A follow-up to our June 1, 2013 post thedispatch@igc.org
Shooting people in the back, beating to death a man pleading for mercy, killing a man enjoying his daughter's birthday at a family picnic, killing people for throwing rocks, denying prisoners food and water and other cruel treatment---a criminal gang at work? No, these are the actions of the U.S. Border Patrol, now the nation's largest, most poorly trained, most abusive, and most unaccountable police force. And many in Congress want to double the number of agents!
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| Taide Elena with portrait of grandson slain by Border Patrol, Nogales, Sonora. Credit: Josh Morgan, Tucson Weekly |
One of the most recent atrocities committed by the Border Patrol was the shooting death of 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodriguez on Oct. 10, 2012 as he walked down the street in his hometown of Nogales, Mexico. Jose Antonio was shot at least 11 times, most in the back. As in all of these unjustified slayings by the Border Patrol (19 documented since 2010, 6 were slain in Mexico) no justice is given, no prosecutions, not even the names of guilty agents are released. But people like the courageous family of José Antonio are fighting back (see article link at end).
Join the victims' families and border residents' struggle against the wall of impunity in these crimes committed in the name of border security.
On October 10, 2013 (one year anniversary) the family of José Antonio and supporters will hold a rally and vigil at the border wall in Nogales. Join the protest if you can, and take the following actions asap to hold the Border Patrol accountable for their actions and to halt the systematic abuse of border crossers and border residents.*************************************************************************
1) Educate yourself and others! Watch the video below "The Death of José Antonio: An Outcry For Justice on the U.S.-Mexico Border." Show it in the classroom or organize an event (already several college professors are planning to show the video to their classes--write us for a dvd copy). Also use the other videos and articles linked at the end. Let us know if you organize an event and how we can support that. We might be able to help line up a speaker, such as a family member of a victim.
2) Contact members of Congress and the U.S. Justice Dept. Send this message (or write your own) to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder IN ADDITION TO calling in your message in on Oct. 10, the one year anniversary of José Antonio's death:
I am outraged that the U.S. Dept. of Justice has failed to investigate the wave of killings and shootings by U.S. Border Patrol Agents of Mexican and U.S. citizens along the U.S.-Mexico border. Clearly most of the shootings are unjustified actions by poorly trained agents who need to be held accountable for their actions. The recent decisions by the Justice Department not to prosecute agents in the deaths of Carlos LaMadrid (a U.S. citizen killed on the U.S. side of the border wall) and Ramses Barron (killed on the Mexico side) are reprehensible. In the case of Barron's death the Justice Department stated it can do nothing since he died in Mexico and the Justice Department lacks jurisdiction in Mexico. This sends a message that the Mexican side of the border wall is a free-fire zone for Border Patrol agents. Six Mexican citizens have already been killed this way including one man at a family picnic. Oct. 10 completes one year with no justice in the case of José Antonio Elena Rodriguez, a 16 year-old Mexican youth who died in a hail of bullets from Border Patrol agents. An eyewitness stated José Antonio was just walking down the street. Video footage from the Border Patrol has never been released. The family of José Antonio deserves justice now!
Email Attorney General Eric Holder at: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
3) Finally get involved with organizations in your area and state fighting for immigrant rights and opposing racist legislation and support and network with national organizations, such as the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (theniya.org) which is behind the Dreamers movement.
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For more information contact: thedispatch@igc.org
--An investigative report from the Nation Institute, "Over The Line; Why Are U.S. Border Patrol Agents Shooting Into Mexico and Killing Innocent Civilians?"
**************************************************************************The Facebook Page for the Campaign for Justice For José Antonio (organizing the Oct. 10 protest, which begins at 5:30 p.m, with a great new video linked below)
LINKS AND RESOURCES
--The article, "A Grandmother Stronger Than The U.S.-Mexico Border Wall" describing the courageous struggle grandmother of José Antonio's grandmother, Taide Elena:
http://nacla.org/blog/2013/5/28/grandmother-stronger-us-mexico-border-wall |
--An excellent Fault Lines (Al Jazeera) documentary "Cross Border Killings"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYmnngW3Zgo
Click on the links to watch these great videos!
New Video by The Campaign For Justice For José Antonio
Obama, Tear Down These Walls!
Finally read more about Border Patrol abuse of migrants in this
report by Arizona based No More Deaths.
A Culture Of Cruelty |
