In picture: life of immigrants in Mexico (6)

Photo taken on Aug. 27, 2013 shows Santiago Elizondo Mares, known as "El Bigotes", born in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, poses at International Avenue, by the Tijuana River canal, in the city of Tijuana, northwestern Mexico. Santiago lived three years at "el bordo", after his deportation from the United States six years ago. Since he joined the "Border Angels" social organization three years ago, Santiago has worked in a camp for homeless people installed by the "Angels" in the zone known as "the map square", where he constantly faces the Police threats. On Aug. 5, local authorities started a 40 million pesos (300,000 US Dollar) investment project to clean off the garbage, soil and brushwood of the Tijuana River canal, an area commonly known as "el bordo" (the dam). Simultaneously, the Tijuana City Police initiated an operation to evict the people living in "el bordo", mostly immigrants who where deported from the U.S. and homeless people with no household alternative and usually living with drug issues. After several protests and demonstrations held by social organizations, the "human cleaning" decreased but the Police Department detentions and abuse persist against people living near or at "el bordo". According to social researchers of the College of the Northern Border (Colegio de la Frontera Norte), "Without a coordinated and oriented action that combines the efforts of the Government and society, Tijuana will remain to be acknowledged as the city which holds no respect for the deported immigrants human rights". (Xinhua/Guillermo Arias)