Talk about an unorthodox trip to the amusement park. A community in Alberto, Mexico is creating a border-crossing themed park in the hopes of deterring residents from fleeing north to the U.S.
A park in HñaHñu, Mexico – which is located a few hundred miles from the Mexico-American border – features “Night Walks” that simulate crossing the border as an illegal immigrant to show people how dangerous a border crossing is.
During the “Night Walks,” people will be chased through the night as they cross fences, wade through rivers and are shot at by fake border patrol agents – all while shouting and sirens fill the air.
HñaHñu has lost nearly 80 percent of its population park administrator Maribel Garcia estimated, the majority of whom have gone to Arizona and Nevada. Garcia added that part of the motivation for the theme park, besides encouraging residents not to leave, was to raise funds for the community.
People can pay a $20 fee to go through the simulation. Although the park has attracted both tourists and locals alike, for some it is a terrifyingly realistic experience. BBC reporter Duncan Kennedy reported his visit was not at all what he expected, saying that he was swept down a fast-flowing river and actually believed his life was actually in danger before several of the guides were able to pull him to safety.
CNN’s Nick Parker decided to film his experience on a “Night Walk.”
“In the last 3 years our village has produced accountants and lawyers for the first time,” a masked guide said before Parker begins the border crossing simulation.
At the end of the hike, participants are blindfolded and driven to an imaginary Dallas, Parker reported, where there is a torch-lit display for those who have died crossing the border and for those who stay to work in the community.
