Senseless Wall Continues Devastating Impact on Arizona Communities, Wildlife

TUCSON -- This is a recent photo obtained anonymously of desert mule deer stuck at the border wall in southern Arizona. These deer were trying to cross in to Mexico, maybe they heard DHS Sec. Chertoff was just in town.

Homeland Security voided all federal laws, including environmental laws and laws protecting American Indian remains, to build segments of the border wall in Arizona.

Freedom of movement is critical to healthy wildlife populations, and border walls block wildlife movement. Humans just find their way around.

While the campaign of Bush and Chertoff continues for the US Apartheid Border Wall, there's good news from Mexico. In a joint effort of groups from north and south of the border, the Northern Jaguar Project in Sonora, Mexico, has reached its goal and was able to purchase land in order to maintain it as a preserve for the jaguar. Meanwhile in the US, the border wall in Arizona is already destroying the habitat and migrating ability of the jaguar.

Related:
Russia to U.S.: "Mr. Bush, Tear Down This Wall!"
Spy Towers Aren't Working? No Kidding!
Chertoff Being Sued at Texas Border

Protesters Tell Maricopa County Sheriff He\\\'s Not Welcome in Pima County

Indigenous Communities Call on DHS to Stop Border Land Grab, Respect Property and Human Rights

On Monday, January 7, a coalition of Native American and border community leaders announced their intent to fight the Department of Homeland Security's threatened seizure of their property along the United States-Mexico border. DHS is attempting to use its powers of eminent domain in order to illegally seize private lands and build the controversial border security wall. The announcement, made during a national telephonic media conference, took place on the same day that DHS 30-day notices expired, leaving Texas landowners along the international boundary terrorized by the possibility of losing ancestral lands.

Last month, DHS Secretary Chertoff stated DHS's intent to seize privately-held property in south Texas if property owners fail to cooperate with government efforts to erect the border wall, approved by Congress last year. DHS has stated that it will seize property even without the consent of landowners if necessary to complete the construction of the border fence.

DHS plans to complete the Texas portions of the fence before the end of the 2008 calendar year. DHS has already built walls along much of the California and Arizona international boundary zone with Mexico despite opposition from the government of Mexico. In Arizona, the wall cuts through Native American ceremonial crossing areas as well as through a national wildlife park. Indigenous communities are calling on the U.S. government to stop this land grab and respect the rights of migrants, Americans and indigenous peoples at the U.S.-Mexico border... read more>>>

See also: "Apaches Rise to Defend Homelands from Homeland Security"
and "Attorney to Homeland Security for Apaches: Back off at the Border!"

More Than 235 Die in 2007, As Arizona Border Battle Heats Up

For the fifth straight year the number of bodies recovered from the Arizona desert surpassed two hundred. While 235 bodies were recovered in calendar year 2007, the number who actually died was likely much higher, their bodies to lie in wake among the thousands of square miles of desert along the migrant trail.

In 2007 the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office had to open a new building in order to cope with the volume of remains being recovered. While the majority of deaths occurred as the result of exposure to the elements, an increasing number resulted from trauma, including gunshot wounds. In spite of this humanitarian crisis, which Arizona human rights groups such as the Coalición de Derechos Humanos and No More Deaths argue is a direct result of the militarization of the U.S. / Mexico border, border militarization and internal enforcement continue to grow.

On January 1st Arizona's new employer sanctions law will go into effect, allowing the business license of any company found employing undocumented workers to be revoked. Many fear this will provide another weapon to racist organizations like the Maricopa County Sherriff's Office, with which to target the state's hispanic community.

In Phoenix, the Pruitt's Furniture Store boycott is entering its third month. Weekly demonstrations there have grown more heated, as hundreds on both sides of the immigration debate have squared off.

Construction continues on the San Pedro River border wall, in violation of 19 federal laws and a judicial restraining order. Earlier this month a constitutional challenge was thrown out of Federal Court against the REAL ID Act, which provided the Department of Homeland Security the authority to overrule the judiciary and ignore all environmental, cultural and public input laws.

Near the border, fear-mongering and profiteering continue, as rural and indigenous communities are terrorized by DHS surveillance cameras and an occupying army of Border Patrol.

Meanwhile, the deathtoll of the U.S.'s deadly border policy continues to grow, with no end in sight. Click here for a complete list of border crossers recovered in Arizona in 2007, including names and causes of death.

Federal Judge Denies Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of REAL ID Act, Threats Continue Against San Pedro River

About 40 people gathered in the cold in Naco, AZ on December 16 to speak out against ongoing construction of the U.S. / Mexico apartheid wall and its impact on local communities and the environment.

The Department of Homeland Security has violated 19 different federal laws to continue with construction of the border wall in Cochise County. These walls, along with a judicial restraining order, were waived using the authority provided by the 2006 REAL ID Act.

On December 18 a federal judge denied a constitutional challenge of these provisions of the REAL ID Act, filed by the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife. The lawsuit may have been the only remaining legal avenue through which to challenge wall construction through the San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area.

Communities from California to Texas are standing up to the ongoing militarization of the border and illegal wall construction. Particularly affected have been conservation areas and indigenous peoples. Earlier this month, DHS seized Lipan Apache lands for wall construction. In November the remains of Tohono O’odham . DHS has announced up to 160 miles of wall to be built in fiscal year 2008. There is still time to offer public comment on much of the wall that is slated for 2008construction in south Texas.

Click here to see photos of the December 16 San Pedro border wall protest.
For more information on resistance to the border wall visit www.notexasborderwall.com, www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com, or www.defenders.org.

Demonstrators to Gather in Naco, Rally On Both Sides of Border Against Militarization and Environmental Destruction

Despite a federal injunction, the Department of Homeland Security is continuing construction on the U.S. / Mexico apartheid wall through the San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area, one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the hemisphere and a critical wildlife corridor.

On Sunday, December 16 demonstrators from Naco, Bisbee and across southern Arizona and Sonora will gather to protest this destruction of the environment, violation of democratic principles and the impact of boundary infrastructure development on communities across the borderlands.

The protest will begin at 1 p.m. at the "door" in the wall just east of the Naco port of entry a highly visible location to anyone going in either direction. People are invited to bring signs, music, and more! read more>>>

Click here to read more about the environmental impact of border militarization.
See also: Urgent Alert: Homeland Security to seize Lipan Apache lands

City of Phoenix Announces Review of Immigration Policies

On December 3 Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon announced that he would order a review of the City of Phoenix's longstanding immigration policy with an eye toward directing the police department to enforce immigration laws.

This announcement came on the heals of a lawsuit threatened by Judicial Review, a conservative D.C.-based think tank. Judicial Review filed a similar lawsuit earlier this year against the city of Los Angeles. Among the issues cited as a reason for the policy review was the ongoing boycott of Pruitt's furniture store.

The City of Phoenix's "sanctuary" policy has been in place since 1987, stating that city employees to treat all residents of Phoenix equally regardless of their immigration status. If the city were to reverse its policy the police department would join the likes of the Maricopa County Sherriff's Office, who have been the target of numerous human rights complaints including an investigation by Amnesty International.

The December 3 announcement shows that Mayor Gordon in more interested in appeasing conservative D.C. activists that treating the city's diverse population fairly and equally before the law. The mayor has created a commission to study the potential changes to city policy. Results of this study are expected to be announced by December 31.

To read the full text of Mayor Gordon's announcement click here.

Border Wall Construction Continues on the San Pedro River Despite Federal Injunction and Impact on Communities and the Environment

On November 1 several environmental organizations with offices in Arizona filed an amended complaint in U.S. district court which challenges as unconstitutional the Bush administration’s power to single-handedly waive any and all United States laws to continue construction of border wall segments in environmentally sensitive areas.

On October 10, U.S. District Court Judge Ellen S. Huvelle issued a temporary restraining order stopping border wall and road construction within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, saying that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the San Pedro area, hadn’t properly analyzed the impacts of the construction on wildlife and other natural resources, and that the agencies had failed to include the public in their decision-making process. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff responded by invoking the REAL ID Act to waive 19 laws in order to resume construction of this particular wall segment - laws intended to protect wildlife and endangered species, clean water and air, safe drinking water, and cultural, historic and archeologically significant resources.

Under the REAL ID Act, Congress gave the DHS Secretary unrestricted power to waive any law—federal, state or local—that would otherwise apply to border wall and road construction. The groups’ amended complaint alleges that this unprecedented authority violates the fundamental separation of powers principles enshrined in the United States Constitution. They argue that by delegating the power to pick and choose which laws will apply to border wall construction, Congress has unconstitutionally given away its lawmaking responsibilities to a politically-appointed Executive branch official who is not accountable to the American public... read more>>>

Click here to see a video about the construction of the border wall and its impacts on the San Pedro River ecosystem.

To find out more visit Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club.

Police Employ Double Standard as Furniture Store Closes Sidewalk “for Landscaping”

This past Saturday protests continued against Pruitt's Home Furnishings in Phoenix. The protests and boycott are against Pruitt's cooperation with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's targeting and repression of immigrants and day laborers who gather in the area. This time, Pruitt's got a permit to close the sidewalks for landscaping. The demonstrators held their protest across the street. They were also allowed to march on the sidewalk, but not stand still on it. Minutemen, Rusty Childress, Stacey O'Connell, and others swept the sidewalks and pretended to do work. Some stood and sat around and simply waved american flags.

One latino man got a ticket apparently for jay-walking even though others had jay-walked as well. Nothing was done about a Pruitt's supporter on a motorcycle with an american flag who went about a mile per hour down the street by the protesters, slowing and stopping traffic for a short time. Additionally, nothing was done about a black SUV that pulled into the Pruitt's parking lot while the march was going through, almost hitting marchers, including a child. The permit for closing the sidewalk is apparently for 9-3 for last Saturday and future Saturdays for an unknown amount of time... probably until those slowpokes finish their work!

Click here for photos and more coverage of Saturday's protest.
Click here for video from Saturday, November 17.
Click here for coverage of the protest on November 10.

Report from the Indigenous Border Summit of the Americas

SAN XAVIER, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION (Arizona) --Mohawks were among 19 Indian Nations at the Indigenous Peoples' Border Summit of the Americas 2007. The four-day summit concluded Saturday with a challenge from Mike Wilson, Tohono O'odham who puts out water for migrants. Lenny Foster, Dine', spoke on Native inmates' ceremonial rights and freedom for Leonard Peltier. Petuuche Gilbert, Acoma Pueblo, shared insights into law and the border, with the summit culminating in a Blackfire resistance concert.

Mike Wilson, Tohono O'odham, said it is important to dispel the romantic myth of sovereignty. "We have no sovereignty. We only have the sovereignty that the US Congress allows us that day."

Wilson said if the Tohono O'odham Nation was truly a sovereign nation, it would not have an occupying army and unchecked police power on its land, including the Border Patrol, National Guard and Immigration and Customs agents... (click here to read the rest of the article)

View photos of the summit.

For more coverage of the Indigenous Border Summit of the Americas visit www.earthcycles.net and www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com.

Local Events to Build Community Power Against I.C.E. and Border Patrol Terror

The current situation is urgent. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) agency has increased home and workplace raids where over 195,000 people have been arrested and deported in fiscal year 2006. On October 3, 2007 federal and local authorities in Southern California arrested more than 1,300 migrants. The same day, the Senate voted to spend $3 billion to further militarize the U.S.- Mexico border. In the desert just outside of Tucson at least 271 migrants lost their lives in 2007. On October 9, I.C.E. announced it had carried out another nationwide raid where they arrested 1,313 migrants. Arizona governor Napolitano is getting ready to enforce House Bill 2779 which will massively increase raids and deportations. Families are separated and communities are living in fear and terror.

This is why we are building community power, with the re-launching of the "Stop the Raids" campaign. The campaign's purpose is to build grassroots community organizing, leadership and empowerment within the Raza and migrant community of Tucson. "Stop the Raids: Migra Out of Our Communities" campaign.

There are several upcoming events related to the campaign, including a Stop the Raids fundraiser, video screening and “know your rights” training with the National Lawyers Guild. The training will be on Thursday November 15 at 5:30pm at the U of A Law School Room 146. For more information, click here.

On Saturday November 17 there is a Stop the Raids fundraiser with hip-hop and poetry featuring Collectivo Error (Jarocho Dance Music from S. Cali), Sherman Austin (Hip hop from S. Cali), and Tierra y Libertad (Hiphop de Tucson). The show starts at 6:30pm at Toltecalli Academy (on Irvington and Liberty). For more information click here.

Community Events Demand Migra Out of Our Schools!

On Tuesday, November 6 a student at Tucson High School was arrested for having a bag of marijuana on his person. The Tucson Unified School District called his family into the school. The Tucson Police Department then called the U.S. Border Patrol, who took the entire family into custody, then proceeded to the TUSD middle school where another child was taken into custody. The entire family was subsequently deported.

That same evening, Tucson High students gathered at the Federal Building and at TPD headquarters downtown in a spontaneous rally against the collusion between TUSD, TPD and la Migra, and the repression of their fellow students.

Several events are planned to follow up and build community pressure against this repression. On Tuesday, November 13 community members are encouraged to attend the TUSD School Board meeting at 6:30pm to voice concern about Border Patrol being called to school campuses. On Wednesday, November 14 a rally is planned at TPD headquarters, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., to pressure the TPD to stop collaborating with la migra in repression against members of our community.

Police Use Pepper Gas, Batons on Peaceful Demonstrators - Dozens Detained and Released, at Least 2 Arrested

At the end of a bi-national march from the site of the No Borders Camp and rally at the Mexicali/Calexico port of entry, Border Patrol swarmed a group of about 30 demonstrators on the U.S. side and attacked them with pepper pellets and batons. 2-3 people severely beaten. Mass detentions. People being let go five at a time. In one case, a person badly injured by pepper pellets shot at close range was pursued away from the conflict, pulled away from a companion wanting to treat his wounds, surrounded and beaten in the head with batons by about 10 Border Patrol agents. Most who were detained have now been released. Three people have been arrested. Visit sandiego.indymedia for breaking updates.

Hundreds of No Borders Campers in Calexico, CA, and Mexicali, Baja, Mex. Claim an Autonomous Zone Under Heightened Scrutiny of Fortess U.S.A.

On Friday morning, campers were met by ICE agents in riot gear attempting to disrupt the binational breakfast buffet. After long negotiations, the breakfast of pancakes and oatmeal were enjoyed by all campers (yay!) Campers are currently protesting the ICE Detention facility in El Centro. Stay tuned for more updates.

On Wednesday afternoon, 150 individuals from across the globe gathered in protest to the further militarization of international borders and the symbolic borders which perpetuate them. While the campers were successful in taking the space, they have been met with an intense presence of U.S. Border Patrol officials. The camp, intended to be an autonomous zone in which a community without borders may be created in a low-intensity war zone, continues to be successful in building a place for collaboration, strategizing and developing a No Borders Network of the Americas. As of the morning of November 9 the camp had grown to about 250 people on the U.S. side and about 100 on the Mexico side. Campers from Minneapolis, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Phoenix, Tucson, Portland, Miami, Germany, Australia, among others, are participating in the week-long No Borders Camp.

Click here for a longer report/update on the first two days of the No Borders Camp.

For more information please visit www.indybay.org, sandiego.indymedia, www.noborderscamp.org

Mohawks, Border Delegation, Inflamed Over Arrests of Indigenous Peoples

THE GATE, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION (Arizona) --Indigenous delegates to the border on Tohono O'odham Nation land were outraged by the federal agents, hovering customs helicopter, profiteering contractors, federal spy tower, federal "cage" detention center and watching the arrest of a group of Indigenous Peoples, mostly women and children, by the US Border Patrol on an Indian Nation.

"We saw it all firsthand in America," said Bill Means, Lakota and cofounder of the International Indian Treaty Council on Nov. 8, when an Indigenous delegation went to the US/Mexico border here, south of Sells, to document human rights abuses for a report to the United Nations. "Now we are going to take this wall down," Means said, after viewing the construction of a border vehicle barrier by contractors and National Guard on Tohono O'odham land.

The San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation is hosting the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit of the Americas II, with support from the International Indian Treaty Council. Indigenous border rights of mobility, human rights and the United Nations are among the topics at the summit, Nov. 7 - 10, 2007.

Read a statement from Mohawk women title holders at the border summit.

For more information on the summit visit: indigenousbordersummitamericas2007.blogspot.com.
Read more coverage at: bsnorrell.blogspot.com.
For live, streaming coverage of the summit visit www.earthcycles.net.

Updates on the No Borders Camp

Like it's looked and felt for months, it was extremely uncertain and worrying for quite a while yesterday, with massive presence of various law enforcement agencies. But somehow, things went off relatively according to plan. Homeland Security and the cops were completely fooled by the ruse the organizers set up - to pretend to be going to a pick-up point where marchers would get on a bus to take them to a cemetary vigil, but actually, the pick-up point was the site for the camp. Some cops were even overheard to say, basically, "I don't know what they're doing, their bus just left." (More.)

It started off as two separate rallies one on the American side in the city of Calexico California and another on the Mexican side in the city of Mexicali the state capital of Baja California at the border crossing. Both rallies marched down the border wall with the intent of meeting up, where the wall finally ends, but were met with a wall of law enforcement. (More.)

Between November 7th and 11th, 2007, hundreds of people will gather at the line between Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California. Throughout this week of action we will engage in opposition to the infrastructure of repression and that of neo-liberal globalization. Together we will create an autonomous zone free of borders and the lies they perpetuate. (More.)

This media collage came from a few different sources.

More info:
Communique: Communique from the No Borders Camp
Video: video from no borders camp, day 1
Photos: [1] [2] [3]
Radio: Tune in to live radio from the No Borders Camp in Calexico/Mexicali
Audio: No Borders Audio
Zine: No Borders Camp Day One Zine
Website: noborderscamp.org

More updates to come.

Week Two of the Pruitt’s Furniture Store Boycott

The second week of the boycott against Pruitt's at 36th St. and Thomas in Phoenix was a bit smaller than last week.

The protests are in response to the owner of Pruitt's and other local business owners inviting Sheriff Joe Arpaio to harass and arrest day laborers in the area. They had arrested ten, and additionally arrested six more a few days ago.

Pruitt's delivery trucks lined the edge of the parking lot this time. Was it to make the protesters less visible to traffic? To keep Sheriff Joe from making a fool of himself again? To deter racists from causing a scene? To provide shade for protesters? Maybe all of the above.

During the protest Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies arrested ACLU-Arizona legal director Daniel Pochoda. Pochoda was still in the 4th Avenue jail at 5:30 PM on November 3.

There is some speculation that Pocoda's arrest may be retribution for a lawsuit the ACLU has recently filed against the Sheriff's office.

Reports from the protest and boycott: 1, 2.

Hundreds to Gather in Calexico / Mexicali for Bi-National Action Camp

Between November 7 – 11 hundreds of people will gather in Mexicali, Baja California and Calexico, California for a bi-national camp against the border.

The No Borders Camp is meant to be a networking forum and a manifestation of resistance against the border regime and its corresponding ideologies of repression, deportation and economic terrorism. Activists from across North America will be coming together to strategize, learn from one another and defend the rights of migrants, indigenous people, and all those who are affected by neo-liberalism and the homeland security state. Solidarity events will be happening across North America.

The camp, to take place during the 18th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, will happen simultaneously with the Indigenous Border Summit of the Americas in San Xavier on the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Week of Action Against the Apartheid Wall in Palestine / Israel.

There will be daily carpools leaving from Tucson, Phoenix, Prescott and other locations in Arizona, between November 4 – 9.

Arizona Indymedia will be providing regular coverage of protests, forums and other activities during the camp itself. Check back for updates.

For more information, click here or visit www.noborderscamp.org.
For additional coverage of the camp visit San Diego Indymedia and Indymedia Tijuana.

Boycott Launched Against Pruitt\\\'s Furniture Store in Phoenix

On Saturday, October 27 as many as 100 day laborers and their supporters gathered at the intersection of 36th St. and Thomas in Phoenix, to protest and start a boycott of Pruitt’s furniture store.

The owner of the Pruitt's furniture store and perhaps other business owners in the area has joined sheriff Joe Arpaio to target day laborers who gather in the area.

Fifty to 100 people joined the protest, holding signs and chanting. Phoenix PD, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Sheriff’s officers were there, including some on horseback. A few people associated with the local anti-immigrant movement were also there, chatting it up with the cops.

Click here to see photos of the event.

For more information on the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office targeting of immigrants click here.

Urgent update 11/3! Week 2 of the Pruitt's furniture store boycott and ACLU legal director arrested by Maricopa Sheriff's Deputies at Pruitt's protest.

Nov. 7 - 10 Summit Will Focus on Indigenous Rights of Mobility, Border Militarization

SAN XAVIER, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION (Arizona) -- A human rights crisis for Indigenous Peoples living along borders in the Americas threatens their survival, with rapidly expanding militarization and new laws which limit their mobility in their ancestral territories.

Responding to this crisis, the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation will host the Indigenous Peoples Border Summit of the Americas II, Nov. 7- 10, with support from the International Indian Treaty Council.

In the United States, corporate profiteering for private migrant prisons, experimental spy technology, poorly trained border agents, privatized security and new laws for immigration threaten the right of mobility in ancestral territories. The human rights crisis at the southern border of the United States and Mexico has resulted in over 4,000 migrant deaths in recent years, including deaths of women from Guatemala on Tohono O'odham tribal land in Arizona who died walking with their children in 2007.

The border wall and border vehicle barriers along the southern border have resulted in the removal of ancestors’ remains of the Tohono O'odham and Kumeyaay from their final resting places. Further, the barrier wall on Tohono O'odham land is a barrier interfering with an ancient annual ceremony. With the militarization and oppression increasing for Indigenous Peoples around the world, the Border Summit of the Americas invites Indian people to offer their testimony while receiving information and training on human rights.

For more information visit: indigenousbordersummitamericas2007.blogspot.com.
More news at: bsnorrell.blogspot.com.
For live, streaming coverage of the summit visit www.earthcycles.net

Chertoff Uses Waiver Against National Environmental Policy Act

On October 23 Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff used his power to waive any laws, granted him by the 2006 REAL ID act, to destroy any hope of legally stopping the border wall at the San Pedro River in Arizona.

The San Pedro river valley is the second most biodiverse spot in the western hemisphere (after the rainforest of Costa Rica), and groups like Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club had argued that the wall will do irreperable harm to this fragile riparian ecosystem.

It had been a week since Judge Ellen Huvelle halted wall construction with a temporary restraining order. The restraining order had been issued to give the above-mentioned environmental groups time to argue against the construction of the fence, and to force the Bureau of Land Management to accept public comment and perform a thorough environmental impact assessment on barrier construction in the San Pedro River Valley. An appeal to have the order overturned was filed by government lawyers immediately. Chertoff waited an entire 7 or 8 days before invoking the waiver.

The Department of Homeland Security has only used the waiver twice before, once for the triple-fence near San Diego and once for boundary enforcement infrastructure in the Barry Goldwater bombing range.

For more information visit Defenders of Wildlife.

Border Militarization, Humanitarian Crisis Continue

For the fifth straight year the number of bodies recovered from the Arizona desert surpassed two hundred. While 237 bodies of unauthorized border crossers were recovered in 2007, the number who actually died was likely much higher, their bodies to lie in wake among the thousands of square miles of desert along the migrant trail. The Arizona body count is tracked by fiscal year

In 2007 the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office had to open a new building in order to cope with the volume of remains being recovered. While the majority of deaths occurred as the result of exposure to the elements, an increasing number resulted from trauma, including gunshot wounds.

In spite of this humanitarian crisis, which Arizona human rights groups such as La Coalición de Derechos Humanos and No More Deaths argue is a direct result of the militarization of the U.S. / Mexico border, the construction of the border wall and other enforcement infrastructure continues, bound to drive human migration further into the remote Arizona desert and continue the needless suffering and death.

Several upcoming events in southern Arizona aim to memorialize those who’ve died and challenge the policies that have caused their deaths:

On Saturday, October 20 the Southwest Alliance for Environmental and Economic Justice will hold their annual border mobilization in Ambos Nogales.

On Saturday, November 3 there will be a Día de los Muertos pilgrimage from From St. John's Church (12th Avebue and Ajo Way) to San Xavier Mission in Tucson.

For a complete list of the remains of border crossers recovered in Arizona in 2007 (including names and causes of death) click here.

Border Peoples’ Conference: 27-29 September in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, México

Between September 25-27 the governors of all ten border states along the U.S. / Mexico boundary will gather in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora for the XXV Border Governors' Conference. On the agenda will be expansion of megaprojects and neo-liberal trade, along with border security, repression and the ongoing militarization of law enforcement.

The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice and its many supporters and affiliates are organizing a vigil, demonstrations and a counter-summit during the governors' conference. Rides are being arranged from Tucson. For more information and to reserve a spot on a 15-passenger shuttle contact the Coalición de Derechos Humanos.

Cosponsored by: The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice, Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Alianza Indígena Sin Fronteras, Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc, AFSC, Tierra y Libertad, Radio Yoreme Nooka

download a flyer here.

Thousands March in Tucson and Phoenix for Immigrant, Human, Workers\\\' Rights

On May 1st thousands took to the streets in several cities across Arizona in support of the nation-wide mobilization for immigrant and workers' rights. More than 2,500 people marched and rallied in Tucson, and upwards of 15,000 people marched to the state capitol in Phoenix.

Demonstrators' demands included equal rights and dignity for every person regardless of their immigration status, and a rejection of the ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the militarization of the border.

Many took aim at ongoing legislation aimed at criminalizing immigrants, from statewide measures to the U.S. STRIVE act. Organizers of the Tucson demonstration called the STRIVE act "Sensenbrenner Lite", in reference to HR 4437, the draconian legislation introduced by U.S. Reperesentative James Sensenbrenner that provoked the student walkouts and massive immigrant rights mobilizations in the spring of 2006.

A handful of counter-protesters came to both Tucson and Phoenix events. Photographs document the participation of overt racists and neo-nazi skinheads at the counter-protest in Phoenix.

May 1st is celebrated around the world as a worker's holiday, on the anniversary of the 1886 general strike in Chicago that launched the struggle for the eight-hour workday in the United States. Immigrant rights organizations had called for people to recognize this holiday by boycotting work, refraining from shopping and joining the hundreds of rallies and marches nationwide.

Tucson Photos: 1

Phoenix Photos: 1

No More Deaths Volunteers Receive Prestigious Human Rights Award

Shanti Sellz (right) and Daniel Strauss (left) stand with Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!. Goodman gave a keynote address at the award ceremony, and interviewed Strauss and Sellz on her show.

According to the Rothko Chapel, this award is presented periodically to individuals and organizations, who, at great risk, denounce violations of human rights. Because the United States government has no policy regarding humanitarian aid on the border, No More Deaths volunteers and citizens of the border region are constantly at risk of federal prosecution. Despite having a verbal agreement with Border Patrol, Sellz and Strauss were arrested and charged with transporting undocumented migrants.

Knowing the personal risks, Sellz says "there are many hundreds of people who continue to do this life-saving work." Sellz emphasized, "The prosecution is another example of state-sponsored repression for speaking out. The government is repressing the work of people who choose to help those who are being marginalized and hurt by government policies."

In reflecting on the humanitarian aid work done in the desert, Strauss commented, "No More Deaths and others have done a tremendous job in stopping deaths along the border. It's never a crime to save someone's life." [ Press Release from No More Deaths]

After Years of Official Impunity, Cochise County Jury Convicts \\

A victory was won for human rights in Arizona on November 22nd when a Cochise County jury found border vigilante Roger Barnett guilty of unlawful imprisonment and assault, awarding the victims close to $100,000 in damages.

The charges stem from an October 2004 incident when Roger Barnett, along with his wife and brother, pulled loaded assault weapons on a latino family who had accidently wandered onto land leased by Barnett while on a hunting trip.

This incident was not the first time Barnett has faced accusations of abuse. Lawsuits have been filed by immigrants and U.S. citizens alike, charging Barnett with assault and battery, false imprisonment, trespass and impersonating an officer.

Despite a pattern of violence, Barnett has enjoyed almost official impunity, with Sheriff Larry Dever refusing to arrest Barnett and the Cochise County Attorney's Office refusing to prosecute. In April of 2005 a petition was filed with the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Commission on Human Rights charging the U.S. government with human rights violations for failing to prosecute border vigilante groups and activities.

The trial began on November 14th and included emotional and intense testimony from the children, their parents, psychologists, land surveyors, sheriffs’ deputy, Arizona Game and Fish employee, and other bow hunters who had also been physically assaulted and barraged with racist insults by Barnett. It took the jury only three hours to return with its verdict. Despite this legal victory, the struggle for justice on the border continues.

for more coverage, please see "Jury to AZ Border Vigilante: Guilty!"

EPA and Mexican Govn’t Try to Push Dump On O’odham People

On October 12, 2006, Indigenous People’s Day , members from 7 valley groups stood outside of the Phoenix mexican Consulate to say no to a proposed chemical waste dump to be located outside the O’odham sacred village of Quitovac, in Mexico. The site would potentially treat and separate up to 45,000 tons of hazardous waste materials annually, including asbestos, organochlorides, and waste sludge from industries. The project, just a few miles south of the border, has been conducted with no involvement of the Indigenous O'odham communities.

Members of Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment , O’odham Youth Collective , Yoeme Youth Alliance, Phoenix Anarchist Coalition , Phoenix Earth First! , Glendale Food Not Bombs , and Phoenix Food Not Bombs all joined in solidarity with protesters in other cities and states tell the mexican government they oppose this wretched dump.

Indymedia Audio and Phoenix Anarchist statement from the Protest

Indymedia Photos from the Protest

For more info please email Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment at contaminatedinaz@yahoo.com, or O'odham Rights Cultural and Environmental Justice Coalition Coalition at uyarivas@hotmail.com

Charges Dropped Against No More Deaths Volunteers

Bi-national Effort Provides Assistance to Thousands of Deported Migrants Every Week

No More Deaths has launched a new Nogales project with Mexican partners to provide assistance to newly deported migrants.

On July 11th in the Mexican National Institute of Immigration (INM) for Nogales, Sonora, a historic partnership was formed between the No More Deaths coalition and Mexican authorities. The press conference announced the new bi-national agreement to give support and humanitarian aid to the thousands of migrants repatriated to Mexico each week.

The project has formed and gained momentum very quickly. Just the week prior, the Commission’s office in Nogales, Sonora, where the No More Deaths project is based, was filled with 19-tons of water, which is more than 18,000 bottles of water. Due to this partnership, the No More Deaths volunteers were granted authorization by the Mexican authorities to pass through the port with more than 30 loads of this water.

No More Deaths has also launched a similar project in Agua Prieta, Sonora, where about 100 migrants are repatriated each day. Since June 30th NMD volunteers - including many locals - have provided life-saving aid 24 hours a day, meeting migrants as they are returned to Mexico.

Meanwhile, the body count continues to grow on the southern border, with more than 178 deaths in Arizona alone since last year. On July 27th four migrants drowned in a drainage canal near Nogales Arizona. An 11-year-old girl crossing the desert with her sister died of heatstroke on July 25th, after being rushed to a hospital in nearby Sells, AZ. During the same week four other bodies were recovered in the desert near Tucson.

Third Annual Migrant Trail Walk Ends Sunday

Read More>>> | More information about the Migrant Trail Walk | Arizona IMC Border Issues Coverage

International Day Without Immigrants

These are links to more information about what is planned and what's happening today. Become the media: publish your stories and photos of what you experience today to the newswire.

Tucson May Day plans | Phoenix | May Day Virtual Sit-In | US IMC Coverage | Portland IMC Radio Coverage | Bilingual Radical Context of May Day Pamphlet

Tens of Thousands in Marches Across Arizona

STUDENTS TAKE THE STREETS

Transforming the Streets into the Classroom: Students Protest in Arizona

Risking suspension and having to jump over fences after schools were locked down, students have walked out of classes and taken the streets across Arizona this week to protest national immigration legislation. Following initial walk-outs in Los Angeles, America's youth are claiming their political power and are speaking out against U.S. House Resoluation 4437 and the U.S. Senate version of the bill.

March 31 Story about Continued Tucson Protests

March 30 Photos from Protest in Downtown Tucson

Read More about Nation-wide Student Demonstrations at U.S. Indymedia Center

Democracy Now! March 29 Story

LAST WEEK'S MASS DEMONSTRATIONS IN ARIZONA

More than 20,000 people jammed the streets through central Phoenix near Senator Jon Kyl’s office on Friday to protest anti-immigration legislation that would further criminalize undocumented immigrants and build new fences along the Arizona-Mexico border. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which Kyl serves on, is planning to finish writing the Senate version of HR 4437 on Monday. The largest march in Phoenix history complements recent protests nation-wide, including more than 500,000 in Los Angeles, 40,000 in Denver, and over 100,000 in Chicago.

The fight to protect the San Francisco Peaks from the proposed Snowbowl Ski Resort expansion and snowmaking joined the pro-immigrant sentiment on Saturday when more than 1,200 people marched through downtown Flagstaff in support of sacred sites and immigrant rights for all the Americas.

Tucsonans protested a fundraiser for Kyl attended by Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, and on Friday more than 1,000 people lined Oracle Road near Kyl's Tucson office to show opposition to his support for the anti-immigrant bill.

Daily Vigil in Memorial and Protest of Death on the Border

In preparation for the upcoming trial of Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss, members of No More Deaths in Tucson and Phoenix have launched a forty-day fast (to coincide with the Lenten and Passover seasons). As the U.S. Senate prepares to debate some of the most regressive immigration legislation since the Asiatic Barred Zone Act of 1917, No More Deaths joins voices around the country in protest and is mobilizing its supporters to demand a humane resolution to the border crisis.

Every day from 8am to sunset supporters are holding vigil at El Tiradito Shrine in downtown Tucson. Various individuals- including religious and community leaders- have participated in the fast since its kick-off on March 1st. Each day, supporters remember 100 of the more than 4,000 migrants who have died while trying to cross the border since 1994. Prayers are read and names recited daily at 8:30am, 12:30pm, and 6:00pm.

In addition to remembering needless suffering and death on the border, the fast is meant to protest the policies that cause this death. The militarization of the border has done little to reduce undocumented immigration. Rather, it has divided families and communities, fueled organized crime, driven millions of workers into the shadows and resulted in a daily humanitarian crisis along the border.

No More Deaths also reasserts it call that the United States drop all charges against Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss. Shanti and Daniel were arrested July 9th while attempting to medically evacuate three ill migrants to receive care in Tucson. They currently face up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. During July more than 78 migrants died in the Tucson Border Patrol Sector – the deadliest on record. Humanitarian aid is never a crime, and it is wrong to prosecute people for saving lives – particularly in this context.

A hearing will be held on Monday, March 13th in federal court to have the charges dismissed, in appeal of the January decision by Magistrate Bernardo Velasco to send the case to trial. Supporters are invited to join a procession from the shrine to the courthouse at 9am.

for more information, please visit www.nomoredeaths.org and Arizona Indymedia’s Special Coverage of Border Issues

Motion to Dismiss Charges Denied

On January 12th just before 5pm federal magistrate Bernardo Velasco announced that he is denying a motion to dismiss charges against two humanitarian volunteers with the No More Deaths movement.

Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss were arrested July 9th, 2005 while transporting three seriously ill men to receive medical care in Tucson. Their arrest has sparked international outrage, with groups such as Amnesty International, the ACLU and more than 2000 individuals and organizations nationwide speaking out in their defense. To date more than 50,000 petitions have been set to federal prosecutor Paul Charlton calling on him to cease prosecution.

More than 282 children, women and men died needlessly in the Arizona desert in 2005. No More Deaths is a coalition of human rights groups that has worked since 2004 to end this death toll through advocacy and direct action. More than 300 volunteers participated in 2005, with 68 medical evacuations just like the one for which Shanti and Daniel are being prosecuted. Following Thursday’s decision No More Deaths released the following statement:

“We are confident that we will prevail at trial and we are calling on our community to come together to support Shanti and Daniel and the principle that humanitarian aid is never a crime. We pledge to continue working to end the unnecessary suffering and death on our border.”

A trial date has not yet been established. More information will be released as soon as it becomes available.

See www.nomoredeaths.org for more information about No More Deaths and the trial.

Demands Include Human Rights and Immigration Reform as Governor Delivers \\

More than 4,000 people demonstrated on January 9th as Governor Janet Napolitano delivered her “State of the State” address. The event was organized by Immigrants Without Borders, a Phoenix-based grassroots organization. Beginning before 11:00 AM and ending well after 5:00 PM, the throng carried placards and chanted against racism and anti-immigrant laws.

According to one participant: "People filled the entire square and spilled out into the street. We were told that the voices of the crowd shouting "Sí se puede" (Yes we can!) could be heard loud and clear while the governor gave her State of the State address."

Napolitano’s address was delivered in the wake of heightened tension and a national spotlight focused on the Arizona-Mexico border. Jumping on the anti-immigrant bandwagon, she called for crackdowns on business that hire undocumented workers and the deployment of the Arizona National Guard to assist in federal law enforcement.

photos 1 2 3 4 5 6

Record Year in an Escalating Crisis

A record number of migrants died in southern Arizona this past year while crossing the U.S. / Mexico border. As the U.S. Border Patrol continues a strategy of militarization along the border, 282 bodies were recovered of workers who have no legal channel with which to migrate north.

Since 1994 it is estimated that more than 3,000 people have died attempting to cross the border, with the death toll growing every year as a result of law enforcement policies that push migration out of accessible, urban areas and into remote desert.

It is significant that each of the “immigration reform and border security” bills currently before congress seeks to increase border militarization, a failed policy of applying para-military logic, technology and manpower to resolve a civilian crisis. After ten years of pursuing such a strategy, violence and organized crime have only increased – as has undocumented immigration – partly as a result.

The impact is felt most in border communities, where both ranchers and city residents are affected by hyped-up law enforcement, racial profiling and police abuse, caught in the cross-fire of a low-intensity conflict that has been created around them. These impacts are now beginning to expand across the state, as border vigilante groups have begun harassing workers at day labor centers in Phoenix and the U.S. Border Patrol engages in illegal sweeps of workers in Tucson.

In the midst of the suffering and death created by U.S. border policy, the government is continuing its prosecution of two humanitarian workers arrested July 9th while trying to evacuate three critically ill migrants to medical care in Tucson. In response, the No More Deaths coalition has launched a campaign “Humanitarian Aid is Never a Crime”. The trial is scheduled to begin on December 20th.

Call for Federal Prosecutor Paul Charlton to Drop Charges

With the message that “Humanitarian Aid is Never a Crime,” the No More Deaths Coalition launched a campaign Wednesday to pressure the U.S. Attorney to drop charges against two volunteers who were arrested July 9 while bringing three dehydrated migrants to Tucson for emergency medical care.

Press conferences and events were held in Douglas, Tucson, Phoenix and Prescott to mobilize statewide support for No More Deaths and the right for citizens to provide humanitarian aid without fear of persecution.

Former U.S. Attorney Bates Butler led the Tucson press conference, questioning why the prosecutor's office of Paul Charlton (current federal attorney for the District of Arizona) - already over-extended in the prosecution of organized crime and drug smuggling - is choosing to use meager resources to prosecute two humanitarian volunteers.

“What is on trial here is a principal,” said movement lawyer Margo Cowen. “The United States is trying to criminalize the administering of life-saving aid. We are here to state unequivocally that humanitarian aid is never a crime,” she said. Cowan joined others in calling for Charlton to “do the right thing, and drop these charges.”

”With the deaths of more than 282 migrants in Southern Arizona in 2005, the need for the humanitarian work that Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss are being prosecuted for is greater than ever," Cowan said.

• Interviews with No More Deaths volunteers about the arrests - RealMedia | 5 min. (Produced by PanLeft)

Click here for information about how to get involved.

Tucson holds memorial service for Lucresia Dominguez Luna

After a week of searching through the southern Arizona desert for the remains of Lucresia Dominguez Luna, more than 70 people came out to show support for a woman who attempted to come to the United States to “create a better quality of life for her children.”

TUCSON – More than 70 people attended the memorial service for Lucresia Dominguez Luna, a Mexican woman who died in the southern Arizona desert attempting to come to the United States for work.

Lucresia, mother of three, had been left behind with her 15-year old son by the group she was traveling with. On June 21, 2005, Lucresia died in the arms of her son after literally being burned alive in the scorching summer heat.

Her son, forced to leave his mother behind, continued on alone until he was eventually apprehended by the United States Border Patrol. The Border Patrol made little effort to find his mother, and he was deported back to Nogales, Sonora.

Cesario Dominguez, Lucresia’s father, was able to get a visa to come to the U.S. to search for Lucresia’s remains. Her son was denied entry into the U.S. by both the Mexican and U.S. governments.

Volunteers from No More Deaths (NMD), a humanitarian organization that wants to end the deaths in the desert, aided Cesario on the search.

After more than a week in the desert, the search party found the Lucresia’s remains. Since her son recalled the location of her body, but was unable to be part of the search, he was phoned regularly in Nogales so the search party could ask him questions about what he remembered.

While searching for Lucresia, the search party found the remains of three other individuals.

“Excuse me for the pain in my soul, but I had to leave my home to come search for my daughter who died in the desert,” said Cesario in a trembling voice. “When I arrived here, I asked God to help me find her. I was able to find her thanks to everyone that helped me. I wanted to disappear,” he said through a translator.

For entire story and short videos from the memorial service: click here

Two humanitarians deny federal government plea bargain

JULY 25 UPDATE: One Charge Dropped and Volunteers Swarm the Desert

The United States dropped the obstruction of justice charge for both Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss after the two humanitarian volunteers refused to accept the federal government's plea bargain at the hearing on Friday, July 22. Emil Hidalgo-Solis, an undocumented migrant Sellz and Strauss were evacuating, will give a taped deposition on August 2. It is expected Hidalgo-Solis will be deported soon after.

The No More Death "Flood the Desert with Volunteers" event kicked off July 24 with the training of more than 100 volunteers. For the week of July 25, these volunteers will patrol designated roads with food and water, with the hope to save more lives of undocumented migrants who are traveling during the hottest time of the year. The majority of the volunteers are from Southern Arizona, but some people came as far as Boston for the event. NMD says that the event is the community's response to the arrest of Sellz and Strauss, as well as the continued campaign to bring attention to the high rates of migrant deaths in the desert.

JULY 20 Original Story

No More Deaths volunteers, Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss, publicly denied the United States’ plea bargain during a press conference on Thursday. Lawyers representing Sellz and Strauss say that the two humanitarians, who were arrested July 9 by U.S. Border Patrol while aiding severely ill undocumented migrants, will not plead guilty for actions they say are not against the law. A hearing will be held Friday, June 22 at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in downtown Tucson. The No More Deaths’ “Flood the Desert with Volunteers” campaign, in response to the arrests, will begin Sunday at 1pm with volunteer trainings.

Tucson, Arizona - No More Deaths volunteers, Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss, publicly denied the United States’ plea bargain during a press conference on Thursday at the Southside Presbyterian Church. Lawyers representing Sellz and Strauss say that the two humanitarians will not plead guilty for actions they say are not against the law.

“Humanitarian work needs to be applauded, not prosecuted,” Strauss said. “Shanti and I are not accepting this plea because we committed no crime.”

Sellz was arrested one day after she tried to help a family find the remains of their lost daughter in the desert. “We cannot stand by and watch others perish, and we can find no guilt in saving another’s life,” Sellz said.

Sellz and Strauss were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in Southern Arizona on July 9 and charged with one felony count of transportation of an undocumented person and one felony count of obstruction of justice. The two volunteers, both 23, encountered three individuals, two of whom were ill and had severe blisters, and the third who was vomiting and had severe diarrhea at the Aravaca Camp. According to No More Deaths, Sellz and Strauss were advised to take the three to the nearest medical facility after consulting with two doctors and one nurse. While evacuating the migrants, Sellz and Strauss were stopped and arrested by Border Patrol.

On July 13, the United States offered to drop the two federal charges in exchange for Sellz and Strauss to enter a diversion program including admission of guilt and probation for one year.

Bill Walker and Jeff Rogers, lawyers representing Sellz and Strauss, say the humanitarian volunteers will not accept guilt for engaging in actions they believe are legal. They claim transporting undocumented migrants who are in immediate need of medical attention is not in violation of federal law.

“The statute doesn’t say transportation of illegal aliens is against the law,” Walker said. “Transporting is only illegal if it is in furtherance of an illegal purpose,” he said. Transporting people for necessarily emergency medical care is not illegal under the law, he said.

For entire story and short videos from the press conference: click here

U.S. Government attorney says humanitarian workers operate in a “vigilante manner”

Two humanitarian volunteers who were arrested last Friday were released from federal custody Monday afternoon by judge Hector Estrada and set an initial hearing for July 13 at 10:30 am. About 200 attempted to attend the arraignment, but only a few dozen supporters were allowed into the small courtroom. During the proceedings, the U.S. Government’s attorney claimed that one of the defendants, Shanti Sellz, was expressing her faith in a “vigilante manner” when she and co-defendant Daniel Strauss preformed a medical evacuation of three severely dehydrated people from the southern Arizona desert.

Daniel and Shanti are both volunteering for the group No More Deaths, which formed last summer and coordinates a camp in Arivaca where volunteers launch morning and evening patrols looking for people in need of food, water and medical treatment. Last year, No More Deaths volunteers preformed some 1,700 medical interventions. 167 migrant deaths have already been documented along the Arizona border since last October.

Before Monday’s arraignment, more than 300 people crammed into Southside Presbyterian Church for a press conference/rally. Several groups read statements expressing support for Shanti and Daniel and condemning the U.S.’s border policy. No More Deaths is demanding that all charges by dropped. “In the face of the outrageous and unnecessary number of migrant deaths in our community, deaths which are a direct result of current United States border policy, our government should congratulate Ms. Sellz and Mr. Strauss rather than prosecute them.”

Press Conference to be Held Monday, July 11th at 12 Noon @ Southside Presbyterian Church

On Saturday, July 9th two human rights volunteers with the No More Deaths Coalition were arrested by the Border Patrol while medically evacuating three migrants in southern Arizona.

This action by the Border Patrol follows a week in which the bodies of 15 migrants were found in the scorching Arizona desert.

A press conference will be held Monday, July 11th at 12:00 noon at Southside Presbyterian Church, where individuals of conscious, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and grassroots organizers affiliated with the No More Deaths campaign will congregate to express their deep outrage.

for more information see link

No More Deaths

El Sabado, 9 de Julio, dos voluntarios con el coalicion "No Mas Muertes" fueron arrestado por la Patrulla Fronteriza Estadounidense cuando estaban rescatando dos migrantes herridos del desierto cerca de Arivaca en Arizona.

Este accion por la Migra sigue una semana en que mas que 15 migrantes se mueron en el desierto de Arizona.

Habra una conferencia de la prensa el Lunes 11 de Julio en Southside Presbyterian Church a las 12 de la tarde. Por favor vengan para estacionarse en solidaridad con estos do humanitarianos.

Volunteers Work to Diminish Human Cost of Militarization

So far, more than 132 migrants have perished this year in the Arizona desert, adding to the more than 3,000 deaths that have occured since Operation Gatekeeper and similar militarized border policies began in 1994.

By pushing migration into the most hostile and remote desert regions, U.S. border policy leads directly to this human toll. Since 1994 the number of dead has climbed every year. In response, social justice and humanitarian groups alligned with the No More Deaths coalition have begun mobilizing volunteers in southern Arizona.

In addition to placing water tanks in the desert, working with migrant shelters and providing medical aid to migrants in distress, volunteers with No More Deaths have established a 24-hour presence in the desert to provide food and water to people in need and rescue migrants from the lethal desert heat.

Since the opening of the desert camps on June 5th, volunteers estimate that they have helped more than 100 people, many of whom had been in the desert for days, sickened by contaminated water or without any water at all.

While interaction with law enforcement has been limited, the U.S. Border Patrol has begun regular surveillance of No More Deaths activity, intimidating volunteers in an already delicate political environment.

No More Deaths is looking for volunteers and material support. To find out how to get involved visit www.nomoredeaths.org/getinvolved.html.

Derechos Humanos Border Action Network No Mas Muertes

Resisters of Legislative Bills, Minutemen, and other Vigilantes Speak Out

On June 30th, Border Action Network (BAN) is set to respond to the renewal of an Arizona state lands lease to Roger Barnett's corporate entity, despite opposition and controversy surrounding Barnett's involvement in vigilante activities near the border. BAN's events, planned both in Phoenix and Tucson, at 10:00 am and 2:30pm respectively, will include theatrical action that portrays state officials sweeping the issue under the rug. In their press release, they stated, "There are four civil lawsuits, an international human rights complaint and state liability issues stemming for vigilante crimes on the border –there is no reason why vigilantes such as Mr. Barnett have not been prosecuted by the US, Arizona, or Cochise County Attorney’s offices." More info here.

Friday July 1st brings anti-illegal immigration leaders and their opposition together to the Capitol Building in Phoenix. At 10 am both groups plan to make their opinions known. Planned by Minuteman Mitch Geiger and others, the rally will involve speeches by Minuteman Project organizers Jim Gilchrist and Chris Simcox, Representative Russell Pearce, Protect Arizona Now organizer Randy Pullen, and Randy Graf. Counter-demonstrators will express their solidarity with undocumented immigrants and others who are affected by anti-immigrant attitudes. "All who support human rights need to come out and show solidarity with people being targeted by prejudice, racism, and injustice." More info here.

Scheduled for July 2nd, a Hispanic Community Rally in Mesa will address the various bills in the legislature that target immigrants. They are also promoting a boycott of gasoline for July 2nd and 3rd by Arizona residents. Elias Bermudez, executive director of Immigrants without Borders is to speak, and there will also be local music groups performing. “We are going to demonstrate the impact Hispanics have in the purchase of goods and services in Arizona by beginning with the boycott of gasoline purchases. Participating in the gasoline boycott will demonstrate the solidarity and cohesiveness of the Hispanic community as an advocate for the unprotected who lack identity documents” said Bermúdez.

As part of the larger Arizona boycott movement, there will be a demonstration held on Thursday, July 7th outside of the Governer's tourism conference. "In a time where Arizona benefits from migrant labor in the service sector (ie: hotels, resorts, restaurants) we plan to stand up and say Ya Basta to all the racist, anti-immigrant laws in Arizona," says Unidos para Dignidad Humana's action alert. More about the boycott here.

More than 50 people walk 75 miles from Sasabe to Tucson to support the undocumented migrants

The quiet desert town of Sasabe, Sonora witnessed more than 100 people cross the border Monday on the first day of The Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life event. Organized by a host of border humanitarian and activist groups, the 75-mile hike aims to draw attention to the dangerous conditions that undocumented migrants face when attempting to cross the scorching desert in hopes of finding work. Walkers will end the walk in Tucson on Sunday.

“The No More Deaths Organization is committed to stopping deaths in the desert,” said Margo Cowan, a lawyer with NMD on Monday. “We want to take back the public space where the government says it is wrong to help migrants. It’s our duty to help. We will be walking in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are traveling all around us.”

The Migrant Trail follows only a week after 12 undocumented travelers died in Arizona during a record-breaking heat wave. Forty-one migrants have died since October. It is estimated that more than 3,000 migrants have died since the early 1990s.

No one know how many individuals trek through the 350-mile Arizona border terrain. U.S. Border Patrol detained nearly 500,000 migrants last year, deporting most of them just south of the border. Over the last decade, Border Patrol has cracked down on migrants crossing through city centers. These policies have forced migration out into the dangerous desert.

Hector Suarez, organizer with the Migrant Trail Walk Committee, emphasized the need to show support with the migrants. “We cannot say that once we complete the walk we know what it is really like for migrants,” Suarez said. “These people are leaving behind their homes and their families to risk their lives for a better life.”

Protests, legal observers set to counter Minutemen vigilantes

What better place than Tombstone, Arizona, where gun-toting actors dressed like sheriffs and outlaws keep the nostalgia of the Wild West alive, to be the focal point of yet another vigilante convergence. The Minuteman Project, as it is called, is being organized by two of southern Arizona's most notorious and outspoken border vigilantes: Chris Simcox and Jim Gilchrist. Their plan is to place "observers" every quarter mile along a 20-mile stretch of border from Douglas to the San Pedro River during the month of April.

However, their actions will not go unopposed. Legal observers are being trained to watch over and document the Minutemen. Counter protests, vigils and other border activities are also planned to take place throughout April. ( April Unity Events )

The Minutemen's rhetoric is rooted in racism and a twisted interpretation of history and economics. They blame the migrants for everything, then blame the government for not shutting them out, all the while overlooking the impacts of U.S. free trade policies that are forcing people off their land all over Latin America, leaving few options but to come to the country that caused all the problems in the first place.

Indymedia articles:
Minuteman Project invades Southern Arizona, highlights complexity of border crisis
Legal Observers to Keep Eye on Minute Man Project
Minutemen Most Likely Exaggerators
Crimes Against Humanity

Upcoming Events (more on the calendar):
April 1 - Counter protest in Tombstone
April 2 - Women in Black Vigil at the Border
April 9 - Borderlands Poetry: A Reading Across the Wall
April 17 - Interfaith Vigil Service

White Supremacist on Protect Arizona Now Advisory Board

There's more to Protect Arizona Now's Proposition 200, which may be on Arizona's ballot in November, than making it harder for non-citizens to vote and use state services. Opponents have been convinced from the beginning that there have been racist motivations behind the initiative, and now PAN can boast indisputable associations with a known white supremacist. Not only has PAN had support and significant financial contributions by groups with connections to anti-immigrant militias and white nationalists, the organization has also recently chosen Virginia Abernethy to be the Chair on their national advisory board.

A report from the Center for New Community was recently published detailing Abernethy’s participation in groups such as the Council of Conservative Citizens (racist as well as homophobic), the Carrying Capacity Network, and in the editorial board of Occidental Quarterly. “The European identity of the United States and its people should be maintained. Immigration into the Un