PRACTICING HOSPITALITY IN THE BORDERLANDS

Artistic graphic of a cadaver with the red dots from Humane Borders where migrant bodies have been found in the desert.

Tucson Border Sector Map - Humane Borders

Rev. John Fife talking about the border history.

Training to be a Samaritan in Arizona

Last Sunday I went to Southside Presbyterian Church, the first Sanctuary church in 1982 and still offering sanctuary today.  The Samaritans walk the trails in the desert with water, food and basic first aid.  I am here to learn how to get involved.  

A lawyer begins by saying "Humanitarian aid is not a crime," but then adds there are things that a volunteer cannot do such as transporting a migrant or in any way hiding his or her presence from the border patrol.  If it is a dire medical situation, then one asks the person for permission to call 911 and says that the Border Patrol will probably show up at the same time.  At all times in a questionable situation, call for legal or medical advice. WOW!   More complicated than I thought.  

"We are out here to save lives," says another volunteer - "Remember we need to get along with everyone including the Border Patrol and we always act in a non-violent manner."  

The Samaritans are out on the trails, "a highway of trails," 365 days a year.  Some of the trails are difficult, rocky and hilly but there are many ways to serve.  I am particularly interested in the twice a week trips to the Comedor in Nogales, Sonora, where the Samaritans and No More Deaths provide cell phone service to migrants to call their families and dispense prevention packets for those intending to cross the desert.

Besides providing survival items the Samaritans are most importantly "eyes" or "witnesses" to Border Patrol interaction with migrants.  If abuses are observed, take down the name, badge number and vehicle license number and report the incident.  In addition Samaritans with other groups monitor the weekly immigration legal proceedings called Operation Streamline where groups of fifty or sixty immigrants cases are adjudicated with deportation the likely outcome.  Again, there are witnesses in the courtroom to the proceedings.

The most interesting presentation was on the history of the border by Rev. John Fife, former pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church and long-time immigration justice activist. 

John amazed us with an overview of the border policy or relations from 1700 to the present.  It is clear that the United States after it defeated Mexico in the 1846-48 Mexican-American war with the current border established in 1853, our policy has been one of racism.  "We need their labor but are not willing to give them amnesty or a pathway to citizenship."  

The current border policy "Secure the border" was instituted in 1994.  "It is a failed policy as it forces people into the most devastating areas of the desert." He showed us Humane Border maps of where the more than 7000 deaths have occurred in the past twenty years with 2000 unidentified remains.  http://www.humaneborders.org

John stressed that the humanitarian aid organizations such as the Samaritans and No More Deaths are not doing civil disobedience where one violates a bad law in order to change it.  " We don't want to change refugee law, it is the U.S. government that is breaking the law."

Instead we organize around the principle of "civil initiative," to exercise the legal right to protect victims of human rights violations when the government violates their human rights.  These people we aid are victims of the border protection strategy.  

The two Samaritan groups and NMD cover the Tucson sector, 2000 square feet - an enormous mountainous and desert area from the New Mexico border to the west and the Yuma County line to the east.  
A Geology professor and volunteers have developed topological maps of the area and volunteers take the GPS devices which allow them to know the coordinates and "wave points" if they encounter migrants needing medical assistance.John amazed us with an overview of the border policy or relations from 1700 to the present.  It is clear that the United States after it defeated Mexico in the 1846-48 Mexican-American war with the current border established in 1853, our policy has been one of racism.  "We need their labor but are not willing to give them amnesty or a pathway to citizenship."  
The current border policy "Secure the border" was instituted in 1994.  "It is a failed policy as it forces people into the most devastating areas of the desert." He showed us Humane Border maps of where the more than 7000 deaths have occurred in the past twenty years with 2000 unidentified remains.  http://www.humaneborders.org

John stressed that the humanitarian aid organizations such as the Samaritans and No More Deaths are not doing civil disobedience where one violates a bad law in order to change it.  " We don't want to change refugee law, it is the U.S. government that is breaking the law."

Instead we organize around the principle of "civil initiative," to exercise the legal right to protect victims of human rights violations when the government violates their human rights.  These people we aid are victims of the border protection strategy.  

The two Samaritan groups and NMD cover the Tucson sector, 2000 square feet - an enormous mountainous and desert area from the New Mexico border to the west and the Yuma County line to the east.  
A Geology professor and volunteers have developed topological maps of the area and volunteers take the GPS devices which allow them to know the coordinates and "wave points" if they encounter migrants needing medical assistance.John amazed us with an overview of the border policy or relations from 1700 to the present.  It is clear that the United States after it defeated Mexico in the 1846-48 Mexican-American war with the current border established in 1853, our policy has been one of racism.  "We need their labor but are not willing to give them amnesty or a pathway to citizenship."  
The current border policy "Secure the border" was instituted in 1994.  "It is a failed policy as it forces people into the most devastating areas of the desert." He showed us Humane Border maps of where the more than 7000 deaths have occurred in the past twenty years with 2000 unidentified remains.  http://www.humaneborders.org

John stressed that the humanitarian aid organizations such as the Samaritans and No More Deaths are not doing civil disobedience where one violates a bad law in order to change it.  " We don't want to change refugee law, it is the U.S. government that is breaking the law."

Instead we organize around the principle of "civil initiative," to exercise the legal right to protect victims of human rights violations when the government violates their human rights.  These people we aid are victims of the border protection strategy.  

The two Samaritan groups and NMD cover the Tucson sector, 2000 square feet - an enormous mountainous and desert area from the New Mexico border to the west and the Yuma County line to the east.  
A Geology professor and volunteers have developed topological maps of the area and volunteers take the GPS devices which allow them to know the coordinates and "wave points" if they encounter migrants needing medical assistance.
I hope to head out this coming week ( Feb. 9-14th ) as I have been on the road  El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM visiting groups in these two cities.  Join me on the journey.  Abrazos, Pat