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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| "Activists" Encourage Border Crossings....With Maps |
| 2006-01-24 |
| If you loved the comic books last year, you'll LOVE this... Mexico's human rights agency says it will give out detailed maps of the Arizona desert, including rescue beacons and water stations, to guide migrants safely through the most popular and deadliest corridor into the United States. The maps were designed by a Tucson-based group, Humane Borders, which plans to hold a joint press conference today with the National Human Rights Commission in Mexico City to announce its strategy. The maps are the latest effort by activists to aid undocumented immigrants as they trek across the border, helping to fuel a raging debate over illegal immigration in Arizona and other parts of the United States. Two rights commission officials confirmed the quasi-governmental agency had agreed to print and distribute the maps through its state offices to reach Mexican migrants before they ever leave their hometowns. It has not decided how many copies to print or how much it will spend on the project, the officials told The Republic. They spoke on condition of anonymity pending the official announcement today. Officials in President Vicente Fox's office said Monday that they were unaware of the project and had no immediate comment. The Mexican Foreign Ministry said it would not be involved in distributing the maps. The plan's proponents say they are trying to prevent deaths, and they deny the maps encourage people to cross. "This is good information, and it will save lives," said Rev. Robin Hoover, president of Humane Borders. Riiiiight. But border-control advocates say they fear the maps could embolden people to make the trek. "I'm afraid that maps and water jugs do nothing but give illegal crossers false hope," Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, a Republican, said in a written statement. "Either we convince potential crossers not to make the journey or, failing that, we stop them from crossing the border." Arizona has become the most traveled corridor for Mexicans trying to enter the United States illegally. Border Patrol agents in Arizona caught more than 577,000 undocumented migrants, most of them Mexicans, during the 2005 fiscal year. At least 279 immigrants attempting to cross the desert died during that time. That we know of, anyway. Humane Borders has produced maps for each of the four main corridors through Arizona: Douglas, Lukeville, Sasabe and Nogales. The maps show mountains, roads, railroads and cities. Blue flags show where migrant-aid groups have left water tanks in the desert. Blue stars indicate Border Patrol rescue beacons where migrants can push a button to summon help. Black lines show how far a migrant can expect to get walking one, two or three days. The maps use red dots to show where migrants have died during the past four years. Humane Borders used data from the Border Patrol, medical examiners and other agencies to pinpoint each death. At the top of each map, a bar graph shows the number of deaths during each month of the year. At the bottom are several tips including: "Go with people you know and trust." I guess saying 'don't go with that weasel coyote who will leave you behind to die' was just a bit too harsh. "Don't cross the desert between May and August, because the temperatures are very high." If they really wanted to be honest, they would have said from March to mid October. But that might, maybe, DISCOURAGE someone from crossing. Can't have that. "Bring enough water and food." Nice and vague. Tell them how much they actually need to bring. But again, that might convince them not to come. Who will these "activists" represent if they don't have a continuous source of fresh meat? "Know your route well and the distance well before starting." "Look for tanks of water in the desert that are marked with blue flags." "And pray someone else hasn't drank it all or left the tap running before you got there." Large letters say "Don't go! There's not enough water! It's not worth it!" Why do I think this is the only part written in English? Future versions of the maps will include circles showing cellular telephone coverage, Hoover said. I guess that's just in case they want to make a final call back home before they die. How considerate of the good reverend. In May, Humane Borders distributed a few maps in Sasabe, Sonora, just over the border in Mexico. But the group decided it needed to get the information farther south, to discourage potential migrants before they even leave their hometowns, Hoover said. The Human Rights Commission pledged its support in December. The agency is technically independent of the Mexican government, but it is funded by Mexican taxpayers and operates under a government charter. Critics of the maps said they don't do enough to emphasize the dangers, or the illegality, of crossing the border. "If you want to tell people, 'Don't go,' then that's an entirely different handout. You don't give people a map," said Rick Oltman, western field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Can't wait for the bodies clutching these maps to start popping up. |
| Posted by:Desert Blondie |
| #11 This is a conspiracy to aid and abet illegal activity. It's a offence they can and should go to jail for. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2006-01-24 20:17 |
| #10 why not just print in Arabic and complete the perfidy. Jail em! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-01-24 15:48 |
| #9 Tanks w/ blue flags = porta potties. |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2006-01-24 14:59 |
| #8 The naturalists have been breeding endangered wolves and releasing them into the wild. I think the same should be done in the corridors marked on these maps (surely someone has picked up a copy!). Trumpet the release of the wolves, and retell traditional tales of wolf packs hunting down humans. Dying of thirst is one thing, but being torn apart by ravenous animals? That's the material of nightmares. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-01-24 14:03 |
| #7 How nice to identify WHERE we can expect to find these people before they disappear into our cities. Remember people, some seeming curses are really blessings in disguise... |
| Posted by: Ptah 2006-01-24 13:24 |
| #6 I say we invade and take that piece of Sonora over to Baja California. A whole lotta Mexicans automagically become tax-paying US citizens, the border becomes shorter and easier to patrol, and "beachfront property in Arizona" is no longer a punchline. |
| Posted by: BH 2006-01-24 12:04 |
| #5 Mexico's human rights agency Who obviously don't give a crap for basic human rights within their own borders in establishing a meaningful economy and reducing unemployment from the 20s to the lower single digits. |
| Posted by: Throlung Slomoth9339 2006-01-24 11:56 |
| #4 I'd just be happy if there was one government attorney who had the guts to go for a reckless endangerment indictment. They are enticing people to go out into the desert and kill themselves. Dying of dehydration is a horrible way to go. With the exception of Gary Tison, no one deserves that. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2006-01-24 11:47 |
| #3 Isn't it more like giving the defending army the invading army's plans? If anyone is listening, that is. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2006-01-24 11:31 |
| #2 Lawsuit? I'd settle for arrest and imprisonment for these bastards for aiding and abetting illegal entry. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2006-01-24 11:29 |
| #1 Isn't this like giving an invading army a map? The citizens of Arizona might want to think about a lawsuit against "Humane Borders". At the very least. |
| Posted by: Jimp Ebboter5520 2006-01-24 10:44 |