stayed in amado az, south of tucson halfway to mexico for a short time with a friend. It was very remote and sparsely populated. In the less than two weeks I was there - almost every day there were various groups of mexicans - 2, 3, 5 etc that came out of the cactusy desert just walking north thru the yard, which was a huge ranch - sometimes bleeding, asking for water or info. They were not at all aggressive, more terrified and desperate. My friend spoke spanish and would record their stories.
Being drugged by coyotes and left at the us side of the border ALONE after paying 1600 bux.
Seeing dead bodies along the way or being assaulted etc.
One night a neighbor had a man in his house, in his fridge, middle of the night asking for water/food. He gave him some and he left.
Shootouts with border patrol nearby.
Vehicles abandoned on personal property.
Well established "tunnels" that are hidden walkways thru the mesquite, cactus and brush just loaded with garbage and filth.
People compete for jobs in construction, being offered 4 dollars an hour!!
The people I know who live with these border issues are compassionate and would try to expose the humanitarian side of the issue. BUT they are not stupid !! Every one of them was against the undocumented, "illegal" - illegal. entry of just anyone. They were very aware of what it did and were not for it, but lived the human side of it by engaging with people in the middle of it.
You could not experience what border issues ARE unless YOU LIVE THERE. It becomes very defined when you are there.