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Workshop: Connections and Disconnections in the Windsor-Detroit area

Friday, March 15, 2013 | 3 pm

Undocumented: A workshop for those without papers in Windsor and Detroit

While it is often presumed that the Windsor-Detroit border is relatively easy to cross, many residents have been unable to visit their neighboring city since strict passport regulations came into effect in 2009. This workshop will be co-hosted with Windsor's Broken City Lab and the Interminus Research Group and the Border Bookmobile to examine the uneven access to passports that impacts both new immigrants and lower income groups in Windsor and Detroit. As both cities have high unemployment rates, significant numbers of residents are unable to visit the other side. This planning workshop will bring together local organizations to work toward assisting passport applications for marginalized groups on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, with the ultimate goal of facilitating a small number of day trips for these new passport holders in 2014. The project will begin during this workshop and will continue over the next year. This is a research based project that will be documented at all stages to outline the significant challenges and hurdles faced by many residents of these border cities.