The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail

Necropolitics is a theoretical concept introduced by Cameroonian historian and philosopher Achille Mbembe, referring to the use of social and political power to dictate how certain populations live and die. It examines how sovereign powers control the mortality of people, often through practices and ideologies that marginalize and exploit specific groups. This can include warfare, state violence, systemic neglect, and other forms of coercion that lead to premature death or a diminished quality of life. The Land of Open Graves highlights how the US and its Border Patrol exercises authority over the lives and deaths of the undocumented migrants crossing the US-Mexican border, reflecting broader issues of power, inequality, and human rights.

De León coined the term necroviolence to describe to the violence enacted upon dead bodies, encompassing both physical mistreatment and the symbolic or political implications of such actions. This concept extends to practices like desecration, mutilation, and improper burial, which are often used to dehumanize and exert control over the populations they affect. The Land of Open Graves focuses on the necroviolence the US Border Patrol enacts by allowing undocumented migrants face the dangers of crossing the Sonora Desert. De León argues that letting migrants’ bodies be consumed by scavengers allows the US government to distance itself from the humanitarian crisis.

Necroviolence is as a tool of power that reinforces social hierarchies, perpetuates fear, and denies dignity to the deceased and their communities. De León stresses this aspect of the practice as particularly damaging, as families of the deceased, who are largely Roman Catholic, cannot have the funerary rites that allows them to properly grieve.

A pasador, or smuggler of undocumented migrants, is an individual that facilitates the unauthorized crossing of people across international borders, bypassing legal immigration processes. Pasadores exploit the vulnerabilities of migrant, typically charging significant fees for their services, which can include arranging transport, providing forged documents, and navigating through border security measures. While some pasadores may offer a degree of protection and guidance, the journeys they organize are often perilous, involving risks of exploitation, abuse, and life-threatening conditions. This is the case De León focuses on in The Land of Open Graves. The practice of leaving struggling group members behind to perish in the desert is a reality that undocumented migrants face.

The activities of pasadores can also contribute to human trafficking networks, and undocumented migrants have no control over who manages the group at different stages of their journeys. Despite these dangers, many migrants resort to using pasadores due to limited legal migration pathways and the pressing need to escape adverse conditions in their home countries.