Press Conference on Border Shootings

Border Communities Raise Their Concerns on Recent Border Patrol Shootings in El Paso Metropolitan Area

Border Network for Human Rights will a hold press conference on today to present community petition to investigate shootings

El Paso, Texas. July 3, 2007. In just one week, communities in our El Paso region have experienced two violent incidents involving Border Patrol agents, immigrants and smugglers. In the first incident one immigrant drowned and a Border Patrol Agent was apparently hit by a rock. In the second incident one immigrant apparently resulted injured. In both incidents federal Border Patrol agents used lethal force (firearms) to deal with the situation. Both shootings occurred within border communities in the US side.

The failure of Congress to enact new border and immigration policies do not justify by any means, the surge of violent and lethal enforcement against immigrants and much less, to jeopardize the safety of border residents.   

The Border Network for Human Right along with the several border communities in East and Central El Paso and Southern New Mexico emphatically condemn the shootings and the use of lethal force toward immigrant workers and express their concern for what appears to be an increase of human and civil rights violations in our region caused by immigration enforcement agents. 

At the same time, the Border Network energetically denounces the violence of the smugglers that take advantage of and abuse immigrant workers trying to cross the border.   

This coming Thursday July 5th, in a press conference, community representatives from El Paso and Southern New Mexico will present further testimonies of community concerns in regards to this renew violence in our region and will present a petition to the agencies and authorities (local and national) to investigate the shootings, to review the training of Border Patrol agents in the use of lethal force, and the disclosure of the civil and human rights curriculum use for training agents.

Once again, this whole situation only reinforces the need to provide long-term policy solutions that recognizes the reality of immigration and the humanity of immigrant families coming to the US.   

PRESS CONFERENCE
Armijo Park
710 E 7th Ave
El Paso, TX 79901

On Border Patrol Shootings and Violence on the Border
Thursday 5th, 2007 at 11 am

Fernando Garcia
Border Network for Human Rights
1101 E. Yandell
El Paso, TX 79901
(915) 577-0724

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