In recent years, Karla Reyes and her team at Anima Interactive have made two trips to the US-Mexico border to engage with migrants and humanitarian workers. On a monthly basis, Reyes conducts video interviews with migrants, speaking to dozens of individuals from Latin America, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, all united by a common goal: to enter the US in pursuit of safety.
Shortly after President Donald Trump assumed office in January, thousands of migrants were abruptly informed that their scheduled appointments with US Customs and Border Protection— the agency responsible for assisting with asylum applications—had been canceled. The administration also discontinued the CBP One app that migrant used to apply for asylum. This marked the beginning of numerous obstacles erected by the new administration for those aiming to immigrate to the United States.
“In an instant, their lives have been irrevocably changed once more,” says Reyes. “These individuals have often been waiting for years.”
For Reyes, this just emphasizes the urgency surrounding her team’s current initiative: a crowdfunded video game entitled Take Us North, which focuses on the journeys of migrants attempting to cross the border. “Even before the game is released, we are exploring ways to continue disseminating accurate information, combatting misinformation, and providing resources for our community,” she explains.
One prevalent misunderstanding about migrants, according to Reyes—one she hopes the game will help clarify—is the narrative surrounding their motivations for leaving their homes for the US. “Many people have the misconception that migrants primarily seek to come to the US for economic gain,” she states. “In truth, most of the migrants I’ve interviewed are fleeing persecution and violence. They are leaving behind everything they cherish but feel they have no choice.”
Anima has plans to launch Take Us North in late 2026 or early 2027, a timeframe during which the challenges faced by migrants might be even more pronounced.
In late February, the Department of Homeland Security reported that “in just one month under President Trump, over 20,000 undocumented immigrants were apprehended.” As the administration pushes for increased deportations, further arrests are likely. According to a recent Washington Post article, more than 1 million migrants granted entry into the US during President Joe Biden’s administration might be subject to expedited removal. Those apprehended within the US face a harsh reality beyond deportation, including confinement at the Guantanamo Migrant Operations Center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The path of someone seeking asylum is fraught with difficulty, and by 2025 it could potentially become an even more daunting reality.
Take Us North—a narrative-based, adventure-survival game about migrants navigating through the Sonoran desert—aims to cultivate empathy and raise awareness about “issues that are often boiled down in mainstream media to mere statistics or divisive arguments,” says Reyes. Many migrants do not wish to leave their homes, but feel compelled to do so due to violence, persecution, or severe poverty. Others, according to Reyes, have faced abduction and are unable to return home. “These are innocent and good-hearted people caught in unfortunate situations,” she adds.
