Our visit to BorderLinks at this particular time continued to offer experiences in conjunction with Scott Warren’s trial. In the morning, we trekked to the courthouse for an Interfaith Vigil organized by local Tucson clergy. Over 100 clergy and many more gathered to offer words and prayers of solidarity. Each respective religion shared sacred texts of love, protection, and care of the stranger. I recorded the Water Liturgy. You can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/blankleya/videos/599250608158/
Giving or receiving a drink of water will not forfeit your eternal reward. When the prosecutor says “You’re guilty of giving water, you’re guilty of providing shelter, our higher power will say OVERRULED.” – Universalist Minister
Our morning continued with a presentation from Karolina Lopez, a Transgender woman and Mexican asylum seeker. Karolina’s journey to America is a difficult one, riddled with abuse, forced prostitution, arrests, and detention center occupation. She now volunteers with Mariposas Sin Fronteras, a activist group that assists LGBTQ individuals and victims of abuse currently in detention centers. The group writes letters, raises money for bond release, offers case support and owns a post-detention home. A place to say and a sponsor are critical for asylum seeker’s ability to stay in the US.
The rest of the day was used for mentally preparing to attend Operation Streamline. Operation Stream began in Tucson in 2008. Like it’s name, the court processes 75-85 migrants who were picked up by border patrol in the desert. The court runs for 2.5 hrs M-F. The criteria for those being criminally charged are arbitrary, as many more than 85 migrants may be stopped by the border patrol on any given day. What we witnessed were primarily young men. Their offense? Entering the US without authorized documentation at a non-port of entry. We witnessed over 70 men and 3 women cycle into the courtroom in shackles and present in front of the judge. None of the individuals spoke English so interpreting devices were used. The accused are offered an attorney at no cost to them. The majority of the defense attorney’s are private and are contracted by the Federal Gov’t. Attorneys are given 30 minutes with their client earlier in the day. Each attorney represents 5-7 individuals per day. The accused stand before a judge 7 at a time. All will plead guilty as the chances of them winning their case are slim, and would require them to be held in detention centers as the case is on going. First-time “offenders” will receive 6 mos in federal prison and after, immediate deportation. They will have a misdemeanor on their record which will likely prevent them from ever becoming a citizen. Second and third time “offenders” receive more time, and a felony charge. Our group was able to meet with a defense attorney following the court. He wishes people would care as much about multiple time offenders as first-timers. In the higher levels of the courthouse, there are individuals being tried for much longer sentences and the conditions of why they are leaving their country in the first place have not changed. He said he had received a call from the NY Times asking him for 30 minutes to describe how things have changed in the last 10 years. He laughed at them. “30 minutes” he said? “You can come down here and see for yourself. If you aren’t willing to come down here, then I don’t want to talk with you.” He wants our congress and president to know: These are human beings. The NYTimes report has yet to reach back out to him. https://tucson.com/news/local/operation-streamline-a-look-at-federal-prosecutions-of-illegal-border/article_e05f87db-cb58-50eb-a6d2-fd56eb1b9eab.html
The day finished with a debrief of our experiences at Streamline and a presentation by the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project. The organization provides legal aid to vulnerable individuals in detention centers. To learn more about their work, visit: http://www.firrp.org.
We got an hour of free time to go for ice cream. It was much needed.
When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in the land, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, ‘Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.’
1 Chronicles 16:19-22
Anne's Blog 