Post by Colin Liscord, Skidmore College, Class of 2020.

I was not in this economics class, nor am I a Colgate student, still I was lucky enough to be a part of this trip. A professor of mine at Skidmore College, Diana Barnes, helped plan this trip and after a week or so of relentless begging she allowed me to tag along. As an anthropology major, I found it most interesting to view the conflict on the U.S – Mexico border through the different perceptions of refugees, humanitarian organizations and the border control officers; as well as through the context of an economics class. The trip was a truly eye-opening experience to not only how the United States immigration policy works, but also to how we, as human beings, treat and view others that we regard as different. I found it truly astonishing the extent of cruelty we are able to justify if acting in the guise of nationalistic individualism. Men, women, children, fellow humans, all stripped of their humanity and dignity as soon as they attempt to cross into the United States. Where they are kept for a time in inhospitable conditions before being sent back to the dangers of their home countries. Dangers that we, the people of the United States have profited from and too often provoked for decades.

At the end of our time on the border we attended a streamline court hearing, which acts as a legitimate informality to bus thousands of asylum seekers and refugees out of the U.S. The imagine still burned into my brain is that of a young man, not much older than me, slowly making his way to the front of the court room his feet clasped in chains. His pants had fallen low, but he was unable to fix them due to the shackles around his wrists. His head hung low on his neck, bowed in acceptance of his fate. Regardless of your political leaning or views on border policy there is no excuse for this type of treatment for a fellow human. Perhaps my greatest takeaway from this experience was no matter what situation you are in you always have the ability to be kind. To treat others, no matter where they come from, or what their situation is, with the same decency you would show a friend.