Since 2016, Boa Vista, a small municipality in Brazil’s remote north, had seen a massive rise of immigration from Venezuela. As of 2018, public services were overloaded, political polarisation was widening, and a measles outbreak, which started in an immigrant community, was spreading quickly throughout the city. The mayor, Teresa Surita, had attempted to integrate Venezuelans into the city, primarily using schools as a vehicle to build understanding across communities. But as the locals became more anxious and agitated, the mayor had to decide if she should recalibrate her strategy.