SOUTHERN BORDER — Today, the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) unveiled A New Border Vision, a framework for positive and compassionate action that moves us from the myopic and harmful enforcement of the last few decades to responsive and responsible border governance for the 21st century.
Crafted by SBCC’s partners throughout the southern border region, with input from leading academic and policy experts on migration from around the world, A New Border Vision is anchored in the belief that all people have the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – regardless of where they come from or what region of the country they call home.
For decades our border policies have cast aside human rights, criminalized migrants and engaged in deadly and unaccountable enforcement, undermining public safety for all.
To this, we say ‘No more.’ It’s time for a New Border Vision that expands public safety, protects human rights, and welcomes residents and newcomers in a manner consistent with our national values and global best practices. A New Border Vision is being released now to inform national policy and ground national politics as the presidential election cycle gets underway. Through this vision, border communities are sharing their perspective and calling for change.
Read A New Border Vision here.
Andrea Guerrero, executive director of Alliance San Diego and SBCC steering committee member said:
“A New Border Vision draws on our national values and global best practices to imagine a new frame for border governance that is more effective and more humane. A New Border Vision leads with our values, addresses our needs, and adheres to good governance to generate well-functioning borders for the 21st century.”
Mark Adams, US coordinator for Frontera de Cristo in Arizona and SBCC steering committee member said:
“We have a moral obligation to uphold the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people, regardless of where they come from. A New Border Vision recognizes and affirms that people who migrate are doing so in pursuit of these rights, and that we must protect them, not criminalize them.”
Johana Bencomo, director of community organizing at New Mexico Comunidades en Accion y de Fé (NMCAFé) and SBCC co-chair said:
“Decades of enforcement-only border policies have jeopardized the public safety and rights of border communities. A New Border Vision turns the page to a new chapter in which border communities speak to what they want and need for everyone to feel safe and thrive.”
Christina Patiño Houle, network weaver for the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network in Texas and SBCC co-chair said:
“Our region is diverse, just like our nation. A New Border Vision recognizes that diversity is our strength and calls on us to strive for social cohesion and inclusion, and end the stigmatizing, xenophobic, racist, and alarmist messages that have become the hallmark of this administration. Our future as a nation requires that we treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN BORDER COMMUNITIES COALITION
The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) brings together organizations from San Diego, California, to Brownsville, Texas, to ensure that border enforcement policies and practices are accountable and fair, respect human dignity and human rights, and prevent the loss of life in the region.
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