Youth on the line and the No Borders movement

From November 5 to 11 of 2007, the first official 'No Borders' camp took place along the Mexico-US border in the cities of Mexicali, Mexico, and Calexico, United States. The action, which had developed out of previous No Borders camps occurring since 1998 in regions such as the European Union and Australia, was a largely youth-led call for the abolition of borders and immigration controls, particularly in response to the growing death toll of undocumented migrants within this region. Through my direct involvement with this movement, I critically assess the methods by which this youth-led action attempted to create alternative spaces and discourses of solidarity surrounding the life and death issue of US immigration policy and border militarization practices. This work also addresses the notable void surrounding research on youth activism. Further it critiques the concept of participation by considering this youth-led movement, which does not seek to participate within pre-established frameworks and organizations, but rather seeks to create new futures surrounding citizenship, human rights, and mobility.