Colo. "Samaritans" accused of transporting immigra
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2850843
Article Launched: 07/11/2005 01:29:29 AM
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Colo. "Samaritans" accused of transporting immigrants
Tucson - Two Colorado members of a border humanitarian group were arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol after an agent found three illegal immigrants in their vehicle.
The two No More Deaths volunteers, both students at Colorado College, were arrested at about noon Saturday, said Gustavo Soto, a spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector. They were being held on charges of transporting illegal immigrants.
Soto said an agent pulled over a car marked as "Samaritan patrol" and found three illegal immigrants with students Daniel Strauss and Shanti Sellz, both 23.
Bill Walker, the volunteers' attorney, said they came across nine illegal immigrants in need of medical assistance and were able to treat six of them, but the other three needed more help.
One man was suffering from diarrhea and another had been vomiting for three days, Walker said.
"Our medical team called a registered nurse about the men's conditions and she verified that they needed to be seen by a doctor," Walker said. He said the volunteers were taking the men to Southside Presbyterian Church, where a doctor was to meet them.
Soto said a Border Patrol medical team examined the immigrants and found that they were OK.
"This is unbelievable," Walker said. "They are discouraging people from saving lives and helping others."
Border Patrol officials have said it is legal to give aid to immigrants who are distressed, but transporting them is illegal.