El Paso Border March This Saturday
Border Network for Human Rights: Press Advisory
For immediate release: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Contact: Fernando Garcia- BNHR Offices at (915) 577-0724 or 577-0738
Hundreds of Border Residents will take the Streets in El Paso Against Border Violence and for Fair Immigration Reform on Saturday, July 28th
Who and What: Community members of El Paso County and Southern New Mexico Region will March and Rally.
Hundreds of El Paso-New Mexico residents will come together to express their concerns about the incidents of violence against border residents and immigrants occurring in our communities. A few weeks ago, in a period of seven days, Border Patrol agents used lethal force to stop or persuade immigrant workers while crossing the border, with total disregard to the immigrant lives and human rights.
Additionally, while the current administration reinforces the plans to build hundreds of miles of walls and fences in our region, the latest statistic shows a surge of migrants workers dying while crossing the US/Mexico border.
And it is especially worrisome that enforcement agencies leaked confusing and unreliable information about a smuggling ring in Chaparral, NM involving Middle Eastern people, with the attempt to criminalize immigrants and to justify wrongful practices such as raids within communities and local agencies enforcing federal immigration laws.
Our border communities know better than that and are calling for a real immigration reform that provides long term solutions and that accomplish, comprehensibly, the national security goals, the well being and security of border communities, the respect of the lives and the human and civil rights of immigrants, and accountable border policies.
When: Saturday, July 28, 2007 starting at 8:45 am.
Where: From San Jacinto Plaza (downtown El Paso) to Armijo Park (710 E. 7th Ave.)
bh