Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, in Mexico, are split only by a border wall. Before the pandemic, thousands of people went back and forth across the commercial areas of the two cities on a daily basis. But border restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 brought new and surprising economic trends to both sides — Arizona businesses struggled, while many in Sonora benefited. As residents look to the lifting of restrictions on Nov. 8, Julio Cisneros and Maritza Félix explored how the shutdown impacted both Nogales. This story comes to us from “A Better Life?,” a podcast from Feet in 2 Worlds that explores how COVID-19 has changed immigrants’ lives and challenged their ideas about the promise of the United States.
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