The Wall documentary screens in McAllen July 17 and San Antonio July 18

A new documentary about the border wall will screen in McAllen, Texas at the Cine el Rey theater on July 17, and in San Antonio at the Guadalupe Theater on July 18. With the recent Senate vote to build more walls, it is important to understand the history and human impacts of the border walls that have already been built. Below is the press release for the film. Spread the word!

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A controversial new film about the border fence is coming to South Texas. The Wall, a documentary about the construction of a fence along the US/Mexico border will play two dates in Texas, July 17th at McAllen's El Cine De Rey and July 18th at San Antonio's Guadalupe Theatre. The film, which takes place in Arizona, California, and Texas, took 3 years to complete.

Director Ricardo Martinez captures many perspectives impacted by the fence. The Wall follows several law enforcement officials, border town residents, and the Minutemen as they each faced the reality of having a 25 foot Wall being built in their backyard. Border residents like Gloria Garza of Granjeno watch as the fence is erected and new problems start to arrive.

Ricardo and his crew even managed to follow and track several undocumented immigrants in Mexico as they prepared to cross the border, and ultimately climb The Wall. Using never before seen surveillance footage and night vision cameras, a mysterious and sometimes dangerous world emerges.

On the other side of the spectrum, the film features many border town residents and local officials. Small towns like Arivaca, McAllen, Granjeno, and Brownsville all make appearances in the film. Capturing a moment in time, the film tracks the No Border Wall Coalition's grassroots efforts to organize Rio Grande Valley residents against the fence. Showing the power of community, watch as Valley residents protest and unite to change the fence plan.

The filming was not always sunny and nice. Ricardo's film crew often had to scale back equipment and camp out deep in the desert to catch traffickers, immigrants, Border Patrol, and vigilante groups on camera. Vigilante groups like the Minutemen make a particularly unsettling appearance in The Wall as Martinez captured a few of them making some 'controversial' statements about the US and Hispanics.

At one point, the film crew traveled to Altar, Mexico to interview immigrants preparing to cross the border illegally. Made up of 'huespedes' or safehouses, the town was essentially run by the Carteles in the area, which didn't reassure the film crew of their safety.

"Thinking back, that probably was against my better judgment, but I felt like it made a helluva story on camera," says Ricardo grinning. "The local priest and church basically told us as long as we stuck with him, we'd be fine. We did and in the end, it was actually kind of a nice town."

The film plays on Friday, July 17th at 8:00 PM at El Cine De Rey in McAllen and Saturday July 18th at 8:00pm at the Guadalupe Theatre in San Antonio. Tickets are $5. Q&A and reception follow. Screening Details and information can be found at thewalldocumentary.com or cineelrey.com.

For any questions regarding this press release, to review the film for your publication, or to contact the filmmaker email info@thewalldocumentary.com. To watch clips of the film visit thewalldocumentary.com, youtube.com/thewalldoc, vimeo.com/thewall, or friend our Facebook page!

Official Synopsis

In 2006, Congress passed The Secure Fence Act calling for the construction of over 700 miles of fence along the US/Mexico border. Fueled by the War on Drugs and the debate on Immigration Reform, politicians jumped at the chance to "secure our borders". They were not prepared for what followed.

Filmed over two years, The Wall, a feature documentary, chronicles the impact of constructing a border fence along the Southwest. From policy makers to citizens of border towns in Texas, Arizona, and California, the debate elevates as residents respond to having a fence built in their backyard.

Gloria Garza sat on her porch, in Granjeno, Texas. She was enjoying her stretch of land by the Rio Grande River, when a man from the Department of Homeland Security arrived with a piece of paper. He asked her to sign a letter granting permission to build a 25 foot wall on her property. She thought it was a joke.

In Nogales, Arizona, Sheriff Tony Estrada, completed his routine check of the border wall. Since the border fence had been built, violence and immigrant deaths are steadily rising. This is not a policy he could believe in, but few were listening.
Determined to stop immigrant crossing, the Minutemen had taken matters into their own hands. They patrolled the area intercepting immigrants and notifying border patrol. Armed with ammunition and an ideology, they openly advocated more fencing to help their objectives.

At the epicenter of this controversy, Wilfredo and Adan are undocumented immigrants with a lot at stake. Wilfredo is trying to get across the border and will have to pass several layers of fencing and security. Adan waits for his father who must make the same dangerous trip he himself took several years earlier. How will their lives be changed by The Wall?

Director, Ricardo Martinez brings The Wall to life; intertwining rare surveillance footage and controversial interviews. He and his crew often risked their own safety while filming.
At the forefront of the debate, the film includes commentary by The Texas Border Coalition, The Southwest Border Sheriff's Coalition, No Border Wall Coalition, the Minutemen, Border Patrol officers, congressional hearings, and more.

National Campaign Against the Border Wall: Activist Kits Available

No Border Wall Coalition has developed two national campaigns designed to amplify the anti-wall message during the presidential campaign season. (See below for details.) We hope that these projects can help diverse groups and individuals unite and build a strong national movement against the border wall ahead of the new Congress and new administration.

We would appreciate your help publicizing and distributing materials and facilitating these initiatives. If you are interested, we can send you a kit that includes a slideshow presentation CD, project worksheets, and a border wall factsheet. The slideshow is a 12 minute overview of the border wall issue and covers the entire southern border. Please request materials from noborderwall@yahoo.com.

Here are descriptions of the campaigns:

National Letter Writing Campaign: This campaign is targeted to those groups working outside of the border region or to border groups for which the wall has not been a central focus. It consists of a Letter-Writing Campaign Kit, which we will send upon request. The kit contains a 12-minute slide presentation which is an overview of the damages that border walls cause or will cause and features compelling photos from all along the border (thanks to many of you), a factsheet, and a letter-writing worksheet. The ideal use for the kit is for groups to set aside 45 min to 1 hour in their meeting program to view the slideshow, discuss the issue and write letters to their US senators.

Border Wall Documentation Project: This campaign is designed to bring together all of the activist groups and individuals along the border for a single mission: to document the negative impacts of the border wall and border wall construction, as well as the abuse, neglect and incompetence of DHS, CBP and Border Patrol in its implementation of the border wall project. It calls upon border residents to bear witness to the destruction caused by the border wall and the abuse perpetrated by DHS and to report the destruction and abuse to Congress. Many border residents were able to document the potential damage of the border wall in their areas during the Environmental Impact Statement process. However, now that Chertoff has waived the laws, there is no longer any official process through which damages will be documented. What we would like to do with the border wall documentation project is reinstate such a process border-wide and compile documents for use in anti-wall lobbying efforts, Congressional hearings and lawsuits. If we get a good response, we might also be able to assemble an online database which could be useful well into the future, even in future efforts to bring down existing walls. Joining together for such an important project will also help us all get to know one another and other sympathetic border groups, create solidarity, and give us an opportunity to speak with one voice.

Save San Diego's Friendship Park from the Border Wall

Friends and allies of the No Border Wall Coalition are sponsoring the following event:

You are invited to an Ecumenical Gathering to
Save Friendship Park
Sunday, August 3, 2 p.m.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to erect a triple fence across Friendship Park, where the international boundary meets the Pacific Ocean. Friends and families from San Diego and Tijuana have gathered for generations at this historic meeting place.Construction inside the Park begins the first week in August.

To express our opposition to the proposed construction, and to lament the ongoing militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border, we will gather at Friendship Park on Sunday, August 3 at 2 p.m. Religious attire and symbols are encouraged.All faith traditions are welcome at this ecumenical gathering. All will be invited to share in friendship, prayer and communion.

Religious leaders please RSVP to:Rosemary Johnston, rjohnston@interfait hshelter. org, 619-384-6852

Protest the Border Wall July 12 at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, Texas

What: A protest opposing the border wall at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, Texas followed by a march on the Hidalgo County Commissioner’s Court

When: Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 5:00 pm

Where: Beginning at the University of Texas Pan American Student Ballroom

Saturday’s activities will begin at 5pm for a rally at the University of Texas Pan America Student Ballroom in Edinburg. Speakers will address the crowd from 5:15 until 6pm. Protesters will then march to the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court (at the corner of Closer and Cano). At the courthouse members of the community will have the opportunity to speak out against the wall. Their comments will be videotaped, and DVDs of their comments will be given to the Hidalgo County Commissioners. The County Commissioners, led by Hidalgo County Judge JD Salinas, have agreed to incorporate the border wall into the county’s flood control levees.

Initiated by the No Border Wall Coalition, the protest is meant to raise local and national awareness of the vast opposition to the wall because of its potential to divide border communities, destroy homes and farms, devastate unique ecosystems, damage border economies, and undermine our flood control levees. Also of concern is the impact the wall will have on the border area’s relationship with Mexico. Many view the wall as racist, as no wall is being built on the Canadian border.

In Hidalgo County, the border wall has been linked to levee repairs. While no one in the Valley disputes the fact that our levees need repair, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to take them over and make them into a border wall is a terrible idea. There have been no studies on the safety, effectiveness, and environmental impacts of a combined levee/ border wall.

According to the No Border Wall Coalition, repairing the levees could require only three feet of earth and caliche in many places, while the levee/wall project calls for a solid 16 foot wall of concrete, the costs of which will ultimately be borne by Valley taxpayers. Initial estimates that levee-walls would cost $5 million per mile have ballooned to $12 million per mile, with Hidalgo County paying over $200 million in construction costs rather than $48 million. Rather than flood control, repairing the levees has become a means for the Department of Homeland Security to build piecemeal walls that do not match up with the section of the levees that are in need of repair.

The costs go beyond monetary for this region. DHS has initiated condemnation proceedings against hundreds of private landowners along the border. U.S. homes, farms, ranches, and businesses lie either in the path of the wall or on land that will be behind it, cut off from the rest of this country. Along the Rio Grande, a natural border in and of itself, farmers and ranchers could be prevented from accessing irrigation water. The wall is set to go through and literally divide the campus of the University of Texas in Brownsville. Firefighters and emergency crews will have difficulty reaching homes and people on the south side of the wall. Our community will be divided, not just from Mexico, but from neighbors and from free access to the river.

The levee-border wall will also do tremendous damage to the environment of the Rio Grande Valley. The first two sections of combined levee-border wall will bisect parts of the Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge. They will destroy habitat that is critical to the endangered species and migratory birds that bring $125 million in ecotourism to the area each year.

Community Forum Against the Border Wall in Weslaco, Texas June 26

Thursday, June 26
7:00 pm
South Texas College, WeslacoBuilding G
Weslaco, Texas

Speakers include:

Meredith Linsky: Immigration attorney in Harlingen specializing in deportation defenseMartin Hagne: Environmental advocate, Executive Director of the Valley Nature Center

Disregarding all opposition, the Department of Homeland Security plans to begin construction of the Border Wall in Hidalgo County on July 25, 2008. Immigrant rights activists, environmentalists, labor rights fighters, and other concerned citizens who believe in human rights are planning this forum to educate, discuss and, most importantly, build opposition to the border wall, which is against the will and interests of the people of the Rio Grande Valley.

The Border Wall is immoral, racist, repressive, and threatens the natural environment for people and wildlife. It also threatens the cultural environment; the militarization of the border has social implications throughout the United States and internationally. The choice to begin rapid construction on the Wall and to waive environmental and all other legal protections, potentially weakens the structural integrity of the regional levee system during hurricane season, threatening to create a Hurricane Katrina-type catastrophe. We are holding this forum in conjunction with a series of public rallies and events to broaden opposition to the Wall. This will allow the community to become better informed about the real stakes in this struggle, to hold our elected officials and so-called “representatives” accountable, and to allow a public arena for discussion, debate, outrage and planning action. Come to the forum and share your ideas, opinions, questions, and thoughts.

For more information, call (956)246-8193 or e-mail standinsolidarity@yahoo.com.

June 1 Vigils Opposing the Border Wall in California and Texas

Full-scale construction of new border fencing has begun in San Diego/Tijuana, and is scheduled to begin in Hidalgo this July. In response, a coalition of community-based organizations will be convening a vigil on June 1 from 3 – 5 pm at Friendship Park in San Diego where the border fence meets the Pacific Ocean; at Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park at 7:30 pm; and at Hope Park in Brownsville, Texas at 7:30 pm. These "Friendship to Hope" gatherings at either end of the 1900-mile border will serve as the vigils' symbolic anchors. The vigil is called "From Friendship To Hope – Gathering for the Future of the U.S.-Mexico Border."

San Diego, California – Friendship Park:

All people of good will are invited to a Vigil this Sunday, June 1 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Border Field State Park . We will gather at " Friendship Park ," a celebrated meeting place for the peoples of the San Diego/Tijuana region that is threatened by DHS plans for triple-fencing the border. Directions to Border Field State Park can be found at: http://www.bordermeetup.org/pages/directions.html

Big Bend National Park, Texas – Santa Elena Canyon:

We invite people of good will in Big Bend to gather for our local "Friendship to Hope" vigil June 1 at 7 pm. The entrance fee to BBNP is $20 per car, $10 for seniors. Carpooling is recommended. We will be gathering on the shore of the Rio Grande nearest to the parking lot at Santa Elena Canyon. Please wear appropriate walking footwear, and bring a candle and your own water/snacks. Call Adrienne Evans at (432) 371-2725 for more details.

Brownsville, Texas - Hope Park:

THE COALITION OF AMIGOS IN SOLIDARITY & ACTION (CASA) will sponsor the vigil on Sunday, June 1ST, 7:30PM at HOPE PARK IN BROWNSVILLE (E. 12th Street and E. St. Charles Street).

Protest El Paso's Sham "Community Forums" on the Border Wall

Border walls are currently under construction in the El Paso sector, but the Border Patrol claims that they want to hear from the public. Just because they have no intention of making any changes to their plans apparently doesn’t mean that they are not ready to listen. According to the Border Patrol agent given the thankless task of staffing their “SBI Information Hotline” ( 1-866-215-6551 ) public comments received at “Community Forums” will be compiled in after action reports and passed along to the El Paso Sector Chief. They will NOT be released to the public or the press.

Since the public comments received at the “Community Forums” will be lost in a bureaucratic black hole, we need to make our voices heard outside these events. Protest outside and let the Border Patrol, the press, and the rest of the public know that we do not want a border wall. Make it clear that sham “Community Forums” are not enough. Let them know that asking for comments about a wall that is already under construction is a bad joke. Tell the press that this is nothing more than a cynical attempt by DHS Secretary Chertoff to pretend that there is public input so that he can get construction funds from Congressional Appropriations Committees. Send the message that we are not falling for it.

While you can carry signs and banners outside, they probably will not be allowed inside. If you choose to go in and give a comment wear a No Border Wall t-shirt. You can order one from
http://www.cafepress.com/noborderwall
and all proceeds go to the fight to stop the border wall.

Here are the times and locations for the “El Paso Sector Border Patrol SBI Community Forums”:

May 24
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Chamizal National Memorial Park
800 S. San Marcial St.

May 27
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
El Paso Community College
9050 Viscount Blvd.
Administrative Services Center

May 31
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
El Paso Community College
Mission Del Campo Campus
10700 Gateway East

If you want to know what to expect inside, read the following article describing one in Arizona:
Border fence plans subject of feds' open house in Arizona
Arizona Daily Star May 14 2008

The Omnibus Spending Bill requires that DHS Secretary Chertoff convince the Appropriations Committees that he is listening to public input before they will release the funds that he needs to build the border wall. These meetings are nothing more than a cynical attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of members of Congress. Show him that we are not fooled!

Big Bend Border Wall Conference in Alpine, TX - May 17th

ReViva Collective is hosting a Big Bend Border Wall Conference in Alpine, TX Saturday May 17th at the Alpine Civic Center, 801 W. Holland, from 9:00am until 6:00pm. For more information contact ReViva Collective at revivacollective@ gmail.com or 432-837-5736.

The purpose of the Big Bend Border Wall Conference is to bring together perspectives and information about the construction of the Texas-Mexico border wall, as defined by the Secure Fence Act. Conference speakers will include Dr. Mark Saka who will be speak on the the Economic and Social Origins of Increased Mexican Migration to the United States, Border Patrol Chief John Sietana and Deputy Carry Huffman who will give a presentation on the proposed plan for the border wall in the Marfa sector, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who will be available to advise landowners, Enrique Madrid who will present a discussion on the militarization of the border, Nat Stone who will speak on how inequitable water distribution between the United States and Mexico has compromised Mexican ranching and agriculture, and consequently reduced security on both sides of the border, and Bill Addington who will speak on environmental issues and the importance of community organization. In addition, two organized strategy planning sessions will be held along with a screening offootage documenting the history of the border wall and the people resisting it. There will also be a puppet show and a wall shaped pinata!

Submit written testimony to the Congressional Field Hearing on the Border Wall

On April 28 a Congressional Field Hearing was held in Brownsville, Texas. Titled Walls and Waivers: Expedited Construction of the Southern Border Wall and the Collateral Impacts on Communities and the Environment, it was intended to investigate the impacts that the border wall will have on border communities if it is constructed. Brownsville Diocese Bishop Reymundo Pena, Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster, and many other border residents testified, explaining the damage that a border wall would cause to the assembled members of Congress. The committee will continue to accept written testimony until May 16th. This is an important opportunity to inform members of Congress, and to ensure that our voices become part of the official record. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff has announced that since he waived the National Environmental Policy Act there will be no Final Environmental Assessments or Environmental Impact Statements, and it is unclear what will happen to the hundreds of public comments that they received. That makes the comments submitted to members of Congress in connection to the field hearing even more important.

Here are the guidelines for written submissions to the U.S.Congressional field hearing record. They need to be in by Friday, May 16th.

1. Head your comments with the hearing name and date: Walls and Waivers: Expedited Construction of the Southern Border Wall and the Collateral Impacts on Communities and the Environment, April 28, 2008.

2. Do not exceed 10 pages.

3. No cover page is needed, although your name, title, and the organization that you represent (if you have one), should also be stated at the beginning of your testimony.

4. Please use typed single-space letter-size (8½ x 11) white paper.

5. Send via the postal service as they are not equipped to handle mass amounts of e-mail. The mailing address is:
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

6. If you submit attachments or exhibits to your testimony please include them as separate items at the end of your testimony. If attachments are more than 10 pages (in addition to your original testimony) or on paper larger than 8½ x 11, we will not accept them for printing. Instead, you should paraphrase or quote as needed. If including charts, tables, maps, or photographs, they should be included on separate pages, not within the text of a page.

7. THINGS TO AVOID: Underlining, footnotes, capitalization of the whole document or solid blocks of text.

Join the No Border Wall Walk from March 8 to March 16

From March 8th to March 16th, marchers will follow the route of the proposed Border Wall from Roma, Texas to Brownsville, Texas. According to the Department of Homeland Security construction on this portion of the wall, which will be made up of 21 sections that will total 70 miles, will begin in the Spring.

Border Ambassadors will be walking 120 miles to protest the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and to advocate for immigration reform. This nonviolent demonstration will pass through the communities of the Rio Grande Valley which will be affected by a Border Wall. There will be transportation out to the beginning in Roma generously offered by Saint Joseph’s Academy in Brownsville, and food/lodging will be provided by local churches and community centers along the way.

Already students, teachers, professionals, and faith leaders have signed up for this walk. If you are interested in becoming a part of this social justice movement, for a mile or a day or the whole thing, please follow this link to the sign-up website at http://www.mysignup.com/noborderwallwalk

March 8- SATURDAY- Roma to Rio Grande City
March 9- SUNDAY- Rio Grande City to La Grulla
March 10-MONDAY- La Grulla to La Joya
March 11- TUESDAY- La Joya to La Lomita
March 12-WEDNESDAY- La Lomita to Las Milpas
March 13- THURSDAY- Las Milpas to Progreso
March 14- FRIDAY- Progreso to Los Indios
March 15- SATURDAY- Los Indios to Ranchito
March 16- SUNDAY- Ranchito to Brownsville

For more information go to http://smartborders.wordpress.com/walls-are-for-weather-not-neighbors/

March 1 Laredo Texas Protest Against the Border Wall

PROTEST AGAINT THE BORDER WALL
SATURDAY
MARCH 1, 2008
LAREDO, TEXAS

8:45 AM
SAN AGUSTINE PLAZA
MARCH STARTS FROM HERE
RALLY AT THE END OF THE MARCH AT AMERICAS INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

CONTACT: FABIOLA FLORES 512-619-9491 CELL

PROTESTA CONTRA EL MURO FRONTERIZO
SABADO
1 DE MARZO, 2008-02-28 LAREDO, TEXAS

8:45 AM
PLAZA SAN AGUSTINE
MARCHA SALE DE ALLI
MITIN AL FINAL DE LA MARCHA EN EL PUENTE INTERNACIONAL DE LAS AMERICAS

PARA INFO CONTACTE: FABIOLA FLORES 512-619-9491 CELL

ATENTAMENTE,

RUBEN SOLIS
SOUTHWEST WORKERS UNION
SAN ANTONIO, TX 210 378 5699 CELL

Border Ambassadors Sponsors the March For March Four

Border Ambassadors is sponsoring the March 4 March 4 to force the presidential candidates to address the issue of the border wall. Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain all voted for the Secure Fence Act, but now they are vying for the votes of south Texas residents in the March 4th primary. The March 4 March 4 is a 7-day 63-mile walk from Brownsville, Texas to La Lomita Chapel in Mission, Texas. It will start on February 25 and end on March 2 at La Lomita. Passing through El Calaboz and Granjeno, this protest walk/march is scheduled to impact the March 4 Texas primary.

MARCH 4 MARCH 4 SCHEDULE:

Feb. 25th, 10:00 AM
Begin at the University of Texas at Brownsville
Finish at FM 1421

Feb. 26th, 10:00 AM
Begin at FM 1421 and Hwy 281 intersection
Finish at FM 1429
Return to St. Ignatius Catholic Church in El Calaboz for a screening of "The Ballad of Ezequiel Hernandez"

Feb. 27th, 10:00 AM
Begin FM 1429
Finish FM 491

Feb. 28th, 10:00 AM
Begin FM 491
Finish FM 493

Feb. 29th, 10:00 AM
Begin FM 493
Finish in the community of Las Milpas

March 1, 10:00 AM
Begin in the community of las Milpas
Finish in Granjeno

March 2, 10:00 AM
Begin in Granjeno
Finish at the La Lomita Chapel, Mission, TX

For more information go to http://www.borderambassadors.com/ or call Sarah at 830-768-1100.

Winter Texans 'Deputized' to Help Spread the Word that Texas Does Not Need a Border Wall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BORDERAMBASSADORS.com
TO "DEPUTIZE" WINTER TEXANS
McAllen, TX January 28, 2008 All Winter Texans in the Valley are invited to a `party party' at Pepe's Bar and Grill on the Rio Grande from two until five p.m. this Saturday, February 2, 2008. Jeff Reed of Pepe's and BorderAmbassadors.com are hosting the event to `deputize' attendees as BorderAmbassadors to return home and urge their friends, neighbors and relatives to stand with them and Valley residents against `the wall.' According to Reed, musical entertainment will begin as early at 1 p.m. The `party party' will include numerous door prize drawings and area politicos and citizens will answer attendees' questions about the lack of need for a Wall to separate Texas from Mexico.

BorderAmbassadors.com was founded by Jay Johnson-Castro of Del Rio to campaign against construction of the wall as well as to promote tourism and economic growth on the Border. Its membership stretches from Brownsville to El Paso and on to the California coast.

"By deputizing the Winter Texans, who love the ambiance of the Rio Grande Valley, we will have ambassadors all over the U.S. dispelling the un-truths that are being told by many of the talk show hosts and TV commentators," stated Johnson-Castro. We support the actions of our elected officials and landowners who refuse to bow to the heavy-handed tactics of the DHS," he continued. "However, this `party party' is primarily about the camaraderie that Texans enjoy with our great winter visitors."

For more information, call Sarah Boone at 830-768-1100 before 1/31/08.On or after 1/31/08, call Jay Johnson-Castro at 830-768-0768 or cell, 830-734-8636.

Del Rio, Texas Border Wall Public Comment Period Open Until February 5

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that 4 miles of new border wall (or border fence, or tactical infrastructure) will be built near Del Rio, Texas beginning in the Spring of 2008. A Draft Environmental Assessment has been released, and public comments will be accepted through February 5th, 2008.

The Draft Environmental Assessment for the Del Rio Sector is available for download at. http://www.borderfencenepa.com/del-rio-sector-ea/ . A paper copy may be requested as well.

You can submit a public comment on the Del Rio, Texas border wall in one of the following ways:

a) Attend and submit comments at the public open house to be held 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on January 24, 2008 at the at the Ramada Inn-Del Rio, 2101 Veterans Boulevard, Del Rio, Texas 78840.
b) Electronically through the Web site at: http://www.borderfencenepa.com/
c) By email to: DRcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.comd) By mail to: Del Rio Sector Tactical Infrastructure EA, c/o e²M, 2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031
e) By Fax to: (757) 299-4101

When submitting comments, please include name and address, and identify comments as intended for the Del Rio Sector Draft EA.

All submitted comments are supposed to become a part of the public record. To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act the Final Environmental Assessment should include responses to the public comments that are received.

In fiscal 2007 the Del Rio Sector, where there has never been a wall, saw a 45% drop in apprehensions of border crossers. In contrast, the San Diego sector, where there has been a wall for over a decade, saw a 7% increase. DHS has yet to explain the rationale for importing this failed and expensive project from San Diego to Del Rio, where they seem to be having great success without it.

It is especially important that the public comment on the Del Rio Draft EA because it is a fundamentally flawed document that in no way meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The most glaring deficiency is its description of the purpose for carrying out the proposed action. Rather than establishing national security or the reduction of illegal activity as the purpose, the Draft EA states,

“The purpose of the Proposed Action is to increase border security within USBP Del Rio Sector through the construction, operation, and maintenance of tactical infrastructure in the form of fences, roads, and supporting technological and tactical assets.” (1.2 - 4)

The “proposed action” is described as follows:

“CBP proposes to construct, operate, and maintain tactical infrastructure consisting of primary pedestrian fence; concrete retaining wall; and associated patrol and access roads, and lights along two discrete areas of the U.S./Mexico international border in the USBP Del Rio Sector, Texas” (1.3 – 5)

If the purpose and the proposed action are one and the same - the construction, operation, and maintenance of “tactical infrastructure” - then by definition no other alternatives will be able to achieve the stated purpose. “Additional USBP Agents in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” may in fact be highly effective at preventing unauthorized entries into the United States, but because it is “in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” it will never bring about the stated goal of “the construction, operation, and maintenance of tactical infrastructure.” The same holds true for all of the other “Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Detailed Analysis.” In each case, the phrase “in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” is attached, so by definition none will align with the stated purpose. This is a clear violation of the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations.

The private contractor hired by the Department of Homeland Security is apparently more interested in pleasing their employer than complying with NEPA. Instead of producing misleading document with a predetermined outcome, they should go back to the drawing board and produce an unbiased assessment of the environmental and cultural impacts that the border wall will have. A project of this magnitude requires a full Environmental Impact Statement rather than a far less rigorous Environmental Assessment. In either case, the final document should provide objective information rather than a sales pitch.

It is crucial that everyone with these and other concerns about the border wall submit them in writing. The Department of Homeland Security will interpret silence as a lack of interest.

California Border Wall Public Comment Period Open Until January 24

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that 44.6 miles of new border wall (or border fence, or tactical infrastructure) will be built near Calexico, California beginning in the Spring of 2008. A Draft Environmental Assessment has been released, and public comments will be accepted through January 24th, 2008.

The Draft Environmental Assessment for the El Centro Sector is available for download at http://www.borderfencenepa.com/el-centro-sector-ea/ . A paper copy may be requested as well.

You can submit a public comment on the California border wall in one of the following ways:

(a) Attendance and submission of comments at the Pubic Open House to be held on January 9 2008 at the Imperial Valley Expo, 200 East Second Street, in Imperial, California.
(b) Electronically through the web site at: http://www.borderfencenepa.com/
(c) By email to: ECcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
(d) By mail to: El Centro Sector Tactical Infrastructure EA, c/o e²M, 2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031
(e) By fax to: (757) 299-5585

When submitting comments, please include name and address, and identify comments as intended for the El Centro Sector Draft EA.

All submitted comments are supposed to become a part of the public record. To comply with the National Environmental Policy Act the Final Environmental Assessment should include responses to the public comments that are received.

It is especially important that the public comment on the El Centro Draft EA because it is a fundamentally flawed document that in no way meets the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The most glaring deficiency is its description of the purpose for carrying out the proposed action. Rather than establishing national security or the reduction of illegal activity as the purpose, the Draft EA states,

“The purpose of the Proposed Action is to increase border security within USBP El Centro Sector through the construction, operation, and maintenance of tactical infrastructure in the form of fences, roads, and supporting technological and tactical assets.” (ES-1)

The “proposed action” is described as follows:

“CBP proposes to construct, operate, and maintain tactical infrastructure consisting of four discrete sections of primary pedestrian fence, lighting, and roads; one section of lighting; and access roads along the U.S. / Mexico International Border in the USBP El Centro Sector, California.” (1.3 – 3)

If the purpose and the proposed action are one and the same - the construction, operation, and maintenance of “tactical infrastructure” - then by definition no other alternatives will be able to achieve the stated purpose. “Additional USBP Agents in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” (2.3.1 – 6) may in fact be highly effective at preventing unauthorized entries into the United States, but because it is “in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” it will never bring about the stated goal of “the construction, operation, and maintenance of tactical infrastructure.” The same holds true for all of the other “Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Detailed Analysis.” In each case, the phrase “in Lieu of Tactical Infrastructure” is attached, so by definition none will align with the stated purpose. This is a clear violation of the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations.

The private contractor hired by the Department of Homeland Security is apparently more interested in pleasing their employer than complying with NEPA. Instead of producing misleading document with a predetermined outcome, they should go back to the drawing board and produce an unbiased assessment of the environmental and cultural impacts that the border wall will have. A project of this magnitude requires a full Environmental Impact Statement rather than a far less rigorous Environmental Assessment. In either case, the final document should provide objective information rather than a sales pitch.

It is crucial that everyone with these and other concerns about the border wall submit them in writing. The Department of Homeland Security will interpret silence as a lack of interest.

Call for Public Comments About the Border Wall in Texas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is accepting public comments about the Rio Grande Valley “Tactical Infrastructure” Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). (Guide to the EIS is below.)

Submit your comments by December 31, 2007 in one of the following ways:
a) Electronically through the website at http://www.borderfencenepa.com/
b) By email to: RGVcomments@BorderFenceNEPA.com
c) By mail to: Rio Grande Valley Tactical Infrastructure EIS, c/o e²M, 2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 200, Fairfax, Virginia 22031
d) By fax to: (757) 282-7697
**Be sure to include your name and address**

What is an Environmental Impact Statement?

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) are required by the National Environmental Policy Act “for all major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” An EIS must fully describe the environment of a project area, consider a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed action, and conduct a thorough impacts analysis for each alternative. The Draft EIS, by law, must determine and consider the effect of 70 miles of border walls on the human environment as well as the natural environment.

Although the border wall is an enormous project that is certain to damage the communities and natural areas of the Rio Grande Valley, the Draft EIS is a hastily-written document with glaring omissions and unfounded assertions. It is based on only 7 days of on-the-ground survey work. In addition, no biological, cultural, or engineering surveys have yet been conducted on the 14 national wildlife refuge tracts slated to get walls. In short, the Draft EIS is putting the cart before the horse in promoting the border wall as the preferred alternative before even bothering to fully study the impacts of the border wall or alternatives to the wall.

Use the following information from the “Tactical Infrastructure” Draft EIS to guide your comments:

Alternatives to the wall were not seriously considered in the Draft EIS:
· By law the Draft EIS must consider alternatives to the proposed project. However, the document rejects a number of alternatives to building the border wall, including increasing the number of Border Patrol agents or using “virtual fencing,” without any indication that they were seriously considered or evaluated.
· The Draft EIS implies that the required “No Action Alternative” means doing nothing and dismisses it out of hand. However, taking “no action” in this case means the continuation of current Border Patrol operations which have been highly successful. In fiscal year 2007 these led to a decrease in apprehensions of 34% in the Rio Grande Valley, dropping apprehensions to their lowest level in 15 years.
· The Draft EIS wrongly assumes that border walls are effective. They are not. The Congressional Research Service found that the wall in San Diego “did not have a discernible impact on the influx of unauthorized aliens coming across the border.” Indeed, fiscal year 2007 apprehensions increased by 7% in San Diego, where they have triple-layer fencing.

The wall’s effect on flood risk does not appear to have been seriously studied in the Draft EIS:
· The steel mesh used for the wall is treated in the Draft EIS as permeable to water. In a flooding event, even a standard chain link fence becomes clogged with debris and blocks the flow of water. The photographs included show a mesh that is far tighter than standard chain link, which will certainly become clogged with debris during any flooding event.
· The words “hurricane” and “tropical storm” do not appear even once in the Draft EIS, despite the fact that the Rio Grande Valley is located in a hurricane zone.
· The Draft EIS found that the border wall’s impact on water flow in the Rio Grande Basin is expected to be “negligible,” but they do not cite any hydrological studies to back up this claim. Nor do they take into account the existing problems of the flood-control levee system along the river. With no studies to model whether a border wall would channel flood waters, the Department of Homeland Security is recklessly endangering lives and property in the event of a hurricane or torrential rain.

When considering the wall’s effect on wildlife habitat and endangered species, the Draft EIS does not address crucial issues:
· The Draft EIS concludes that “the conversion of 508 acres to support tactical infrastructure is a minimal cumulative impact compared to other development” (Section 5.11). This narrow focus is misleading, as placing a barrier across a tract of wildlife habitat will have a negative impact far beyond the acreage on which the wall sits.
· The border wall will bisect many national wildlife refuge tracts; many others will have their northern border walled off. The walls will prevent wildlife dispersal to and from the river and block north-south travel corridors. This fragmentation undermines the integrity of the wildlife corridor, a series of land tracts meant to allow wildlife travel along the river. Further, refuge personnel will be unable to properly manage wildlife habitat, as fighting wildfires or controlling prescribed burns will be too dangerous behind walls.
· The border wall will deny wildlife access to the river, in many places the only water source, and the Draft EIS does not address this at all. Many tracts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge will be severed from the river. Such tracts were purchased and incorporated into the National Wildlife Refuge System because their river access made them valuable habitat.
· The Draft EIS claims that 150-175 acres of habitat suitable for the federally endangered ocelot and jaguarundi will be destroyed. It does not address the fact that the wall will separate populations of these endangered cats, preventing them from finding mates. Reducing their genetic diversity will increase the likelihood of their extinction. In addition, there are approximately 20 other federally threatened and endangered species in the RGV that could be adversely impacted.
· Extensive nighttime flood lighting will be associated with the wall segments, but there is no thorough analysis of the possible impacts of this on wildlife.
· There is no analysis of the possible impacts to wildlife of the roads associated with the walls.
· The proposed “wildlife migratory portals,” tiny vertical slots only a couple of inches wide, represent a purely token effort at wildlife mitigation. Animals larger than a cockroach or a starving field mouse will be unable to pass through the wall to reach water or mates.

The Draft EIS seems intent on ignoring the Migratory Bird Treaty Act:
· The Draft EIS states that construction of the border wall is planned for the Spring of 2008 and due to continue until the end of the year. However, it also contains a recommendation that “any groundbreaking construction activities should be performed before migratory birds have returned (approx. March 1) or after all young have fledged (approx. July 31) to avoid incidental take” (Section 4.9.3.2). This recommendation should be followed and no construction should occur during this time to avoid killing nesting birds.
· The Draft EIS does not address the issue of long-term habitat loss for migratory bird species. During the spring and fall migrations, millions of birds funnel through the Rio Grande Valley. Many that arrive have flown hundreds of miles across the Gulf of Mexico. They require intact habitat to rest and refuel, and without it they may be too weak to complete their journey.

The Draft EIS makes baseless claims about the wall’s affect on the RGV economy:
· Ecotourism brings more that $125 million to the Rio Grande Valley annually from 200, 000 tourists and creates 2,500 jobs in the local economy. As national wildlife refuge lands, state parks, and private reserves are lost, degraded, or rendered inaccessible and endemic and migratory species decline or are displaced because of the border wall, there will be less incentive for nature enthusiasts to visit the area. The Draft EIS makes the absurd assertion that a wall would actually bring in more visitors because they would feel safer.
· 23 million Mexican nationals visit the Valley each year, contributing $3 billion to the local economy and supporting 41,000 jobs, $560 million in wages, and $203 million in business taxes. The Draft EIS states that the wall will have “no long-term impacts” on the local economy because visitors will be able to cross at ports of entry. It completely ignores the message that a wall sends. If a store displayed a window sign that said “Mexicans Keep Out” they would not get much business from Mexican shoppers even if their doors were wide open. The border wall will present just such a message, and will certainly impact retail sales.
· There is a recognition that taking hundreds of acres of farmland out of production will have negative impacts on landowners’, and that it will be harder to access to parts of their land. There is no discussion of the impact that this will have on the ability of farms to remain viable, or on the Valley’s economy.
· The Draft EIS states that, “Minor to moderate adverse indirect impacts would be expected from the imminent dislocation of some families due to property acquisition.” For a low-income, Texas family evicted from their home by the federal government, the impact is by no means indirect or minor.

The Draft EIS ignores Environmental Justice rules:
· Although the Rio Grande Valley’s population is over 85% minority, and its border communities are some of the poorest in the nation, the Draft EIS finds that the border wall will not have a disproportionate impact on minority or low income populations. Rather than address this they manipulate statistics: “Of the proposed 70 miles of tactical infrastructure, substantially less than half is within census bureau tracts that have a higher proportion of minority or low-income residents” (Section 5. 5.11). Instead of counting the people who will be impacted, the Draft EIS counts the miles, using the many uninhabited areas to dilute, at least on paper, the wall’s impact on minority and low-income populations.

It is crucial that everyone with these and other concerns about the border wall submit them in writing. The Department of Homeland Security will interpret silence as a lack of interest. The deadline for comments is December 31, 2007.

Senator Cornyn Wants Billions for the Border Wall - Tell Him No!

With the introduction of S. 2348, the “Emergency Border Security Funding Act of 2007”, Texas Senator John Cornyn has once again shown that he values the worst politics ahead of the best interests of Texas and our nation. It calls for at least 700 linear miles of border wall and 300 miles of vehicle barriers along the US – Mexico border, and provides $3 billion dollars to get construction started. This despite the fact that the walls built so far have not impacted the number of people coming across the border.

In October, speaking to the Border Trade Alliance, Cornyn said, “I have long said that I do not support a fence, or as some said, a wall, between the United States and Mexico. That’s irrational and just doesn’t make sense, because we know that people can come over fences or walls; they can go under them; they can go through them, given sufficient opportunity.”

Once again, Senator Cornyn is talking out of both sides of his mouth. When he visits the border, where people know that a wall will do tremendous damage but no good, he says that he does not support a wall. When he is back in Washington, he sponsors legislation providing $3 billion to build the wall that he claims not to support.

Cornyn must be held accountable for his duplicity. Texas residents should contact his office and let him know what you think:

Senator John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.Washington, DC 20510 Main: 202-224-2934Fax: 202-228-2856
The Senator prefers to screen his emails, but there is an online “comment form” here:
http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

If you are not a resident of Texas, contact your Senators and let them know that you want them to oppose Cornyn’s bill. Congress should be working to overturn the Secure Fence Act, rather than spending billions more on the border wall.

To contact your Senators, go to:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Tell US Fish and Wildlife - Destroying Refuge Lands for the Border Wall Is Not "Win-Win"

The New York Times quotes Jose Viramontes of the FWS Regional Office as saying the land swap in Arizona is a 'win/win' situation. This refers to the exchange of refuge land on the border for other land so that the wall can be built on what had been protected lands. The wall is being built before the swap has been finalized, and the Fish and Wildlife Service does not even know what land they will receive in exchange. The exchange was announced after the Buenos Aires refuge manager found the wall to be incompatible with the mission of the refuge. Please e-mail the Regional Director, Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, and Jose Viramontes directly and tell them to not use the words 'win/win' when discussing the border wall. If they can't support the decisions of those on the ground, the least they can do is not say things that directly contradict the reality on the ground. In the subject line, please use the words 'not win/win situation'. We need to flood their offices and let them know they are being watched by the South Texas contingency.

Send your emails to:
benjamin_tuggle@fws.gov
Jose_viramontes@fws.gov
and CC:
dale_hall@fws.gov

Here is a link to the New York Times article:
Border Fence Work Raises Environmental Concerns http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/us/21fence.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

New No Border Wall Shirt Design Makes a Great Gift!

Introducing a new No Border Wall design for tshirts and mugs available at http://www.cafepress.com/noborderwall

The design features the quote, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall," from Robert Frost's poem, "Mending Wall." This line is the real message of the poem. The oft-quoted line from this same poem "good fences make good neighbors" is actually the ignorant opinion of Frost's simple-minded neighbor in the poem. (To read the entire poem and be able to pooh-pooh the next person who quotes it to you, go to http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html). This shirt is available in organic cotton, jersey style, ringer tee, and long sleeves.

There is also a mug available in regular and large sizes featuring the Robert Frost quote. It's an excellent way to start up conversations about the border wall and help spread the message!

The classic NO BORDER WALL logo design is also available at http://www.cafepress.com/noborderwall in a variety of styles, including children's sizes. Finally something to wear to opposition rallies and public meetings with Customs and Border Patrol! Pick up a bumpersticker or two while you're at it.

All proceeds go directly toward border wall opposition.