody.

“Some migrants only make $3-$5 a day they earned for a 12-hour work week. In Mexico that provides as much as beans and tortillas on the table.”

Phillip DeGrandis can be reached at 581-7942 or at padegrandis@eiu.edu.