Causes: Emergency Relief and Response , Health and Mental Well-being, Migration
For years, El Paso, Texas has been at the center of migration, with tens of thousands arriving in desperate need of safety and care. In 2022, Doctors of the World launched the Border Health Program to meet escalating needs and develop a hub of expertise for migrant and refugee healthcare in the border region.
In El Paso, our teams have seen the heavy toll the journey north takes on the health of migrants and refugees. Many arrived after days and weeks in transit—dehydrated, injured, and exhausted, some without the medications they need for chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma. Even after reaching their destination, the fear of detention or deportation often made them hesitant to seek care. Today, even as crossings decline, shifting policies continue to keep many people from seeking the medical help they need, turning treatable conditions into life-threatening emergencies. In a city where 1 in 4 residents is foreign-born, those barriers affect entire communities, leaving many without access to healthcare.
Working closely with local shelters and healthcare systems, we remain committed to creating safe spaces where migrants and refugees receive dignified care. At the same time, we’ve joined forces with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to train the next generation of providers in delivering trauma-informed, culturally competent care and protecting patients’ rights.
1,520 patients treated
50% of patients are families with children
760 medical faculty and student volunteers engaged
Migrants and asylum-seekers arriving in El Paso described days without food, drinking contaminated river water, and injuries from exhaustion or falls. Border policies can also have direct and devastating public health consequences. In El Paso alone, hospitals treated more than 300 people in 2023 for falls from the border wall with injuries ranging from broken bones to miscarriages.
