The New York Times Student Journalism Institute

The town of Summit, Ariz. — about 13 miles south of Tucson, 60 miles north of the Mexican border — can seem like a place in limbo.

Residents in the mostly immigrant community say they feel isolated and forgotten. The town of about 4,000 people struggles with a high unemployment rate, about 22 percent. Many residents are poor immigrants from Mexico. The streets are dusty and dark at night. A lot of people keep dogs just to feel safe.

After Arizona adopted the country’s toughest immigration law, in April 2010, many Summit residents felt under siege. But groups like Border Action Network have stepped in to teach them about their legal rights.

For decades, residents have heard promises of better services — street lights, road and water improvements — but they say little has changed.

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Many residents have fled Summit in recent months in fear of stricter immigration laws, giving the community a ghostly aura. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Sirilo García working with his 5-year-old son. Garcia’s four other children work with him in construction. He said he wanted his youngest son to learn so he can join them as soon as he is able. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Fernando Javier was laid off from a medical equipment factory three months ago. Like many Summit residents, he keeps dogs for protection. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Residents in Summit live in mobile homes and rely on a communal cistern for water. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Organizations like Border Action Network have tried to help Summit residents like Silvia Canina, who is facing deportation after coming to the United States in 1995 to get better medical care for her son, in the background, who suffers from spina bifida. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Juan Méndez, right, bought land in Summit 10 years ago, with promises that services would improve. He said he was selling his property and moving to Tucson. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Janet Hernández, 29, settled in Summit with her husband and five children nine years ago. She has been deported to Mexico three times but says she wants her children to get an education no matter their immigration status. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Martina Mendez cares for her daughter in their mobile home while her husband works. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Maria Valenzuela, 68, has lived in Summit since 1997. Last year she opened a candy store out of her home for extra income. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)

Summit is a few miles south of Tucson International Airport. The town, which has a population of about 4,000 people, has been struggling with a high unemployment rate, and 21.6 percent of families live below the poverty level. (Samuel Nemir Olivares/NYT Institute)