Douglas, Arizona, may appear insignificant when you look at it from a map – but its history and relationship with their Mexican neighbor, Agua Prieta, prove it’s so much more.
When people think of border towns along the U.S.-Mexico border, the two cities that come to mind are El Paso and San Diego.
Most people don’t even have Arizona on their radar, let alone a town in Arizona. However, Arizona might just be the most important state when it comes to immigration.
In an article published by CBS News last year, the Tucson sector of Arizona became the “number one hotspot for migrant crossings.” The Tucson sector covers most of Arizona, too.
Located within this sector is a little town called Douglas, which is directly adjacent to the Mexican town of Agua Prieta.
According to the 2020 Census, Douglas has a population of 16,534 and is primarily Hispanic/Latino. They are home to the 3rd busiest port of entry in Arizona.
The history of the town is of particular interest, though, and its relationship with Agua Prieta might be the answer to curbing the “crisis at the border.”
Douglas began as a smelter town in 1901, in order to help the town of Bisbee, Arizona, as they were a huge copper mining city. The city was incorporated in 1905.
The town is home to historic landmarks such as the Gadsden Hotel, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and Church Square – the only location in the world where four different churches are housed on the same block, according to Guinness World Records.
Douglas is also a “Purple Heart City,” meaning they remember and recognize the military veterans who have been wounded or killed in the line of duty.
For such a small town, Douglas manages to pack a lot of history and culture into it. But you can’t tell the story of Douglas, without also telling the story of Agua Prieta.
Agua Prieta was founded in 1899 and was the center for railroad development in Mexico. Mining was another huge industry, but it primarily took place in Douglas and Bisbee.
The city also played an important role in the Mexican Revolution from 1910 t0 1920, with the Battle of Agua Prieta in 1915.
While both cities were found around the same time, Agua Prieta’s population eclipses Douglas by a wide margin.
According to the 2020 Census, Agua Prieta has a population of 91,000 – the seventh largest in Mexico.
That population helps fuel Douglas’ economy.
In an article from ABC15 Arizona, Douglas City Councilman Mitch Lindemann said “80% of sales tax revenue comes [from] the Mexican shopper.”
Many people in Agua Prieta cross the border daily to go into Douglas for work, and many people in Douglas cross the border for doctor or dentist appointments. The border crossing is far more crucial to Douglas’ economy, though.
The border crossing, despite being a busy one, is usually a smooth process and does not see many people detained within a month.
Mark Adams, a mission co-worker with the Presbyterian Border Ministry who has lived in the area since 1998, said it wasn’t always that way and both cities have done a lot of work to curb border crossing issues.
“[In] the last three months, less than 100 [people] per month [have been] detained in Douglas. In 2000, there were more than 1000 being returned to Agua Prieta every day,” Adams said.
Adams is constantly going back and forth between Douglas and Agua Prieta doing mission work for Frontera de Cristo, Presbyterian border ministry that operates out of both Douglas and Agua Prieta.
“I love the generosity and welcoming spirit of the people of both communities, the beauty of the desert and mountains that surround the community and the history – albeit a short one, it is packed,” Adams said.
While the communities are tight knit and border crossing is fairly smooth, that doesn’t mean it’s not without its problems.
Underground and illegal smuggling is still an issue for the communities. In January of this year, Customs and Border Protection officers “seized approximately 492,000 fentanyl pills (122.98 pounds) from a vehicle.”
Tunnels for smuggling have also been found in and around Douglas, with the first being discovered in 1990.
People in both cities want to see more action taken to prevent smuggling in the area.
“I would change the reliance of both communities on the underground smuggling economy,” Adams said when asked if there’s one thing he’d change about the cities.
Most seizures are for marijuana, although fentanyl has taken a sharp increase in recent years.
The smuggling economy in Douglas and Agua Prieta still pales in comparison to the San Ysidro border crossing or others in Arizona like Sasabe.
The impact both cities have on their economies, culture and overall way of life is a testament to the importance of community. Throughout the decades, both cities have worked to foster a relationship between their communities, which has led to less issues at border crossing and higher economic growth.
While they don’t have every issue solved, Douglas and Agua Prieta offer a glimpse as to how fostering communities can bridge divides and make border crossings safer and smoother.
Nice quiet city.