Tucson, AZ – Over 100 people braved the intense desert sun Tuesday morning, July 2, to demonstrate their anger at Trump’s threat for ICE raids aimed at thousands of undocumented families. Many demonstrators also expressed their demand to reunite families and to close the concentration camps operating as detention centers.

Outside the federal building protesters held signs reading “Close the camps!” and “Dismantle ICE!” The group then marched to the Pima County Office to demand an end to the Sheriff’s collaboration with ICE and Border Patrol. Organizer from Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Isabel Garcia, said “The county’s decision to participate in Operation Stonegarden and the terrorizing of immigrant families is just criminal. We must demand they stop this immediately.”

That same morning also saw the federal government begin a second prosecution of humanitarian aid provider Scott Warren. After a hung jury succeeded in defeating the political repression efforts of the Trump administration, Warren is now facing two charges of “harboring illegal aliens.” The sentencing for such charges could result in ten years.

It is clear Trump and his team are targeting not only refugees and undocumented families but also those who seek to aid them.

#TucsonAZ #PeoplesStruggles #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos

Tucson, AZ – Over 100 people chanted, “Troops off the border! Defy Trump’s order!” at the Davis-Monthan Air Force base on December 1. Signs reading “Refugees welcome here!” drew many honks of solidarity from traffic passing by the base entrance where demonstrators stood outside.

Isabel Garcia of Coalicion de Derechos Humanos warned of the danger of Trump’s unconstitutional order to deploy U.S. military troops to enforce civilian law on immigration, “We saw what armed forces like Border Patrol do. They hurt people, they kill migrants and refugees.”

After the speakers wrapped up, the group took the streets and blocked the whole intersection as the police rerouted hundreds of vehicles. “This is people power! We must build this and defeat the Trump agenda!” declared organizer Edward Cott from his bullhorn in the streets.

Plans continue to build mobilization against the deployment of 15,000 troops to the Mexico border. This action was in response to the call by the Legalization for All Network for a week of national actions.

#TucsonAZ #PeoplesStruggles #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos #LegalizationForAllNetwork #DavisMonthanAirForce

Tucson, AZ – On Dec. 7, community organizations and residents held a vigil in downtown Tucson in honor and remembrance of a Central American migrant killed by Border Patrol the week before. On Nov. 29, Border Patrol agents in the Baboquivari Mountains of the Tohono O’odham nation, located just southwest of Tucson, Arizona shot to death one of four migrants said to be from Guatemala. The others were detained.

The Border Patrol held a press conference the next morning stating that the man was shot because he assaulted an officer and allegedly had reached for the agent’s gun. Multiple community organizations including LUPE Action Committee and Coalicion de Derechos Humanos held their own press conference, where they contested the narrative of the Border Patrol.

Devora Gonzalez of Derechos Humanos stated, “This is a direct result of border militarization, where urban crossings have been sealed, and internal checkpoints have been implemented, pushing people further into the mountains where agency accountability and oversight is impossible. We reject the categories of criminalization that puts every migrant and refugee in the borderlands directly in the crosshairs of Border Patrol sights.”

The Dec. 7 vigil included participants from the LUPE Action Committee, Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, School of Americas Watch, Border Patrol Victims Network, and the Promotoras of the YWCA. Organizers aimed to highlight the most recent murder as well as all others who died at the hands of border patrol or border militarization.

The vigil itself had two starting points; one was at the federal courthouse, which houses the Operation Streamline proceedings every week. Those who met at the courthouse stood facing the street in a line that wrapped around the sidewalk, while holding candles and signs. The other starting point of the vigil began at the corner of West Spruce and South Palomas where there was a community run that passed by the federal courthouse. They stopped there for a brief prayer circle, then continued on the run, at which point others followed suit in a silent march, and finally ended at El Tiradito, a local shrine where Derechos Humanos has held a vigil for those who have died crossing the border since 2000. Vigil participants held candles, sang, and said aloud all the names of those who have died due to border militarization since 2010, 55 of whom were murdered by the Border Patrol.

Speakers at the vigil spoke to the untrustworthiness of the Border Patrol. Members of the Border Patrol Victims Network gave the example of the agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed on the side of the highway by the mirror of a semi-truck, but local Border Patrol unions used his death to spin an agenda. Now largely a martyr for the right-wing anti-immigrant forces, they said he was killed by undocumented migrants crossing the border, a blatant lie.

LUPE organizer Edward Cott stated clearly that the local news not only echoed government official lies but never retract clearly false statements. The LUPE organizers were made aware of this fact earlier this year, when they were attacked by police in an anti-ICE raid rally which resulted in four unjust felony arrests. Every local news media outlet published false claims about that incident. In regard to the LUPE rally, all charges have since been dropped due to public outrage.

School of the Americas Watch organizer, Eduardo Garcia, highlighted the role of U.S. imperialism in the whole of Latin America. The U.S. has historically sought to exploit and dominate all the countries of Latin America, and on top of that has funded and trained right-wing military forces when democratic elections or popular movements have crossed that aim. This history of intervention has fueled migration northward.

The vigil ended with songs of resistance and a moment of silence. The organizers of the event stated clearly that their current demand is for an opening of investigation into the murder of 55 people by Border Patrol since 2010.

#TucsonAZ #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos #LUPE #LUPEActionCommittee

Tucson, AZ – “This law is unwise. This law is stupid, and it’s racist. It’s a national embarrassment…if I were a Hispanic person in the state, I would be humiliated and angered.”

These are the words of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, announcing in Tucson April 28 that his department would not be cooperating with SB1070. Dupnik’s statement is an indication of how polarized Arizona has become, with the polarization reaching even into law enforcement circles. An hour and a half north of Tucson, in Maricopa County, where the state capitol of Phoenix is located, is the home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio – the notorious racist who has become the face of anti-immigrant abuse in the state.

SB1070 has become a nightmare for a state that is inundated with financial problems. Already three lawsuits have been filed to stop SB1070, including one by Martin H. Escobar, a 15-year veteran of the Tucson Police Department. According to Escobar, SB1070 violates his First, Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Escobar says the city has no authority to enforce immigration law and based on his experience; it would be impossible to comply without employing racial profiling. The suit also seeks to stop state legislators from passing other laws dealing with immigration.

Tucson City Councilwoman Regina Romero has asked the city to file an injunction against SB1070. Romero notes, “In the midst of major state budget deficits the Republican-led legislature instead focuses on dehumanizing minorities. Our law enforcement resources should be utilized against violent crime break-ins, and general public safety, not in random searches for undocumented people that opens the door to racial profiling.”

Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB1070 into law on Friday, April 23. Shortly after that, a boycott of Arizona was launched. The state has already begun to suffer the consequences, with hoteliers around Arizona reporting a wave of cancelations. At an April 24 rally in Tucson, Southern Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva put the blame squarely on Governor Brewer and the law’s supporters: “Jan Brewer effectively set the state’s economic clock back…Brewer…imposed sanctions on herself and this state.”

SB1070 would give state and local law enforcement the authority to detain and investigate anyone they suspect of being in the U.S. without documentation, whether or not they are suspected of any other crime. Failure to have proof of citizenship may result in arrest and a $500 fine. In Arizona, being Latino and speaking Spanish is all that is needed to be considered ‘suspect.’ The legislation also confers citizens with the power to sue any state agency they think is not enforcing the law aggressively enough.

Although the law still has three months before it goes into effect, Arizonans have already seen a spike in racial profiling and police actions. On April 15, just two days after the law was passed in the legislature – and before it was actually signed – 800 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement undertook the largest operation in their history, with the cooperation of Arizona state and local, as well as Mexican, law enforcement.

The raids focused on neighborhoods in Nogales, Tucson and Phoenix and involved random detentions of Latino community members riding public transportation and shuttle services. Since the law was signed, there have been several reports of law enforcement stopping and questioning persons to demand immigration status. An Arizona health care professional told Fight Back! that she witnessed two of her clients being detained by local law enforcement and turned over to the Border Patrol simply for sitting in a parked car – and looking Latino. Neither was here illegally, but they were arrested and must now go to court to prove their status.

In Phoenix, KTVK news televised an interview with a trucker who was apprehended and asked for proof of citizenship. His driver’s license and social security card were not sufficient, even though the Chicano man had been born and raised in the United States. The man was cited and now must prove his case in court.

Ted Prezelski, a planner for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and former state Representative, spoke about the situation regarding law enforcement in Tucson. “We had a meeting with the TPD. Unfortunately, there are cops taking sides. Everybody above the rank of a sergeant is against it. The problem is that there are some on the streets who want to take advantage.” In Phoenix and Maricopa Country, the largest metropolitan area in the state, the situation is even more serious. Not only is the sheriff’s department under the direction of Joe Arpaio, but the author of SB1070, Russell Pearce, is a former Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The passage of SB1070 has mobilized and radicalized both its supporters and those who oppose it. On April 28, the Arizona House passed a bill against the Tucson Unified School District’s (TUSD) ethnic studies program, a program that was won through popular struggle over a decade ago.

At an April 24 rally, TUSD school board member Adelita Grijalva spoke about other legislation planned by the right wing that would require teachers and school officials to become enforcers of immigration law: “SB1097 would require schools to check student immigration status. HB2833 would require that they compile data on all students who could not provide documentation. HB2281 attacks ethnic studies at TUSD. We have people up there [at the state capitol] focused on one district…they should be focusing on how to fund state schools!”

The real groundswell, however, has been anti-racist. There have been almost daily demonstrations throughout the state against SB1070 and thousands of middle and high school students have participated in walkouts.

Arizona activists are clear that this is not just a struggle for the state, but for the whole country. The feeling in the streets is that anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona may be the cutting edge of racism in the U.S., but that it is not an isolated phenomenon. In fact, as many as ten other states are considering passing copycat legislation.

Arizonans are calling for massive solidarity from the rest of the nation in two major forms:

1. demand that the federal government not cooperate with SB1070; and,
2. a boycott of Arizona.

U.S. Congress Representative Raul Grijalva said, “We have insisted on non-cooperation by the federal government with this law. Immigration is a federal, not a state, law.” He went further to elaborate what non-cooperation means: not accepting detainees, not processing cases brought about by enforcement of SB1070 and legal action by the Attorney General’s office to stop the law from going into effect.

Readers are encouraged to contact the White House in support of this demand. The Obama Administration can be reached by phone at 202-456-1111 or 202-456-1414, and by FAX at 202-456-2461. An email can be sent by visiting http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

There have been many calls coming out of Arizona for a boycott of the state until SB1070 is repealed. These have centered around three basic components:

• Do not attend and do not hold any conventions or conferences in the state of Arizona
• Do not take vacations in Arizona or support its tourist industry (The following are exempt: visits to family and close friends or to participate in immigrant rights solidarity activities.)
• Do not patronize the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team, a prominent symbol of Arizona and a major contributor to SB1070 supporters.

Representative Grijalva urged activists to “Raise the dial on the intensity, the urgency and our commitment.” He added, “I’m terribly optimistic. Look at this crowd! It’s a cross section of Arizona and the nation…We’re here because we know this can be turned around…It’s a good exercise in democracy…We’re not going anywhere.”

Isabel Garcia is a prominent immigration lawyer and the founder of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos (DH). For many years, DH has kept a count of the numbers of those who have died after being forced to cross the desert because of border militarization. She points out that the increased immigration of undocumented workers stems from a forced migration because of NAFTA. The neoliberal trade agreement has led to the destruction of family farms and rural communities throughout Mexico and resulted in a 60% rise in immigration from Mexico to the United States.

Garcia told the April 24 rally, “NAFTA led to the displacement of Mexican farm workers which was…followed by the militarization of the border.” She then traced the rise of anti-immigrant racism to the adoption of SB1070. Garcia served notice on the state, perhaps thinking of the hundreds of those who die crossing the border each year. She explained the source of the movement’s power and commitment: “In the end, we are going to resist, make no doubt about it….because we are acting out of love.”

#TucsonAZ #ChicanoLatino #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos #SB1070

For over a week now, thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest. Calls for a boycott of Arizona have gone out from numerous sources, including Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who said, “We are calling on organizations not to schedule conventions and conferences in Arizona until it recognizes civil rights and the meaning of due process.”

Immigrant rights lawyer and founder of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos was asked about three components that have been widely discussed – boycotting Arizona conventions, tourism and the Arizona Diamondbacks (who are major contributors to Republican supporters of SB1070). Her response: “Yes, all of that! Do not spend your money in Arizona!” Exempted are visits to family and friends and participation in mobilizations against the Arizona Apartheid apparatus.

Angel Sanchez is a Tucson High School student. He addressed an April 23 demonstration saying, “We are not criminals. We…demand dignity and respect….They want to cause us fear, but it is those individuals who need to be afraid…because in November we will vote….We need to work together and show this is our community and our state. We will show them we are here. We will march and nonviolently show them who we are – that we are bigger than they will ever be.”

#TucsonAZ #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #Apartheid #SB1070 #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos