By Tatiana Sanchez Black and Latino leaders stressed the need for their communities to band together to combat social injustices, at a forum last weekend in Barrio Logan. A panel discussion at the Saturday event, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, highlighted the deaths of two unarmed men of color who died during altercations with law enforcement. Continue reading

  By Catherine E. Shoichet and Madison Park A complaint filed Tuesday accuses U.S. officers of "unchecked abuse" at the border. Several Mexican women claim they were arbitrarily detained and strip-searched, and never told why they'd been singled out. A U.S. citizen alleges that an officer yanked his 11-year-old son's arm, causing a hairline fracture. A legal permanent resident of the United States says an officer screamed at her and falsely accused her of being a fugitive. Continue reading

  By Pedro Rios In late April at San Diego City College over two-dozen students quickly mobilized after learning that Border Patrol agents would have a booth at the career fair. The students solicited support from their professors, who also reached out to community organizations, and planned a public demonstration at the Quad where the career fair would be held. On the morning of the career fair, several students reported seeing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials setting up a booth at the Quad – (CBP is the Border Patrol’s parent agency). By midday, however, Macy’s store representatives occupied the booth originally assigned to the CBP officials. Border Patrol and CBP recruitment agents were nowhere to be seen. Continue reading

  Water quality remains top concern in Tijuana River Valley By Joshua Emerson Smith As birds sing and lizards scuttle in the lush vegetation of the Tijuana River Valley, helicopters circle overhead, and Border Patrol agents on all-terrain vehicles comb the area looking to stop illegal border-crossers. Continue reading

  LAS CRUCES, NM—Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico Regional Center for Border Rights (RCBR), the ACLU Foundation of Texas (ACLU-TX), and the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) filed a complaint on behalf of thirteen border residents, urging the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to investigate abusive treatment by Office of Field Operations officers at ports of entry in El Paso, Texas and southern New Mexico. The complaint details officers’ use of excessive force, verbal abuse, humiliating searches and intimidation to coerce individuals into surrendering their legal rights. In multiple cases, border residents told the RCBR that CBP officers discouraged or failed to inform them of how to file a complaint. Continue reading

  By Ricard Marosi The tears begin flowing the moment the U.S. Border Patrol agents swing open the doors of the border enforcement zone, allowing Mexican families to step through and reunite with loved ones at the border fence near San Diego. Continue reading

  FALFURRIAS — A non-profit in Brooks County is upset over $2,000 worth of missing property. Someone stole more than a dozen water stations meant for people who cross the border illegally. Continue reading

  By Perla Trevizo SAHUARITA — Discussions about border issues often focus on the differences, but on Monday the goal was to find common ground. A group of Southern Arizona residents, city officials, ranchers, business owners and law enforcement officers gathered here for a congressional field hearing, “Life on the Border: Examining Border Security through the Eyes of Local Residents and Law Enforcement,” held by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally of Arizona and New Mexico Rep.Steve Pearce, both Republicans. Continue reading

  Enforcement Should Follow International, Human Rights Standards (San Francisco) – A United States Border Patrol Agent who shot an unarmed Mexican child in the back across the border should not escape justice if the shooting was unlawful, Human Rights Watch said in a friend-of-the-court brief. Continue reading

  By Tatiana Sanchez A social justice organization will track alleged instances of mistreatment by federal border and immigration agents. The American Friends Service Committee’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program announced its nine-month Human Rights Documentation Campaign last week. The group will hire part-time staff to focus on administrative complaints involving law enforcement agencies, with a focus on border and immigration agencies. Continue reading