Benjamin Hoste

Non-Fiction Photographer
    
An Edge to America
Projects (2)
Public Project
An Edge to America
Copyright Benjamin Hoste 2024
Date of Work Feb 2017 - Mar 2017
Updated Nov 2017
Location U.S. / Canada Border near Champlain, NY
Topics Asylum, Borders, Canada, Confrontation, Editorial, Fine Art, Forest, Freedom, Human Rights, Immigration, Landscape, Latin America, Migration, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Refugees
Roxham Road used to be a legal border crossing between the United Stats and Canada but has long been closed. On the U.S. side a sign reads "dead end" and on the Canadian side a similar sign reads "cul-de-sac". The roadway no longer connects, in it's place is ia ten foot ditch, security lights and cameras, and a sign annoucning the border and that it is illegal to cross. 

But this hasn't kept countless migrants and refugees from crossing the border at Roxham Road. 

For years Roxham Road has been an informal, illegal place for individuals to cross the U.S. / Canada border. But since Trumps's innauguration and hardline approach to immigration a significatn uptike of crossings from the United States into Canada has occured. 

Close to a dozen individuals have arrived every day via taxi at the end of Roxham road to cross into Canada. Royal Canadian Mounted Police are stationed at the cul-de-sac around the clock in order to arrest border crossers and transport them to the nearest legal border crossing where they can petition for asylum.

When possible, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will detain individuals who's immigration status within the U.S. is unclear, causing some migrants to avoid the dead end street an instead walk miles through nearby snow covered forests in order to make it to Canada.

These refugees fear for the lives and safety both within the United States (many are Muslim) and within their own countries of origin. 
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