The information practices and politics of migrant-aid work in the US-Mexico borderlands. Issue 4 (7th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Newell, Bryce Clayton; Vannini, Sara; Gomez, Ricardo
• Is Part Of: Information society. Volume 36:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 199
• Page End: 213
• Publication Date: 2020-08-07
• Subjects: Humanitarian information activities -- immigration -- information and communication technologies -- information politics -- information practices -- migration; Technology -- Social aspects; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Social aspects; Information science -- Periodicals; Sciences de l'information -- Périodiques; 303.483
• DOI: 10.1080/01972243.2020.1761918
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0197-2243

Abstract

Abstract: Numerous organizations work to provide humanitarian aid to undocumented migrants along the US-Mexico border—from running shelters in Mexico to placing water on migratory trails. Resistance to information-sharing between organizations (and to the public), especially through technologically mediated means, is common. However, some organizers and volunteers work across organizational boundaries and share information informally. Information secrecy is often justified by concerns that law enforcement authorities or anti-immigration activists might gain access to information, allowing them to harm, detain or remove migrants, or interfere with humanitarian work. The choices made about the collection and (non)disclosure of information are manifestations of what we call "liminal" information practices: such behaviors are unique to humanitarian volunteers working in the gray, ethical area between law enforcement and humanitarian values and action, and they are guided by the information politics at play within this context.