More than 200 student volunteers left gallons of water, winter clothing and blankets near the U.S.-Mexico border along six desert migrant routes in San Diego and Imperial counties.
They hope the materials will help save migrants' lives. Migrants, trying to enter the country illegally, often cross the border through remote desert areas like Ocotillo. Hundreds die of dehydration and hypothermia each year.
The San Diego nonprofit Border Angels has been leaving water in the desert for about two decades. But public participation has grown exponentially since the election, due to the heated debate about immigration, said Border Angels water-drop director Jonathan Yost.
“(People) have been provided an opportunity, with the water drop, to take direct action and to protect a migrant’s right to life, the most sacred thing there is," Yost said.
The volunteers come from all over California.
Last month, Border Angels saw a record 400 participants. Yost said participation is growing based on word of mouth. He said the events are organized in areas where dead migrants have been found in the past.
"Women and children are crossing, and they can't physically carry enough water and warmth," he said.
