Groups of Americans are challenging their government’s warnings about the violence in Mexico and are crossing over into the municipality of Guadalupe Distrito Bravos to cooperate in the construction of an orphanage.

Groups of up to 30 people from all over the country are crossing the border into Mexico several times a year to help with building the future Casa de las Gemas, which will house more than 400 Mexican children in the town roughly 5 kilometers (3.5 miles) south of the border.