The Undocumented

The Undocumented is a 90-minute documentary film released in 2013, directed by Marco Williams, which examines the causes and consequences of migrant deaths along the Arizona-Mexico border. The film explores the stories of migrants who have perished in the Arizona desert and follows their journey home. It delves into efforts by the Pima County Medical Examiner and the Mexican Consulate of Tucson to identify unidentified deceased border crossers, aiming to reunite them with their families. Additionally, it highlights U.S. Border Patrol agents balancing law enforcement with lifesaving operations. In Mexico, the film captures the reunification of the dead with their families and shares stories of those who disappeared while crossing the border.

According to U.S. Border Patrol statistics, 417 undocumented migrants died attempting to enter the United States in fiscal year 2009, marking the first increase in four years. Most deaths occurred in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, with 213 confirmed fatalities in the Tucson sector that year. Researchers attribute this trend to a "funnel effect," where increased border militarization forces migrants to cross through more remote and dangerous areas. This has led to a rise in Arizona's migrant deaths, from nine in 1990 to 201 in 2005.

The documentary was filmed between June and December 2009, with post-production beginning in February 2010. It was produced with support from ITVS, the Ford Foundation, and the Fledgling Fund, and aired on PBS on April 6, 2013.