Border Explorer

Border Patrol Raids Humanitarian Aid Camp in Targeted Attack

2017-06-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Border Patrol agent interrupts humanitarian assistance of migrants provided by No More Deaths.

Thursday, June 15th, 6:00 pm, Arivaca, Arizona:
As temperatures surged over 100℉, the US Border Patrol raided the medical aid camp of humanitarian organization No More Deaths. They detained four individuals receiving medical care. Obstruction of humanitarian aid is an egregious abuse by the law enforcement agency, a clear violation of international humanitarian law and a violation of the organization’s written agreement with the Tucson Sector Border Patrol.

Agents from the Border Patrol began surveilling the No More Deaths’ camp on Tuesday, June 13 around 4:30 PM. Agents in vehicles, on foot and in ATV’s surrounded the aid facility. They set up a temporary checkpoint at the property-line to search and interrogate those leaving about their citizenship status. The heavy presence of law enforcement has deterred people from accessing critical humanitarian assistance in this period of deadly hot weather. These events also follow a pattern of increasing surveillance of humanitarian aid over the past few months under the Trump administration.

In an unprecedented show of force, approximately 30 armed agents raided the camp on Thursday with at least 15 trucks, 2 quads and a helicopter to apprehend four patients receiving medical care.

For the past 13 years, No More Deaths has provided food, water, and medical care for people crossing the Sonoran desert on foot. The ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by border enforcement policy has claimed the lives of over 7000 people since 1998. Human remains are found on average once every three days in the desert of Southern Arizona.

Kate Morgan, Abuse Documentation & Advocacy Coordinator for the organization said, “No More Deaths has documented the deaths and disappearances of hundreds of migrants in the Arivaca corridor of the border. Today’s raid on the medical aid station is unacceptable and a break in our good faith agreements with Border Patrol to respect the critical work of No More Deaths”.

John Fife, one of the founders of No More Deaths, commented that, “Since 2013 the Tucson sector of the Border Patrol has had a written agreement with No More Deaths (NMD) that they will respect the NMD camp as a medical facility under the international Red Cross standards, which prohibit government interference with humanitarian aid centers. That agreement now has been violated by the Border Patrol under the most suspicious circumstances. The Border Patrol acknowledged that they tracked a group for 18 miles, but only after the migrants sought medical treatment did the Border Patrol seek to arrest them. The choice to interdict these people only after they entered the No More Deaths’ camp is direct evidence that this was a direct attack on humanitarian aid. At the same time, the weather forcast is for record setting deadly temperatures”.

People crossing the deadly and remote regions of the US Mexico border often avoid seeking urgent medical care for fear of deportation and incarceration. For this reason, a humanitarian focused aid station in the desert is an essential tool for preserving life. The targeting of this critical medical aid is a shameful reflection of the current administration’s disregard for the lives of migrants and refugees, making an already dangerous journey even more deadly.

In spite of this, No More Deaths remains committed to our mission to end death and suffering in the desert and will continue to provide humanitarian aid, as we have for the past 13 years.

Asylum seekers launch hunger strike today

2017-06-12T17:27:00.001-05:00

Razor Wire. Photo credit: Greg Chiasson Flickr

Nine detained asylum seekers in the US began a hunger strike this morning from inside Adelanto Detention Center in Victorville, California, an immigration detention center run by the private prison corporation GEO Group. They demand political asylum and better detention conditions. The #Adelanto9 say they won't eat until the US government responds to their demands and agrees to negotiate.

The reasons they cite for the hunger strike are:

Bail set at impossibly high levels
Denial of the right to political asylum
Humiliation and discrimination towards the detained
Facilitation of the paperwork and processing of the detained
Bad food
Incompetence of medical staff
Paperwork is issued in English

Bail set fairly for all prisoners
Political asylum
New uniforms. They claim that they're being issued underwear that has been used by other people.
More time for religious services
No throwing away detainees’ belongings
All paperwork must be in native languages. Paperwork in English is incomprehensible to them.
Clean water 24 hours a day
Better food for detainees
The entire group of hunger strikers demand that to be released on their own recognizance as quickly as possible. They do not have the resources to pay inflated bond amounts.

The nine men are participants from the Migrant Pilgrimage, the caravan of Central American refugees which crossed Mexico during April and May to seek political asylum.

They are asylum seekers from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. They claim that their records are clean, none have prior criminal records. The bail is set impossibly high. The bail, they say, is "a humiliating joke because we are poor, we don’t have that kind of money."

Participants:
Isaac Lopez Castillo
Marvin Grande Rodriguez
Alexander Burgos Mejia
Jose Cortez Diaz
Omar Rivera Martinez
Luis Peña Garcia
Julio Barahona Cornejo
Josue Lemus Campos
Julio Valladares Jimenez

More than 400 Immigrants Join Hunger Strike at Tacoma Immigration Prison

2017-04-12T20:12:00.003-05:00

Over 100 immigrants incarcerated at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) refused their lunch on Monday this week, launching a hunger strike to protest their treatment inside the immigration prison. Supporters who rallied outside the facility received constant updates from people detained as more pods (housing units inside the facility) joined the call to not eat, not to use the phones, and not to buy from the commissary.

Work Stoppage

By Tuesday morning over 400 people had begun refusing meals, with reports of strikers in 9 different pods throughout the facility. Incarcerated immigrants are currently paid $1 a day to clean and provide upkeep for the the facility, cook the meals, and do the laundry. However, in at least four pods, the people detained also called for a work stoppage, throwing the immigration prison’s functions into chaos.

Protest Conditions

On the second day of the hunger strike, ICE moved forward with their planned Tuesday morning deportations, with two buses emblazoned with the GEO Group logo leaving the facility, each filled with people. Additionally, ICE cancelled the daily immigration courts hearings, attempting to break the unity and morale of those on hunger strike by halting the hearings some immigrants had waited months for. Hunger strikers also reported that GEO guards were blocking television access, barring strikers from watching news accounts of their efforts.

Despite the retaliation, the strike continued, with participant Alejandro Macias noting that losing his freedom emboldened him to strike, "We won't give up, what else can they do to us? These abuses must end.” Another hunger striker, detained artist Juan Manuel with the popular musical group Raza Obrera, has begun writing a song about the strike, saying, “We are united and we won't stop, we need to be treated fairly. We are humans beings not animals.”

Outside Supporters

Community members set up an encampment at the gates of the facility, planning to stay for the duration of the strike. For ongoing updates, visit

https://www.facebook.com/NWDCResistance/.

Why not call out the National Guard on undocumented immigrants?

2017-02-17T19:22:00.001-06:00

Round 'em up and throw 'em out? What could possibly be wrong with THAT?

A leaked memo, published by the Associated Press, has ignited more Trump Administration controversy this afternoon. It purports to show that there's consideration afoot for using 100,000 National Guardsmen to round up undocumented immigrants. The administration has denied the report accuracy; Press Secretary Spicer called it 100% false.

Suppose it's true? What'd be wrong with that? Plenty!

For starters, that approach would:

strip children of procedural protections,
disregard the fact that many new arrivals are seeking protection here, and
require DHS officers to detain nearly everyone they apprehend, with very little discretion to release them, even for humanitarian reasons.

For the first time, people throughout the country – not just those at the border – would be subjected to expedited deportation without going before a judge.

It also envisions calling up State National Guards to join in these roundup efforts. That has distasteful connotations for those with a knowledge of history (20th Century history!).

These kinds of policies do not accurately reflect American values. So far, the Trump Administration’s policies appear to be CEO-like to me.They are punitive, impractical, and will simply tear apart local communities. Don't exclude the destabilizization the economy. They pander to fear and ignorance and inflame both.

I volunteer daily in a place that works hard to promote love and care for migrants. They educate about human rights regularly. Let's promote policies that respect the dignity of all individuals. We need to capitalize on the power and innovation that immigration brings to our country--before it's too late.

Anthony Bourdain: "Every restaurant in America would shut down" without immigrants

2017-02-16T19:49:00.000-06:00

Like to eat out? Thank an immigrant!

Today the nation "celebrated" an informal and impromptu holiday: a “Day without Immigrants.” Immigrants stayed home from work and school, giving the nation a taste of life without them. Restaurants across the nation closed today. We'd been warned by TV's Chef Bourdain.

SiriusXM host Pete Dominick has interviewed celebrity chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain. He has strong opinions on how the restaurant industry in the US would suffer should President Donald Trump deport 11 million immigrants.

“Every restaurant in America would shut down,” Bourdain responded.

Although people bandy about the complaint that immigrants are "taking our jobs" Bourdain says that's not the case in the restaurant industry. According to Bourdain, part of the problem is that in his 30 years in the restaurant business,

“not once did anyone walk into my restaurant – any American-born kid – walk into my restaurant and say I’d like a job as a night porter or a dishwasher. Even a prep cook – few and far between. Just not willing to start at the bottom like that.”

Bourdain continued to say:

"I grew up in the restaurant business – thirty years in the restaurant business. I came out of, like a lot of other white kids, I rolled out of a prestigious culinary institute and went to work in real restaurants. I walked into restaurants and always, the person who had been there the longest, who took the time to show me how it was done, was always Mexican or Central American. The backbone of the industry – meaning most of the people in my experience cooking, preparing your food. Twenty of those years in this business I was an employer, I was a manager employer...

"If Mr. Trump deports 11 million people or whatever he’s talking about right now –

DOMINICK: Would restaurants close?

BOURDAIN: Every restaurant in America would shut down.

Thanks to SiriusXM and SiriusXM’s Pete Dominick for show quotes and permission to reprint. Listen to the entire interview here:

https://soundcloud.com/siriusxm-news-issues/anthony-bourdain-if-trump-deports-11-million-immigrants-every-restaurant-will-close

Instead of $21.6 B for a border wall, let's do something else...

2017-02-15T19:28:00.000-06:00

Wall already exists on Mexico border, cost over $1 M per mile and more. [Nogales, AZ]

Reports give an internal DHS cost estimate of $21.6 billion to construct a 2,000 mile wall on the southern border.

What could we do with that money?

$21.6 billion would be enough money to extend the Pell program year-round, helping career-focused students complete their degrees and get on the job. They'd be enough left over to train 2 million Americans for careers in high skill industries.

Image: www.nationalmemo.com

It would be enough for a massive infusion to protect public and private cyber networks from malicious attacks, and help local law enforcement agencies keep communities safe.

Spending this much money on a border wall without exhaustive review and analysis would be a tragic misallocation of resources and a clear example of misplaced priorities.

More people without documents enter the nation legally and then overstay their visa than do those who enter through the southern border.

So, okay--it's YOUR turn. What would YOU like to see us spend $21.6 Billion on?

Post your wish list in the comments!

Thanks to Congresswomen Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) and Nita Lowey (NY-17) for this financial data.

DHS Cancels Meeting with House Members--Why?

2017-02-14T19:08:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a communique from Washington, Border Explorer has learned the the Department of Homeland Security cancelled a meeting they had scheduled with members of the House of Representatives. House Members requested a meeting with leaders of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Recent events in the nation that involve immigration enforcement prompted the request. It's unknown why DHS backed out of that meeting after agreeing to it.

According to information dispersed by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) as of the time of this post, the meeting is not yet rescheduled. She urges that they address the Representatives' concerns at a meeting "immediately."

According to her statement, she's dismayed at the unexplained cancellation:

“I am extremely disappointed and concerned that DHS canceled today’s scheduled meeting that I and several of my House colleagues requested with ICE leadership. Frankly, ICE’s failure to meet and provide us with important information regarding ICE’s recent wave of arrests raises serious questions about the transparency of the agency’s activities.

“ICE has a responsibility to provide Members with a full and clear accounting of the arrests and to answer questions about specific incidents reported by our constituents. The recent ICE actions have created fear and panic in our communities. Our constituents worry about what these arrests could mean for them, their families, and their friends. It is essential that Members of Congress know the facts about these enforcement activities in order to properly inform our constituents, who deserve truth and transparency from ICE.

Fear and panic pose concerns to national security, in the opinion of Border Explorer. DHS needs to step up to the plate and address Congressional questions.

Would you expect DHS to back out of a meeting with Congress?

What accountability should we expect from the agency carrying out raids throughout the nation?

Testimony of a Deported US Marine, Veteran of War

2017-02-12T21:22:00.001-06:00

February 11, 2017 was a particularly sad day at the aid center for migrants in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico where I volunteer. Early in the day, a man presented himself declaring himself to be a US Marine war veteran who was deported. He spoke in English, which appeared to be his first or preferred language. But, as most of the migrants there are Spanish speakers, they asked him to repeat his story for them. He complied, but stumbled some and sometimes struggled to find the correct words.

I was horrified at the story, particularly because he was clearly feeling so betrayed and so abandoned and forlorn.

Later that morning, I had the opportunity to visit with him privately. He told me that he graduated from high school in Colorado, where he lived most of his childhood. Immediately after graduation, he joined the Marines. Later he was shipped off to war.

War was a particularly traumatic experience for him, he told me. In fact, he said that he couldn't allow himself to think about that at the moment because it would induce emotional overload. He already appeared to be struggling, confused and fearful.

Rene doesn't have any family or relatives in Mexico, he told me. He doesn't know the country at all. He misses his family and feels isolated.

He also told me that his possessions and cellphone were taken from him by immigration authorities--and never returned. "They took anything that could connect me to anyone. I don't have any identification. They took it." Money? "Only fifty cents," he told me.

He feels like a victim of Trump's executive orders on immigration.

Although eager to record his testimony, I didn't want to further traumatize him. Fortunately, the staff had recorded his story in Spanish. My own rough translation follows:

My name is Rene ______. I’m a US Marine, Infantry Division, the 332^nd. I was in the Afghanistan and Iraq War. That was a very rough experience for me. I lost many of my brother Marines who died in front of me. Many of them with expressions very grave when they were shattered with bullets.
I myself almost lost my life. I lost feeling in half of my face. My lip was destroyed and reconstructed. I have an injury in my private parts. I served the four years of my contract—my tour of duty—with the United States. I was returned. When I completed my tour of duty, I decided not to continue.
I have three little children—well, [unintelligible]. I’ve lived in the US for 24 years. It’s always seemed like my country. I gave up a lot for them. Nevertheless, the country—the President—made it easy for them to eliminate my documents and deport me. Because he feels like I’m a risk to the country. What I did for them wasn’t enough. Here I am in Mexico--without my family, without my children. I’m all alone, with only the assistance of these church people.
Who knows what the future will be for me?

I haven't verified any of this information. I simply relay what I heard. You can make your own judgement.

A critical, dangerous moment in US-Mexico relations

2017-02-02T20:43:00.002-06:00

Just who is the "bad hombre" in this situation?

Journalist Laura Carlsen knows Mexico. When she speaks, I listen with respect. Her press release in the wake of reports of President Trump's recent phone call to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto bears amplification. [I have added the emphasis and take responsibility for it.]

February 1, 2017
Mexico City, Mexico

The Americas Program of the Center for International Policy condemns and deplores the statements of President Donald Trump, reported by both U.S. and Mexican press, that "the United States doesn't need Mexicans or Mexico" and could send its armed forces into Mexico to control "bad hombres".

"In 30 years of tracking the binational relationship I have never witnessed a more critical and dangerous moment. Donald Trump's reckless statement that the US doesn't need its closest neighbor and third-largest trade partner is ludicrous beyond words and has caused a diplomatic crisis. His warning that he would send an invading army over the border is horrifying and places both the U.S. and the Mexican populations in grave danger," said Americas Program director, Laura Carlsen.

"The U.S. and Mexico has $584 billion dollars of cross border trade; U.S. consumers depend on Mexican exports: producers and the service industry employ Mexican labor and the cultural, social and political ties between the two nations run deep. We share a peaceful, prosperous and complexly intertwined border. To jeopardize that relationship for what appears to be a personal vendetta against an entire nation and its people is shockingly irresponsible."

My kind of Catholic speaks about Trump's immigration executive orders

2017-01-27T16:50:00.001-06:00

It's rightly said that "Catholic" means "everyone." This makes it hard to say there's a 'Catholic' stance on anything. Even what the Pope says can be subject to change. The church is large enough to hold lots of dissent. What about US immigration? Is there a "Catholic" approach?

Right now, there are lots of differing opinions. The USCCB--the US org of Catholic Bishops, who represent official leadership--agree that family separation is bad. But, they fall all over the spectrum of the topic of U.S. immigration reform and best how to do it.

Bishops can be a bit too deferential to political power for my personal taste. I look to NETWORK, the Roman Catholic social justice lobby, for guidance on political issues. Fortunately, Sr. Simone Campbell--commonly known as "the nun on the bus" and executive director of the center--issued a statement on January 25, immediately in response to Trump's executive orders:

“Catholic teaching is very clear: we are called to welcome the stranger. We are also called to love our neighbor. President Trump’s actions today are antithetical to our faith.

“When Nuns on the Bus visited the U.S. /Mexico border in 2014, we walked along the wall and listened to the stories of communities that have been torn apart for decades. That is the reality experienced by border communities: the wall is there and it affects the daily life and commerce of the people. Federal appropriations for border security have grown to $3.8 billion in FY2015, from $263 million in FY1990, and fencing exists for hundreds of miles along our southern-border.

Be aware: any fear-mongering done by Trump administration officials is based on ‘alternative facts’ and simply not the reality of our nation.

“President Trump’s attacks on Sanctuary Cities are also falsely motivated by fear: studies have shown that Sanctuary Cities are in fact safer. His executive order, if not found unconstitutional, would dismantle a faith-based tradition that supports the dignity of all people.

“Donald Trump need not be afraid of immigrants, refugees, and children.

“Unafraid, the Catholic Sisters and community of NETWORK Lobby will continue to do all we can to welcome refugees and immigrants in accordance with our core faith belief to welcome the stranger. As we anticipate additional executive actions in the coming days, aimed at Muslims, refugees, and DACA-recipients, Catholics in Congress would do well to remember what Pope Francis said when he addressed Congress, “We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.” We call on Congress to do all they can to protect the vulnerable in our world, which include refugees, immigrants, and children.

“We also acknowledge that many people who will suffer as a result of President Trump’s actions are already our neighbors, positively contributing to our churches and our communities. While we wait for common-sense immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S., we urge Congress to pass safeguards like the BRIDGE Act. The BRIDGE Act is just one of many safeguards our community needs in an unstable Donald Trump presidency. We must do all we can to show love to our neighbors.”

Photo: By Bruce C. Cooper (Crop and remove persons in background) (Derivative Original Work by Thomas Altfather Good) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

How a Kino Border Initiative Volunteer Feels in Wake of Trump's Executive Orders

2017-01-26T20:00:00.001-06:00

Refugee family--nothing to be afraid of here.

I reaffirm my commitment to work toward binational solidarity and humane, just and workable migration policies, especially considering President Trump’s executive actions that instead cause division, dehumanization, and injustice.

I'm deeply concerned about the Trump Administration’s plan to dramatically expand border enforcement, including hiring an additional 5000 agents. Every day I assist Mexican brothers and sisters who are deported to Nogales, Sonora. I see firsthand the suffering caused by dramatic increases in border policing.

One third of people surveyed in the KBI migrant assistance center have received degrading treatment or abuse when detained by US Border Patrol. In the past 14 months Kino filed 45 complaints on behalf of migrants who reported abuse. Dramatically and hastily expanding this agency without adequate training and accountability will just make the situation worse, not promote safety.

It's urgent that the US take responsibility to protect individuals fleeing violence. Every day, men, women and children are forced to leave their homes and arrive at the KBI aid center. For many, their only option to seek safety is to ask for asylum in the United States. The people who request asylum are already being routinely rejected by Customs and Border Protection officials, subject to harsh and unnecessarily prolonged detention, and given little access to due process in pursuing their legal claims. Trump’s executive orders will only make their situation worse. Our moral and religious principles--let alone our international obligations--require us to welcome people seeking protection.

Rather than focusing solely on security, our nation must recommit itself to work with our brothers and sisters in other countries to address the reasons people migrate in the first place. We need to examine the extreme poverty and violence that force people from their home communities.

In his address to the U.S. Congress, Pope Francis in 2015 invited us “to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome.” Working toward peace, justice, and prosperity is a challenging task, but that is our call. Let's abandon approaches that sow division and cause more suffering.

photo credit: KBI; text: taken from KBI press release 1/25/2017

Women take action for 100 days

2017-01-25T16:51:00.001-06:00

The girl who hugged the pope

2016-07-10T17:59:00.002-05:00

11 Million Stories shows in gripping detail what would happen to our country if mass deportation were to become the law of the land. In this episode, the series demonstrates the devastating impact mass deportation would have on 4.5 million United States citizen children and their families. Through the innocent eyes of six-year-old Sophie and her love for her mommy, we learn the immense moral cost these awful and absurd policies would have on our schools, children and families.

Why we need to quickly end the war on drugs

2016-03-04T16:07:00.001-06:00

My experience of migration on the northern Mexico border

2015-03-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

~a guest post by Paloma Patlán, Student of International Relations at the Jesuit University of Guadalajara.

Paloma Patlán at the KBI's Migrant Assistance Center

Before serving breakfast in the comedor for the Kino Border Initiative, located on the border between Sonora and Arizona; my partner Bernadette Eguía gives a brief talk on Human Rights to the diners. After this, some raise their hand, seem baffled and outraged. A man shares his anguish at being separated from his family, now being deported after living 18 years in the US. He doesn't know what he'll do in Mexico, his country:

"They threw me out like a criminal. And if anyone has stolen anything, it was them. I gave them all my working life. And what grieves me most is my family that's left behind on the other side, my children."

The comedor's cook Lupita, after leading grace before the meal, hopes the food she's prepared for these men and women will give them strength and health to continue on their journeys. In this place they can relax a little, feel safe and not violated, forget some of their worries and concerns--or at least feel listened to and share some encouragement.

Those of us who work here are aware that many of the human rights shared in that presentation haven't been respected. But it's important that they know their rights so that they can demand them. And it's the least we can do. Every day brings people sharing experiences of violations of integrity. It's not the same to read stories on paper as it is to listen to the voices of men and women who migrate under vulnerable conditions or who suffer family separation due to immigration policies.

My experience here is enriching to me as a student of International Relations. A bi-national project of the US and Mexico, Kino Border Initiative's work is a clear example of how civil society, concerned about a situation that involves both nations, can combine in a collaborative effort to encourage immigration policies that respect human dignity.

In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Kino Border Initiative directly accompanies migrant men and women. And this aspect is the most rewarding experience. The issue of migration is very complex. In Mexico it's been problematic due to structural factors and analyses of various areas and fields of study. But, to listen to the migrants is to understand and to literally see in their eyes

the sadness of having to leave their loved ones,
the illusion of having better opportunities somewhere else,
the frustration and fear of not feeling protected by the State in their journey and in their lives in Mexico.

There is so much concern on their faces, as if migration was a crime. And what's rough is that they have to risk their lives in the journey and live with so much uncertainty. As a society, we should understand that it's human nature to seek out better opportunities and to take care of one's own family. Really understanding this will be easier than the struggle to punish those who do so--as though they were criminals. They're guilty only of being human beings in a situation that risks their life and well being.
--------
What a gift it is to know and work with Paloma and her coworker Bernie at the KBI! These two young women bring me hope. I see in them leadership and commitment to join with others to work toward a more just and compassionate world. I did the translation from the original Spanish and some minor editing/formatting of this piece. Thanks, Paloma, for writing it and for letting me publish it on this blog! ~Billie

Protests today in over 10 cities anti-border militarization component of immigration reform

2013-07-17T09:38:00.002-05:00

Border residents and communities across the country are participating in a National Day of Action Against Border Militarization on Wednesday, July 17. Residents and community organizations in 10 cities will protest the “border surge” component proposed in the bi-partisan Senate's Corker-Hoeven amendment and other legislation being proposed in the House of Representatives. The Border Network for Human Rights, Presente.org, Detention Watch Network, and the Southern Borders Communities Coalition, among others, are leading the effort.

The Senate’s immigration reform package was passed with the last-minute addition of a “border surge” that's guaranteed to increase racial profiling, abuse, death and other destruction in border communities. The bi-partisan Corker-Hoeven amendment in the Senate proposes increasing the number of border patrol agents by 20,000 while adding 700 miles of additional border wall. Increased spending of billions of tax dollars on unnecessary surveillance and other wasteful technology at a border that has been certified as safe by the FBI and other sources is also included.

Over the next 10 years, the bi-partisan “border surge” in S.744 would further militarize border zones in the southern United States, transforming peaceful communities into some of the most militarized regions in the world. Already, more than 7 million U.S. Citizens, residents and families that live in border communities are subjected to the “100-mile rule," which the ACLU and other groups denounce as a “Constitution Free Zone” stretching from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas.

LOCATION INFORMATION:

El Paso, Texas:

Where: Downtown El Paso
When: 10 a.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: Border Network for Human Rights

Washington, D.C.

Where: Meet in front of the White House to march together to CBP Headquarters (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 20004)
When: 8:00 a.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: Detention Watch Network and School of the Americas Watch

Tucson, AZ

Where: Meet at the Federal Building on Congress and Granada to march to Sen. John McCain’s office for a Muerte-In (“Die-In”)
When: 3:30 p.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: Coalicion de Derechos Humanos AZ

San Francisco, CA

Where: 275 Battery Street, San Francisco , in front of SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)
When: 12 Noon- 1pm

Where: Corner or Montgomery and Market Streets in San Francisco, CA
When: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Wednesday July 17

Contact: On Facebook

Houston, TX

Where: in front of Allen Center, 1200 Smith Street downtown Houston
When: Noon, Wednesday July 17
Contact: Houston United

Las Vegas, NV

Where: New York – New York Hotel and Casino at 3790 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
When: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: Immigration Reform For Nevada

San Benito, TX

Where: 1390 W. Expressway 83 San Benito, TX 78586
When: 10 a.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: La Union del Pueblo Entero – LUPE and Movimiento Del Valle Por Los Derechos Humanos

Austin, TX

Where: Congress & 11 Street- Front Steps of the Capitol
When: Action at 4 p.m., Vigil at 5 p.m.
Contact: Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition

Milwaukee, WI

Where: The Milwaukee office of Customs & Border Patrol at 4015 S. Howell Ave.
When: 11:00 am, Wednesday July 17
Contact: Voces de la Frontera

San Diego, CA

Where: The Office of Representative Darrel Issa
When: 4 p.m., Wednesday July 17
Contact: Convened by the San Diego Human Rights Network: Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Bi-Nacionales, Oceanside Human Rights Network, Comité de Derechos Humanos de Escondido, San Diego Immigrant Youth Collective, Fallbrook Human Rights Committee, Comité de Derechos Humanos Digna Ochoa, Comité de Derechos Humanos de El Cajon, Association of Raza Educators, Unión del Barrio, Comité de Servicios de los Amigos.

Source: Media Advisory

Online Action

Join the photo petition online sponsored by the Latin America Working Group by taking a picture of your friends, colleagues, and family holding this sign. Tweet it to@borderjustice or send it to Ruth at rrobles@lawg.org giving them your permission to post on your behalf to Facebook.

Source: Latin America Working Group

The Bible and Comprehensive Immigration Reform

2013-04-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

The Bible weighs in on immigration, thus bringing the influential weight of the centuries on the contemporary subject of comprehensive immigration reform. How should the migrant be treated, according to the Judeo-Christian heritage? One need look no farther than the third book of the Hebrew Scriptures, the book of Leviticus, for instruction.

When the Saint John's Bible toured through Davenport, Iowa, I snapped one image from this impressive rendering of the ancient rule from Leviticus:

"The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you. You shall love the alien as yourself for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God."

View trailer: The Dream Is Now movie to pressure Congress on DREAM Act

2013-04-03T17:19:00.002-05:00

Today, The Dream is Now campaign released the trailer for a new documentary film that explores America’s broken immigration system. Produced by Davis Guggenheim ("Waiting for Superman" and "An Inconvenient Truth"), the film tells the stories of undocumented youth and their families who are desperate to earn their citizenship in the U.S., only country they've ever called home. The 30-minute film will premiere on April 10 with a special screening in Washington, DC to keep the focus on Congress to pass immigration reform.

Here's the trailer:

Following the Washington, DC premiere, the film screens on campuses and in communities across the country. The campaign is spearheaded by an organization founded by philanthropist and widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Davis Guggenheim.

The public is encouraged to sign the Emerson Collective's online petition in support of immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for America’s immigrants.

“Our campaign is going to do everything possible over the next several months to promote common sense immigration reform that will fix our country’s broken immigration system,” said Guggenheim.

“Over the course of reporting and filming the 30 minute documentary...we have heard humbling and compelling stories that we are confident will put a human face on this issue. We're really looking forward to sharing the film over the next month with both legislators and everyday citizens. By highlighting the problems faced by Dreamers and showing the economic benefits of fixing our immigration system, we hope to broaden support for common sense immigration reform in this country.”

Some of the central subjects featured in the documentary will travel to Washington, DC, for meetings on Capitol Hill and to participate in the screening, which will be followed by a panel discussion with Guggenheim, young immigrants, and policymakers. The Dream Is Now will screen in states and districts of policymakers deemed essential to passing immigration reform.

Borderlands and Disposable Women: Intersection of Ecofeminism and Feminicide

2013-03-28T13:01:00.001-05:00

Disregard and disrespect of women is experienced frequently and horrendously here on the border. The culture of disrespect of women culminates in feminicide--the killing of women simply because they are unimportant and powerless. The perpetrators do not come to justice. Authorities collude in this.

Last night, at Yale Divinity School, Reverend and Doctor Daisy Machado presented the Bainton Lecture, entitled "Border, Borderlands and Disposable Women: A Look at Ecofeminism and the Maquiladora Murders."

Ecofeminists, particularly in the work of Yvonne Gebara, have called Christians to think about the connections between poverty, violence (to Earth and humans), and immigration. When examined from the reality of the U.S./Mexico border the ecological damage/violence, which has been a reality of the maquiladora industry since the 1970s, has escalated to violence against female maquiladora workers, women who “personify the meaning of human disposability.”

This lecture examines how this long history of violence and ecological ruin along the U.S./Mexico border has expanded to a femicide that has taken more than 400 female lives in the city of Juárez. It also considers how the ethical challenges made by ecofeminists can examine this reality and issue a call for justice for the women killed.

Click the video (below) to play it. Mouse over, and the slider appears at the bottom. Move the slider ahead to minute 5 1/2 to arrive at Machado's intro.

Reflections on the death of Hugo Chavez by former US Pres. Jimmy Carter

2013-03-06T12:38:00.003-06:00

By José Cruz/ABr

via the Carter Center

Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Hugo Chávez Frías. We met Hugo Chávez when he was campaigning for president in 1998 and The Carter Center was invited to observe elections for the first time in Venezuela. We returned often, for the 2000 elections, and then to facilitate dialogue during the political conflict of 2002-2004.

We came to know a man who expressed a vision to bring profound changes to his country to benefit especially those people who had felt neglected and marginalized. Although we have not agreed with all of the methods followed by his government, we have never doubted Hugo Chávez's commitment to improving the lives of millions of his fellow countrymen.

President Chávez will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments and for his formidable communication skills and personal connection with supporters in his country and abroad to whom he gave hope and empowerment. During his 14-year tenure, Chávez joined other leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean to create new forms of integration. Venezuelan poverty rates were cut in half, and millions received identification documents for the first time allowing them to participate more effectively in their country's economic and political life.

At the same time, we recognize the divisions created in the drive towards change in Venezuela and the need for national healing. We hope that as Venezuelans mourn the passing of President Chávez and recall his positive legacies — especially the gains made for the poor and vulnerable — the political leaders will move the country forward by building a new consensus that ensures equal opportunities for all Venezuelans to participate in every aspect of national life.

Photo credit: (Agência Brasil - Foto no:130922 [1]) [CC-BY-3.0-br (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

Secretaries Condoleezza Rice, Henry Cisneros and Governors Haley Barbour, Ed Rendell to lead new immigration task force

2013-02-11T19:53:00.002-06:00

A high-level bipartisan task force on immigration has launched to develop a politically viable package of policy recommendations and work with Congress to help pass immigration reform. The immigration commission, announced this morning, is co-chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, and former Governors Haley Barbour and Ed Rendell.

The new Immigration Task Force will consider all pillars of immigration reform, including enforcement, legalization and worker visas. Over the next several months, the group’s agenda includes developing and advocating for consensus recommendations to guide national immigration policy.

Working with diverse interests, the group intends to develop and advocate practical solutions that will further the conversations in both the Senate and the House.

The bipartisan group comes together at a critical time. “In the last month, there has been considerable attention paid to this issue, kick starting the momentum for legislative action,” commented Governor Rendell about the announcement.

The task force, created by the Bipartisan Policy Center, will also encourage substantive, bipartisan dialogue among key interest groups and decision makers on national immigration goals and strategies. The intent is to engage and shape the immigration policy debate as it unfolds over the course of the coming months.

Governor Barbour touched on the challenge of the group’s agenda: “Despite our divergent views, I am confident the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Immigration Task Force will propose recommendations that push the country forward.”

Image by Eric Draper [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons:

Rice answers press questions, August 7 2006

Secretary Rice commenting on the role of bipartisan dialogue toward legislative action stated: “I am eager to develop a set of recommendations for immigration reform that both Republicans and Democrats can support.”

The full task force membership, which will be announced in the coming weeks, will be comprised of leading immigration experts, business and labor leaders, former elected officials, and other stakeholders.

Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.

“We are determined to be helpful to the current immigration debate around the country and have already begun talking to major constituencies,” said Secretary Cisneros. “While our recommendations will take time to develop, we intend to regularly weigh in on the ongoing debate as it develops on Capitol Hill.”

The project will be directed by former Chief of Staff and long-time aide to Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Rebecca Tallent, who joined BPC earlier this month to lead this effort. Starting in 2005, Tallent served as Senator McCain’s lead staff person on immigration issues. She advised and drafted bipartisan immigration legislation in the 108th, 109th and 110th Congresses.

Unintended consequences of the "drug war": International Crime Syndicates

2013-01-19T11:30:00.003-06:00

Cartels are now International Crime Syndicates.

Turning a blind eye to negative repercussions of the co-called "drug war" for far too long produced a monster. Instead of snuffing out crime, the "drug war" only made it worse. The enemy we formerly termed "drug cartels" has morphed into International Crime Syndicates.

No longer content with merely trafficking drugs, international crime syndicates began growing and producing illegal substances. Seeing lots of potential for lucrative income in extortion and kidnapping, guess what came next?

Arms trafficking was a natural. They could use weapons and, in Mexico, arms sales are illegal and possession of arms is, too. Crime enters in.

Now, international crime syndicates have adopted the most lucrative enterprise of all: human smuggling and trafficking. From my (limited) perspective on the border, nearly all illegal entry into the U.S. is controlled by the crime syndicates. This opens the door to exploitation of those smuggled, many are duped and then imprisoned to work for the cartel in the sex industry or as laborers.

When an elderly Catholic sister retired from a decade of ministry at an HIV/AIDS clinic in Juarez a few years ago, she announced at a meeting I attended that she'd devote her remaining years to activism in the cause of legalizing marijuana in the US. She'd seen enough death, mayhem and suffering, so she'd take the obvious first step in opposition.

Illegal drugs are cheaper now than ever, and more easily obtained. Humans charged with drug possession fill U.S. prisons. Police arrest more people for possession than for violent crime. The drug war has helped munitions manufacturers and international crime syndicates prosper and grow.

No matter how you name it, evil is evil. End the drug war.

Looks like DREAMers will be (legal!) drivers

2013-01-18T15:40:00.001-06:00

This afternoon, the federal government updated its guidance page for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) page. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Obama Administration has now confirmed that recipients of deferred action are authorized to be in the United States. They are now, therefore considered to be “lawfully present” under federal immigration laws. This counteracts the arguments from those opposed to allowing them to receive drivers licenses.

DREAMERS may be drivers in all states now.

Acting under the assumption that DACA recipients aren't “lawfully present” under federal law, four states have refused to issue driver’s licenses to DACA recipients.These states are Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, and Nebraska. The DACA beneficiaries are eligible for work permits under the federal order. Lacking access to transportation, however, has been a curtailment that has handicapped them.

This new clarification from the federal government will give DREAMers a tool with which they can contend those states' rulings.

In a separate release, the administration also updated statistics on the DACA program. As of Thursday, USCIS had received 407,899 requests for deferred action (an average of 80,000 per month since the program began). Of these, 394,533 had been accepted and 154,404 approved.

Interestingly, USCIS received an average of less than 1,500 requests per day in January, down from a high of more than 5,700 per day in October soon after the program began accepting applications. The majority of DACA recipients continue to hail from Mexico and reside in California.

Source: American Immigration Council "Immigration Impact"

Major sex trafficking ring broken by U.S. immigration (ICE)

2013-01-17T13:30:00.001-06:00

Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the major success of a lengthy investigation into a U.S. sex trafficking ring. Operation Dark Night broke a major criminal enterprise operating in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. The investigation culminated in a takedown yesterday.
Authorities made 13 criminal arrests and 44 administrative arrests that were tied to the investigation. Additionally, they rescued as many as 11 victims. The investigation was led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the results of a lengthy investigation, called Operation Dark Night, into a sex trafficking stretching from Florida to Georgia to North and South Carolina. The investigation was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Seen here is HSI agent with criminal. [Image credit: ICE]

Among the many duties ICE serves, preventing sex trafficking ranks among its most critical.

"ICE investigates a wide array of crimes, but the trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is among the most sinister," said ICE Director John Morton, who explained the urgency of the task.

"Few crimes so damage their victims and undermine basic human decency. Our fight against this evil must be relentless, both here and abroad," Morton stated.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Edward Tarver called sex trafficking “modern day slavery” that is “reprehensible” and "a cancer facing our society….”

According to the indictment, Joaquin Mendez-Hernandez, known as “El Flaco”, conspired to transport people across interstate boundaries for prostitution. Mendez-Hernandez also allegedly conspired to lure women from Mexico, Nicaragua and elsewhere to travel to the United States. He offered them false promises of the American dream.

However, once the women were inside the United States, they were allegedly threatened. The victims were forced serve as prostitutes in many locations in Savannah and throughout the Southeast.
The indictment alleges that Mendez-Hernandez told a Mexican woman that she would be sent back to her home country unless she serviced 25 clients a day.

HSI provides relief to victims of human trafficking by allowing for their continued presence in the United States during criminal proceedings. Victims may also qualify for a T visa, which is issued to victims of human trafficking who have complied with reasonable requests for assistance in investigations and prosecutions.

ICE relies on information from the public to alert them to human trafficking. They operate an HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423). The Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 also accepts information. Anonymous calls are welcome.

Like dark energy, human trafficking is all around us, unseen but influencing lives.

Don't allow it to slip under your radar.

Finding Healing, Renewal in 2013

2013-01-04T17:33:00.001-06:00

By: Caroline Flohr, guest blogger

As a new year dawns, many Americans still grieve losses experienced in 2012. For some, it’s very personal – the death of a parent, spouse or child. Others mourn the lives lost in one of the many tragedies we experienced together as a nation.

As a mother of a 16-year-old twin daughter killed in a car accident involving eight teenagers, I assure those of you who are still coming to terms with your loss and grief – it is possible to journey from the unimaginable to acceptance and a spiritual peace. I urge you to embrace the healing power of family and community, love and faith. You will be surprised at how it can transform you.

You can find renewal in this new year.

I have learned that death defines not the end, but a beginning. I have learned that, by weaving tragedy into the fabric of our lives, we can be stronger, spiritually richer and, yes, even happier for it.

Here are some of the milestones I experienced on my journey to inner peace:

• Deeper meaning: Through the death of someone so important, you will be changed. The question is how you will be changed. Will you grow, or become diminished? I grew with the realization that death – so often viewed as an end – is just the beginning of another phase of existence. One of my favorite quotes is from poet Rabindranath Tagore: Death is not extinguishing the light. It is putting out the lamp because dawn has come.

• Celebrate life: When the bereaved are able to look at the life of a person who has passed and see more beauty than pain, they should rejoice. The reality of a person’s absence will always have an element of sadness, but the joy of wonderful memories is even more powerful. When loved ones leave this Earth, graces are given to those relationships left behind. These are gifts. When we can acknowledge them, our lives can expand in the present.

• Ready for anything: Once you’ve experienced the worst and pulled through, you know you will be able to weather just about any adversity. Maya Angelou wrote, ‘“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Have faith in that inner strength we all harbor.

• Appreciate what you have: Life as we know it will come to an end. This includes everyone we know, love and care about; it’s a fact that we often forget, and it’s as startling to remember as it is true. Come good or bad, we do not know what the future will bring, which means we should take every opportunity to fully embrace the present, and our loved ones.

About Caroline Flohr

Caroline Flohr is the author of Heaven's Child. It details her spiritual journey beginning with the sudden death of 16-year-old twin daughter, Sarah. Flohr was forced to dig into the deeper meaning of existence and came away with profound edification and appreciation for the gifts left behind by those who leave us. Flohr lives with her husband and children on Bainbridge Island, a suburb of Seattle.