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The train yards in El Paso that border the Rio Grande are favorite crossing points for undocumented workers. The trains provide relatively easy and quick transportation out of town, and the yards provide many hiding and resting areas. This is the…

The Rio Grande, surrounded by vegetation on both sides. In the distance, a road and residential structures are visible.

The headwaters of the Rio Grande are above Albuquerque, New Mexico. Beginning at El Paso the Rio Grande (also called the Rio Bravo del Norte) engages the emotions and drama of a natural boundary between two countries. West of El Paso and Ciudad…

View of Monument No. 3, overlooking Mesilla Valley and the Southern Pacific Railroad.

View of Monument 8 facing south, looking into Chihuahua from New Mexico.

Without water, the landscape cannot sustain the urban or agricultural development typical of the Rio Grande Valley. The topography is entirely arid desert. The border is marked by 276 permanent monuments covering 698 miles from Monument No. 1 to the…

A view of Monument 11, facing east. A wire fence runs next to the monument while shrubs fill the landscape.

View of Monument 12, facing east. A small roads marks the border where Chihuahua is on the right and New Mexico on the left.

View from the Mexican side of the line at Monument No. 14, looking northwest.

Three roads between Monument 25 and 26, looking east. Mexico is on the right.

View of Monument 34, looking south. A wire fence and wooden posts run perpendicular to the monument.

View of Monument 40, in corner of New Mexico border running east to west and north to south. A fence runs behind the monument while vegetation populates the space behind it.

View of Monument 41, looking south. On the left, a fence extends into the distance over a ridge. Vegetation also covers the landscape.

View from Monument Number 41, looking south. A fence cuts across the landscape and vegetation lines both sides.

View from Monument 41,looking north to Monument 40. Vegetation lines the landscape while a dirt road extends into the distance.

View of a fence near Monument Number 51, looking north. To the west, a two-track dirt road extends into the distance.

Fence near Monument Number 51 looking north east. Vegetation lines both sides of the fence.

View from Monument No. 52, looking south along the border road toward the boundary "corner."

View of an abandoned custom home at Antelope Wells. Broken branches and other discarded materials clutter the space around the dwelling.

View of Monument 60 and a fence with wooden posts. In the background, a storm and lightning are visible.