"No one takes us, that's why we're taking the train," says Venezuelan Maria Fernanda as about 1,800 migrants were stranded Friday in the Ahumada Desert, Chihuahua, enduring harsh weather conditions on their way to the U.S. border. "We all have to resist, for what we are determined to do, for our dream," says Venezuelan migrant Jose Martin. In the last 11 months, at least 1.8 million people have reached the southern US border, many of them searching for safety and economic opportunities. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES