From the Border Report #7

A few weeks ago on the blog, we reported on the insane prosecution of humanitarian volunteers in Arizona who are being prosecuted for helping dieing border crossers get emergency, life-saving medical care. On Sunday, our border delegation had a chance to meet at speak with one of the young defendants, Shanti Sellz.

She volunteers with the No More Deaths coalition, a faith based organization that serves as an umbrella group of many programs to change border policy. They came together in 2004 because of border deaths that resulted from Operation Gatekeeper to provide direct action on the ground, namely to go to the desert to aid border crossers who they might find in distress and who might die without humanitarian aid. They believe the deaths have resulted from the militarization of the border.

Shanti volunteered for 2 summers: 2004 and 2005. She knows how desperate crossers came become—how they often beg for help. Unfortunately, many US citizens are afraid to help even when they see such persons on the side of the road. This can happen almost every day in the summertime heat of the Arizona desert.

Coyotes often misinform their customers about how long the walk is, what clothing and footwear is needed, the difficulty of the terrain, how much food and water is needed. Some end up wearing tennis shoes and bring one bottle of water and a sandwich, when they actually face a 75 mile walk over rocky rough terrain. Many walk at night and can’t see, pushed hard  by their guides after making a $2000 payment. If they can’t keep up, they will be left behind, because the coyote doesn’t care. When morning comes, they’re left alone, they don’t know where they are. What they experience in the Sonoran desert summer is heat. Last summer, the region experienced 40 straight days of over a hundred degree weather. Not surprisingly, one easily succumbs to dehydration. In this Tucson/Nogales sector alone, 282 bodies were found last year. For every body found, observers estimate that probably 2 or 3 times as many aren’t found.

When the volunteers see someone in distress, they give the victim food and water, then drive away if that’s all they need. Some have blisters on their feet, and the volunteers might treat the blisters, that can be the size of a softball! Crossers are often treated in the field. Some volunteer medical folks patrol with them or they can call medical folks for advice by phone.  Volunteers don’t drive away unless they think the crossers are okay, making sure they know where they are, how far they are from their destination, so the crossers can make decisions on whether they want to proceed. In fact, the volunteers have called the Border Patrol for crossers who want to go back.

Some crossers report not having urinated in 2 days; or they drink water from filthy cattle tanks and develop bacterial problems.

The volunteers only call for evacuation if lawyers and medical folks agree that evacuations are necessary. There have only been 68 such evacuations since these efforts have been initiated. In an evacuation, the patient is taken to a safe place where they can be cared for. Shanti and her co-volunteer were arrested for transporting in such a situation, even though the Border Patrol agents saw the programs large decals on the volunteers’ vehicle. In fact, the agent acknowledged that he knew Shanti and her co-volunteer were good people. The 3 crossers that Shanti and her co-volunteer picked up were severely ill, and vomiting.

Shanti and her co-volunteer have been charged with aiding and abetting initially; a conspiracy charge has been added. They face 15 years in prison and a $5000 fine. The defendants have been offered plea bargains that have been declined.

The defendants’ motion to dismiss has been denied and an April 25 trial date has been set Shanti is being represented by William Walker, and recently Stanley Feldman, a former Arizona Supreme Court justice, volunteered to help with the defense.

Shanti finds it difficult to stand by while the deaths continue as a result of Operation Gatekeeper enforcement strategies.

bh