Thread: AZ: Volunteers fined for leaving water for border crossers

Volunteers fined for leaving water for border crossers
Comments 47

July 20, 2009 - 11:19 PM
BY MARCO A. FLORES, BAJO EL SOL

Thirteen members of humanitarian organizations received fines for littering earlier this month after putting gallon water jugs along the Arizona border with Mexico, intended for undocumented immigrants entering the country.

The people were issued citations in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches 30 miles north of the border in southern Arizona, near the town of Arivaca. The refuge has been identified as an active corridor for migrants.

Members of three humanitarian groups - No Más Muertes (No More Deaths), Samaritanos de Tucson (Tucson Samaritans) and Fronteras Humanas (Humane Borders) - tried to place gallons of drinking water in four specific points of the corridor at a time when forecasts had temperatures reaching 110.

No Más Muertes developed a program in which gallon jugs were left in large numbers at specific points with the date and GPS coordinates written on the side. The volunteers said they checked the locations weekly to replace the used gallons and to collect any discarded bottles and other garbage.

The humanitarian groups said they had requested a meeting with the shelter's manager, Mike Hawkes, in June relating to their plans to leave water for border crossers, but that Hawkes responding with a letter on July 7, saying he preferred a "virtual meeting via e-mail."

On July 9, officers of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management issued citations and confiscated the water.

Members of the organizations say they still want to meet with officials to work out an agreement allowing water to be left out in the desert.

"Our job is to convince these officials that we can prevent human deaths, while preserving the land," said Maureen Marx, a retired nurse and a volunteer with No Más Muertes.


http://www.yumasun.com/news/border-5159 ... water.html

Volunteers fined for leaving water for border crossers
Comments 47

July 20, 2009 - 11:19 PM
BY MARCO A. FLORES, BAJO EL SOL

Thirteen members of humanitarian organizations received fines for littering earlier this month after putting gallon water jugs along the Arizona border with Mexico, intended for undocumented immigrants entering the country.

The people were issued citations in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches 30 miles north of the border in southern Arizona, near the town of Arivaca. The refuge has been identified as an active corridor for migrants.

Members of three humanitarian groups - No Más Muertes (No More Deaths), Samaritanos de Tucson (Tucson Samaritans) and Fronteras Humanas (Humane Borders) - tried to place gallons of drinking water in four specific points of the corridor at a time when forecasts had temperatures reaching 110.

No Más Muertes developed a program in which gallon jugs were left in large numbers at specific points with the date and GPS coordinates written on the side. The volunteers said they checked the locations weekly to replace the used gallons and to collect any discarded bottles and other garbage.

The humanitarian groups said they had requested a meeting with the shelter's manager, Mike Hawkes, in June relating to their plans to leave water for border crossers, but that Hawkes responding with a letter on July 7, saying he preferred a "virtual meeting via e-mail."

On July 9, officers of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management issued citations and confiscated the water.

Members of the organizations say they still want to meet with officials to work out an agreement allowing water to be left out in the desert.

"Our job is to convince these officials that we can prevent human deaths, while preserving the land," said Maureen Marx, a retired nurse and a volunteer with No Más Muertes.


http://www.yumasun.com/news/border-5159 ... water.html

Originally Posted by jamesw62

Thirteen members of humanitarian organizations received fines for littering earlier this month after putting gallon water jugs along the Arizona border with Mexico, intended for undocumented immigrants entering the country.

Isn’t this also aiding and abetting criminals? Does anyone know the difference?

Originally Posted by jamesw62

Thirteen members of humanitarian organizations received fines for littering earlier this month after putting gallon water jugs along the Arizona border with Mexico, intended for undocumented immigrants entering the country.

Isn’t this also aiding and abetting criminals? Does anyone know the difference?