Last stop, the desert: Illegal immigration and its role in US midterm elections

The Sonoran Desert is one of the largest in the world. Every year, thousands of immigrants traverse this inhospitable area to illegally cross the border from Mexico into the United States - sometimes with fatal consequences. According to the "Missing Migrant Project," in 2013 there were some 183 deaths in the state of Arizona alone. Many bodies remain are simply never found or accounted for.

Aid organizations like "No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes" are fighting the southern US to prevent the many deaths that occur in the border region. About 150 volunteers run the donation-funded group. Thus far, they have installed more than 80 water stations along the Mexican border.

The water stations are usually in the backcountry, far from the public eye, like here, in a hidden canyon. This way, the immigrants do not run the danger of coming upon US border police - or the armed militias who regularly try to hunt down the refugees.

Because a large proportion of the border crossers barely speak English, the water stocks at the supply stations are provided with Spanish-language signs. "Agua pura por los viajeros"("Fresh water for the travelers") is written on the containers. Symbols such as hearts or crosses are universal.

Refugees leave behind memorials and shrines in the desert wasteland. Between wooden crosses and rosaries, there are photos of the desert's victims, giving a face to the dangerous marches across the border. Many immigrants head to the United States in order to earn money for their families back home.

Violence and misery have forced more and more minors from countries such as Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador to take the long way north. Every day more than 250 children and young people without parents or relatives cross illegally into the American frontier. Not all survive the harsh walk, which can sometimes be thousands of miles long.

Today, 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States. Many of them are from Central America. As a result, Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in the US. In cities like Phoenix, Arizona, roughly Latinos make up 40 percent of the population.

President Obama has not made good on his campaign promises to reform immigration law. Because many Latino voters are now threatening to turn away from the Democratic party, Congressional Democrats like Ruben Gallego are trying to strengthen their following amongst the Hispanic population. As a congressional candidate in Phoenix, he has gathered many supporters for the upcoming midterm elections.