From the interior borderlands to the belly of the beast

The Borderlands Witness Drive arrived inside the beltway on Wednesday evening, July 25th. The 110th Congress is scurrying to wrap up the current session and depart this steamy city. The ground is still fresh on the interred remains of the comprehensive immigration reform bill, sidelined in the Senate just a few weeks ago. Members of both parties are carrying wounds of dissatisfaction and disappointment at their failure to enact this desperately needed legislation.

For our initial day of meetings with congressional staffers this past Friday, we prepared the following handout to help in the discussion:

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Christian Peacemaker Teams
Borderlands Witness Drive
Proposals for Humane Immigration Reform

The Borderlands Witness Drive traveled the length of the United States border with Mexico beginning in Tucson, Arizona, continuing to Brownsville, Texas during July 2007. We met many individuals, communities and organizations that shared stories of life in border communities. We bring these perspectives to help inform the current debate on immigration. Beginning with the framework set forth by Arizona’s No More Deaths Coalition, we have the following observations:

1. Current policy has failed. It has not stemmed the flow of immigration; rather, it forces people to cross in more dangerous areas. Deaths in the desert have reached an all-time high.
2. Additional construction of border walls as authorized by the Secure Fence Act of 2006 will further divide families and local communities without providing an effective solution.
3. Any responsible immigration reform must address the status of the 12 million undocumented people currently living in the U.S. Many families include both documented and undocumented members—there is a dire need to keep these families together.
4. The vast majority of immigrants come to work. We must ensure humane working and living conditions for temporary guest workers.
5. A just policy must address the root causes of immigration. Many Mexican and Central Americans have been forced out of their communities by crippling global economic policies.

Initiatives we support:

• DREAM Act
• AgJOBS bill
• Congressional visits to border cities to include those most directly affected in policy debates and decisions

Initiatives we consider harmful:

• Costly and ineffective efforts to secure the border by means of walls and virtual walls
• Detention of undocumented immigrants with no other criminal record

Borderlands Witness Drive team members: John Heid, Wisconsin; Sarah Shirk, Illinois; Haven Whiteside, Florida; Brian Young, Indiana

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As mentioned in the handout, the five points at the beginning are based on the Faith Based Principles for Immigration Reform provided on No More Deaths' site.