I recently had the pleasure of meeting Enrique Morones, the founder of Border Angels, a non-profit, volunteer run, human rights organization that strives to prevent deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border. Border Angels recognizes that the militarization of the border is not a solution and has led to an increase in displacement and the estimated 10,000 deaths (since Operation Gatekeeper in 1994); Death not only from dehydration or harsh environmental conditions but also from racially- discriminatory crimes (such as those committed by the Minutemen Project). They hope to counteract these causes of death by installing rescue/water stations, placing crosses where anonymous bodies have been left for dead, and educating students and anybody willing to listen, all the while gathering signatures to personally give to legislators.  Enrique stresses the need for people to look at the issue of immigration in a more humane way, so as to stop the criminalization of human beings, all in hopes of a more understanding and progressive discussion and action to take place.

Despite my personal lack of firsthand experience along the borderlands (from what I remember anyways), the criminalization of people of color and immigrant communities, in particular, is something we are all too familiar with. Border-like vigilance has permeated into the states far from the border causing families to be separated, human rights to be violated, and fellow DREAM beneficiaries to be jailed and issued deportation orders from one day to the next.

Putting up a wall, hearing and witnessing death, separation, and/or detention of other human beings should not have to make this country feel “safer.” What is this country really afraid of?