Thread: Open Border Network to document abuses

Published: 08.31.2007
Border Action Network to document abuses
DAVID L. TEIBEL
Tucson Citizen

The Border Action Network, a community human rights organization in Tucson, announced Thursday the beginning of a three-month statewide campaign to document civil rights abuses against the Hispanic community and along the border.

The campaign is to begin Saturday.

The network, formed in southern Arizona in 1999, conducted a similar one-month campaign last year in Douglas, Nogales and Pima County, said Jennifer Allen, the action network's executive director.

At an 11 a.m. press conference at the network's downtown office, Allen said, "After the recent failure by Congress to take up immigration reform, members of human rights organizations are worried about increasing constitutional and human rights violations from states and localities that take on the role of immigration and border enforcement," Allen said.

"With the passage of the employer sanctions bill, the deputizing of immigration agents to enforce local laws in Maricopa County and the rapid expansion of Border Patrol agents, with no commensurate increase in rights protections and accountability, a massive statewide rights education and abuse documentation campaign is step one.''

During last year's campaign 180 people of various status in the United States reported abuses, Allen said.

She said 26 percent of those reporting abuse were U.S. citizens, 35 percent were illegal immigrants. Zoli Zalkind, the network's program coordinator, said the other 39 percent had various kinds of legal status here, such as residency permits, or "green cards," student, work or tourist visas.

"The results were shocking," Allen said of the results of last year's campaign.

A report on last year's campaign, made available at the press conference, said abuses were committed by Border Patrol agents, immigration and customs agents, customs officers, FBI agents, sheriffs' deputies and local police across southern Arizona.

Types of abuse included illegal detention, psychological, verbal and physical abuse, deprivation of basic necessities, violation of rights, illegal search of a home or work place, the report said.
As part of this year's campaign, set to begin Saturday, 100 volunteers will go door-to-door in Hispanic communities and will hold community meetings to educate people on their constitutional rights, teach them how to file complaints with government agencies and document claims of abuse, Allen said.
For more information, call the Border Action Network at 623-4944.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/61637.php

If they are going to complain then it is time for the BP,ICE and local law enforcement to STOP being so lenient on those caught...see how they like that.

Types of abuse included illegal detention, psychological, verbal and physical abuse, deprivation of basic necessities, violation of rights, illegal search of a home or work place, the report said.
As part of this year's campaign, set to begin Saturday, 100 volunteers will go door-to-door in Hispanic communities and will hold community meetings to educate people on their constitutional rights, teach them how to file complaints with government agencies and document claims of abuse, Allen said.

and if no incidents are found.... they will stage the incidents...you can be sure!