Border Spotlight: Jardin de las Mariposas

Jardin de las Mariposas is a nonprofit shelter in Tijuana for LGBTTTI refugees and migrants. It is a self-described “space of relief and hope for those who need a home to stay to heal and achieve their dreams.”

As of May, the shelter has been home to some 20 migrants, mostly trans women from Latin America. The threat of COVID is particularly scary for this shelter as 95% of its residents live with HIV, which makes them more susceptible to the virus. As a result, the shelter has closed its doors to new migrants and focused on keeping those currently within its walls healthy.

You can learn more about this organization from its website and Facebook page. (Interestingly, one of the shelter’s more famous patrons is American home goods designer Nate Berkus.)

-KitJ