http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=4739739

Border Patrol Meets With Concerned Citizens
April 7, 2006, 11:01 AM
By Mark Stine, KOLD News 13

While lawmakers debate in Washington, the Border Patrol and citizens concerned with immigration problems are meeting in Tucson to discuss other solutions.

The Border Action Network has been working with local law enforcement and the patrol to improve some of the problems they say are surrounding border communities.

"There's not only one, there's not only two, but there's a lot of problems," says Egla Gutierrez. She's just one of many citizens voicing concerns to local law enforcement and border patrol.

"We want to explain what's going on because maybe they don't know, maybe they're not doing something because they don't know what's going on."

Thursday night's meeting is the third of three meetings the Border Action Network is holding. The two previous were held in Douglas and Nogales.

"To work to change practices, to change some of the policies, so that people's basic human rights and civil rights are protected and upheld," says the director of Border Action Network, Jennifer Allen.

She says some of those issues concerning citizens are racial profiling, Border Patrol agents entering private property without consent from owners, and concerns related to the checks and balances inside government agencies.

"These are issues we've heard before from the community and that's why we keep going to these meetings."

"It still helps us open a dialogue with these other groups," says Jim Hawkins with the Border Patrol. He's glad the Border Action Network wants to work together to find solutions.

"If we just ignore each other the situation will just get worse. The more we talk, the more we understand each others position then hopefully find some common ground on these issues."

Allen says the willingness from law enforcement and the Border Patrol to attend the meetings will hopefully bring change.

"That gives us hope that we will be able to affect some changes and we will continue working together, so we can have border security working in tandem with community security."

The Border Action Network told us there is also concern when people file complaints and there is no response from law enforcement.. Jim Hawkins from Border Patrol said there is a certain reporting process that people need to follow, and that was another message they wanted citizens to hear.