Sierra Club Borderlands event in Utah October 12

Sierra Club hosts a discussion of Borderlands Accountability
October 12, 2012
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Weber State University
Shepherd Union Building, room SU 312
Ogden, Utah

 

An extreme assault on America’s public lands and environmental laws recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The misnamed “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act,” (HR 1505) will waives 16 environmental laws on federal land along the entire U.S. – Mexico border and the entire U.S. – Canada border.  The lawless zone would  extend 100 miles into the United States from the borders for any activity of the Border Patrol.  National Parks from Glacier to Olympic to Big Bend, along with wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, and national forests could see new walls and roads, towers and forward operating bases, with no concern for the environmental impact.

 

Utah Representative Rob Bishop, author of the bill, has a long history of attacking environmental laws and federal lands. 

 

The Sierra Club's Borderlands Team and the Utah Chapter will present a Borderlands Accountability event at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah to discuss the impacts that border enforcement measures such as border walls have already had, and the tremendous damage that HR 1505 could inflict.  Coincidentally, Ogden is in the heart of Representative Bishop's congressional district.

The Department of Homeland Security has not requested either the waivers or carte blanche on protected lands.  The “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act” has nothing to do with security.  It is simply an assault on environmental laws and federal lands, using national security as a cover. 

For campus directions go here.

Border Wall Film Festival in Austin August 18

Austin Border Film Festival
Violet Crown Cinema * 434 W 2nd Street, Austin, TX
Thursday, August 18th, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join the Sierra Club's Borderlands Team Thursday, August 18th for a free screening of 3 short documentaries that explore the issues and controversies surrounding the recently constructed U.S./México border wall

-Featuring Three Documentary Films and a short discussion to follow-

• Fencing the Border and its Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s gives an inside perspective on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s concerns about the wall's possible effects on wildlife and protected refuges in south Texas – 7 minutes.

• Wild vs. Wall, Sierra Club’s produced by Tucson filmmaker Steev Hise, is an overview of the environmental effects of current border policies, including insightful interviews and impressive footage demonstrating the long-term ecological effects of border infrastructure – 20 minutes.

• The Fence, Award-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy’s HBO documentary features candid interviews with Border Patrol agents, ranchers, environmentalists and voices from both sides of the border security debate. Kennedy uses humor to highlight contradictions and politically-driven misinformation, as well as the ineffectiveness and costliness of the controversial border barrier – 30 minutes.

Admission is FREE
Donations to the Sierra Club Borderlands Protection Campaign gladly accepted at the door.

This film festival is dedicated to the memory of long time borderista Mary Grisco

Write your member of Congress - Oppose HR 1505

An assault on America's public lands and environmental laws has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, bearing the ironic name "National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act" (HR 1505).

Over 30 federal protection laws would be waived in a zone that extends 100 miles into the United States from all land borders and coasts. Roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population lives in the area targeted by this waiver. Cities from San Francisco to Boston and national parks from Glacier to Everglades could be put at risk.

And if that weren't enough, HR 1505 prohibits the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, which oversee our national parks, wilderness areas, and wildlife refuges, from taking any actions to preserve the natural integrity of the lands that they oversee if their actions or advice conflict with the desires of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).





HR 1505 is using national security as a cover to attack environmental laws and protected lands. DHS has not expressed a need for these harmful provisions. In fact, DHS testifies that public land managers are not getting in the way of their operations. Last October, the Government Accountability Office found that "most [Border Patrol] agents reported that land management laws have had no effect on Border Patrol's overall measure of border security."

Visit the Sierra Club page to send an email to your member of Congress, telling them to oppose HR 1505:

https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6239

Border Film Festival in Tucson Dec. 11

Border Film Festival
The Loft Cinema
Date: Saturday, December 11, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Address:
3233 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85716

If you'd like to attend this event you can RSVP online.

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Calendar?id=148602&view=Detail

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation caused by U.S.-Mexico border policy. The most destructive component is the newly constructed border wall. More than 600 miles of walls have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems.

The wall also has a human toll. The border wall reroutes migrants into the remote deserts of Arizona where dehydration and exposure are rampant. As a result, the number of border-crossing deaths has more than doubled since 1995.

Join us at this film festival to learn more and to find out what you can do to help.

Admission is FREE!!

Sponsored by Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Coalition de Derechos Humanos, Defenders of Wildlife, No More Deaths, and Sky Island Alliance.

http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Wild Versus Wall: The environmental impact of our border policy

Monday, November 29 · 7:00pm - 8:30pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Andrew United Methodist Church
3350 White Bay Drive
Highlands Ranch, CO

a free screening of Sierra Club's documentary Wild Versus Wall in Highlands Ranch, CO!

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation being caused by harmful U.S border and trade policies. The most symbolic and destructive infrastructure resulting from these bad policies is the newly-constructed U.S.-Mexico border wall. Over 600 miles of border wall have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexi...co, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems found within Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges, National Monuments and National Forests, and other protected private and public lands.

This presentation begins with a screening of the Sierra Club border film, "Wild Versus Wall," which has been newly-updated for 2010. It shows the ecological effects of enforcement and infrastructure in the four states that share boundaries with Mexico. It also showcases the unique natural landscapes of our border southwest. The film demonstrates the ineffectiveness of this kind of enforcement-only approach to border security, and stresses the importance of addressing root causes such as unfair trade policies and quality of life issues.

Following the film, Dan Millis, Borderlands Campaign Organizer for Arizona’s Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, will present a slideshow featuring more in-depth aspects of the areas that have been affected, different types of border wall, and its costs to taxpayers.

Born and raised in Arizona, Dan has worked on border issues there since 2005. He is also a volunteer with the border humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, and is the recipient of the 2010 Derechos Humanos Corazon de Justicia Award for environmental work.

To learn more about the Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign and take action, check out their website at: http://www.sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign: Continental Divide, a Photo Exhibit of the Border

November 2-5, 2010
Cabot Lodge, 2375 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi
Located at State Street and Riverside Drive
Free!

Much of the American public is unaware of the devastation being caused by harmful U.S border and trade policies. The most symbolic and destructive infrastructure resulting from these bad policies is the newly-constructed U.S.-Mexico border wall. Over 600 miles of border wall have been built from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, fragmenting endangered species habitat, causing erosion and flooding, and tearing apart fragile ecosystems found within Wilderness Areas and Wildlife Refuges; National Monuments and National Forests; and other protected lands, both public and private.

Recently, the International League of Conservation Photographers sent a team of world-renowned photographers to the borderlands of the United States and Mexico to document the wildlife, ecology, and effect of the border wall on this landscape. This region is a shared conservation treasure of international importance that harbors some of the most biodiverse landscapes on the continent. Many species here are found nowhere else in the US, and nowhere else in Mexico and some are found nowhere else on Earth. The photographs taken are now on exhibit, touring the United States. A sample of photos in the exhibit can be viewed here.

The Borderlands Team of the Sierra Club is bringing this exhibit to Jackson, Mississippi. The team is comprised of Sierra Club staff and volunteers from across the nation. You can learn more about the team by visiting and joining the Activist Network or by visiting www.sierraclub.org/borderlands.

Dates exhibit is open for viewing:
Tue Nov 2 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Wed Nov 3 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Thu Nov 4 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Fri Nov 5* 9am - 9pm

* Join us for a screening of the Sierra Club produced film, Wild Versus Wall, at 5:15 pm on Friday, November 5th. The film details the ecological effects of enforcement and infrastructure in all four southern Border States. The film demonstrates the ineffectiveness of this kind of enforcement-only approach to border security, and stresses the importance of addressing root causes such as unfair trade policies. A five minute trailer for the film can be viewed here. Refreshments will be provided for the screening!

The Exhibit is being held in conjunction with the Unity Conference sponsored by MIRA and SCLC.

For more information about the Sierra Club's Borderlands Campaign, visit http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/

Sierra Club screening Wild vs. Wall in San Diego August 21

The Sierra Club’s Borderlands Team will be screening the film Wild vs. Wall in San Diego at the Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center on Saturday, August 21, beginning at 7:30pm. Wild vs. Wall is a 20 minute documentary about the environmental effects of the border wall.

Dan Millis, who works for the Sierra Club out of Tucson, will speak after the film and answer any questions. He has extensive knowledge of the southern Arizona borderlands and the environmental and human impacts of enforcement measures border-wide.

More than 600 miles of border walls and barriers have been constructed in all four southern border states. Using the power to waive laws granted by the Real ID Act, 36 federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act, have been brushed aside to speed up construction. Border walls have been built through National Monuments and Wildlife Refuges, state parklands, and Nature Conservancy and Audubon sanctuaries. Wall construction has involved the condemnation and bulldozing of thousands of acres, the fragmentation of crucial habitat for endangered species, the triggering of flooding, and large-scale erosion. Border walls have also led to the deaths of thousands of immigrants by funneling them into remote, and often deadly, terrain.

Wild vs. Wall
Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center
1220 Cleveland Avenue
Suite M-100
San Diego, CA 92103

For directions and information on parking, visit http://joycebeers.com/

For those unable to attend, Wild vs. Wall can be viewed on the Borderlands Team’s website, http://sierraclub.org/borderlands/ , where you can also tour the border using Google Earth, get more information about the border wall’s impacts, learn about the Real ID Act, and find out how you can help.

Tell Congress to Support the Border Security and Responsibility Act

Last week, Representative Grijalva (D-Arizona) introduced the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009 (HR 2076). This legislation would restore the rule of law to the borderlands by repealing the Real ID waiver provision and help protect our communities, private property, and national parks and wildlife refuges from damaged caused by the border wall.

This week, dozens of concerned citizens from across the nation are traveling to Washington, D.C. on their own dime to walk through the halls of Congress and build support for Rep. Grijalva’s bill.

But you don’t have to be in DC to make a difference. Please take action today. Call your member of Congress and urge him or her to support the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009. The congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121, or find your representative’s contact information at www.house.gov.

With enough phone calls, we can elevate this critical issue for Congress and ensure that the damage caused by the border wall is no longer ignored.

Thanks for making a difference, and please pass on this alert and post links to it.

Suggested Talking Points for Phone Calls:

· Please cosponsor the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill recently introduced by Rep. Grijalva.

· The border wall has caused significant damage to communities, water quality, and wildlife habitat. I think that Congress needs to act to address these problems that the wall has created.

· I am concerned by the fact that three dozen laws were waived for border wall construction. Landmark laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act were put in place for a reason: to protect the public’s interest. These laws shouldn’t be ignored. An unelected official should not have the power to waive these laws.

· Land managers, local officials, and local communities have been shut out of the decision making process. This bill would allow them to have a say in border security decisions by requiring full public notice and participation.

· To address the damage that border walls have caused, there need to be robust mitigation efforts. This bill would develop initiatives to help mitigate negative impacts to communities and natural resources, including the network of congressionally protected federal lands along the border.

· Please cosponsor the Border Security and Responsibility Act of 2009 and help restore and protect the communities and natural areas of the borderlands.

Stop the Wall Event in El Paso 21 Feb

• Meet at Sunland Park and Anapra
• Sunday February 21, 2009
• 12:00 – 2:00 PM

Two purposes:

One is to show solidarity with the Compañeras and Compañeros from San Diego's Friendship Park. Just like Rio Bosque was crudely appropriated by the DHS, San Diego's Friendship Park has been under attack by the construction of the Border Wall. The Friendship Park has been a historical site for gatherings among residents of both countries. Family and friends have used this "public" area to exchange kisses, tamales and news through small gaps in the tattered chain-link fence. Now the Border Patrol and the DHS will slice trough the park, limiting access. U.S Customs and Border Patrol have begun demolishing the Pak and intend to eliminate all public access.

The second purpose is to continue with the ¡YA BASTA! --- TOD@S CONTRA EL MURO campaign. The campaign is still focused to stop and bring down the wall. During the Peace and Unity Walk from Ft. Hancock to Sunland Park we committed to go back to the communities that received us and report back as to what has been done and listen to their proposals. The idea is to strengthen our border communities under a same cause.

This is what we propose to do:

• Meet at Sunland Park and Anapra
• Sunday February 21, 2009
• 12:00 – 2:00 PM

Celebrate Communion through the Border Wall at Friendship Park in San Diego Every Sunday

Ever since I became a fan of Friendship Park, I’d heard stories about its official dedication as a California State Park in August, 1971, at which then-First Lady Pat Nixon presided. Some stories had her asking that the fence be cut so she could greet the Mexican children on the other side; others had her speaking openly about her wishes that someday there would be no fence at all.I’ve refrained from spreading this story too widely, because I didn’t have good corroboration of it … until now. Visit the link below to read the remarkable story and SEE PHOTOS OF PATRICIA NIXON REACHING THROUGH WHAT WAS THEN A SIMPLE, BARBED-WIRE FENCE.

I never thought I’d say it, but I find myself following in Pat Nixon’s footsteps. I’m not planning on cutting the fence, mind you, but at 3 p.m. this Sunday – and at 3 p.m. on every Sunday until further notice – I plan to serve communion through the fence to anyone who wants to receive it. You are always welcome to join me. Just remember to bring papers documenting your citizenship or residency.

Here’s the link to the Pat Nixon story: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=555f6a6f5b0c8684b9e0451c9d85f5b1.

Directions:
Starting in San Diego, CA
From I-5 Exit West on Dairy Mart Road
Dairy Mart Road turns into Monument Road
Follow Monument Road to Park Entrance.
Valid U.S. identification may be required.Expired car registration may be subject to fine.

John Fanestil
Executive DirectorFoundation for Change
http://www.foundation4change.org/
(619) 692-0527

To watch Steev Hise’s ten-minute video about communion at Friendship Park, visit: http://vimeo.com/2933608

To join the new “Friends of Friendship Park” cause on facebook, visit: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/180793?m=5793aba1&recruiter_id=13148591.

March Against the Border Wall in San Diego December 7

MARCH OF SILENCE

December 7th, 2008

12 noon

Starts at: Hollister St. & Tocayo Ave.

San Diego, CA 9215

Organized by the Raza Rights Coalition

With a cacophony of sounds heavy machinery opens way for the installation of the wall of death in the last corner of the open wound, the US-Mexico border. A place where ancestral lands meet the Pacific Ocean, a place where families come together, couples come to celebrate their love, regardless of the walls, regardless of disruptive destruction going on around them.

Using the dictatorial powers given to them, the Department of Homeland Security has chosen to disregard any civil rights, and has chosen to ignore the law. This has created a constitutional limbo at the border, where the government has imposed itself and destruction takes place.

Long has been the martyrdom of this border, there have been many deaths, and multiple abuses committed against our communities. We have carried with this tremendous burden always, from here, from this forgotten corner of the earth, we have held high the principles of dignity, justice, and liberty These concepts have come under attack by the laws that those in power have imposed, but that we have revindicated, and continue to struggle to defend them to make them a reality.

Friendship Park, a spectator in the horrifying reality of the border, where sea and wall meet, continues to be the place where for decades has been a meeting place for our people, to laugh, to sing, to meditate, to cry, to celebrate, to listen, to love, to play, and to believe that another world is possible. The government seeks to destroy this.

The Raza Rights Coalition, today makes the call to our people, to students, to the youth, to the intellectuals, to artitsts, to those who fight for environmental rights, to the working class, to religious people, to all those of us who live on this border, to all those who continue believing in that other world, to unite forces, to fight, to march with us to save Friendship Park and way NO! To the wall of death.

This time we will march in silence, so that our silence breaks the discord of the destruction of this place by the government, that imposes multi-million dollar walls, walls of death in our community. For those from above that impose, remember that the power of silence is not where its headed, but where its coming from. Our silence works to open the lines of communication, so that never a day goes again where someone dares say that the horror that is this border is justified, that it is a necessary evil, and that it is for our security.

No one can give us a voice, a stranger's voice does not belong in our throats. We are not those without a voice, we are those who have fought so our people do not have to live in shame, we are those who will place ears on those who have refused to listen to us, and our silence will me much louder than the horrifying one coming from the mechanized wall of death.

Let us struggle now, for change belongs to all of us, we are the change. Let us struggle now because this wall will come rumbling down.

Come to El Paso's Rio Bosque Wetlands Park Before the Border Wall Cuts It Off From The Rio Grande

Saturday 15 Nov, 11 AM to 3 PM.

Visit El Paso’s Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, http://www.riobosque.org and see the city’s largest park before the Border Wall changes it forever.

Walks through the park to the site of the Border Wall will start every hour on the half hour (11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30). Many local organizations will have exhibits about the local flora and fauna.

Directions from I-10: Take the Americas Ave. (Loop 375) exit (Exit 34) and head southwest towards the Zaragoza Bridge. Enter the freeway portion of Loop 375 and take it to the exit for Alameda Ave., Socorro Rd., Pan American Dr. and Zaragoza Rd. Exit to the frontage road and continue straight ahead, crossing both Alameda Ave. and Socorro Rd. At Pan American Dr., turn left. After driving approximately 1.1 mile on Pan American, you'll cross a bridge over the Playa Drain. At 1.5 miles, you'll reach a second bridge, which crosses the Riverside Canal right before the gated entrance to the Jonathan Rogers and Roberto Bustamante water-treatment plants. Proceed about 2.5 miles to the Visitor Center. For a map visit http://www.riobosque.org

Organizations are encouraged set up a booth at this event. Contact Rick LoBello for more information, RickLLoBello@ cs.com .

NO Border Wall of Death! Protest November 7 in San Antonio, Texas

Sponsored by the Southwest Workers Union

NO Border Wall of Death!
Protest Nov 7th Friday Noon
Federal Building in San Antonio, Texas

Contact: Ruben Solis 210 378 5699 cell

San Antonio-
November 9th will be forever connected with the ‘fall’ of the Berlin Wall dividing Germany and dividing the East from the West. Protests are being held simultaneously in San Antonio, TX, El Paso, TX, and San Diego, California.

Southwest Workers Union is organizing a protest against the Border Wall of Death on Friday the 7th of November at 12:00 noon to mark the date when the Berlin Wall came down. According to Ruben Solis, “If the Berlin Wall came down then so can the Border Wall of Death”.

Che Lopez, organizer with SWU said it like this “The Bush administration has been a dismal failure, the War, the Economy and the environment so if you link the Border Wall to these failures you will conclude that this is yet but another Bush failure”. According to documentation by the Immigration office of the American Friends Service Committee in San Diego, California, over 4,000 people with names and last names have died crossing the border since 1994 in the California region alone. Today border-wide it is calculated that immigration and border patrol policies have directly lead to approximately 7,000 deaths on the US-Mexico border.

El Paso Protests Against the Border Wall

We have completed another week of protests against the wall at the construction site, Yarbrough and Cesar Chavez Highway (also called Border Highway).Every day, more and more border people are joining our cause. On Wednesday October 1, 2008, at 6:30 p.m., we begin our campaign "ENOUGH! EVERYBODY AGAINST THE WALL!" with a vigil ceremony at the construction site. The meeting point is the park located at Yarbrough and Cesar Chavez Highway.The vigil will be lead by representatives of many faiths. We are inviting everybody to join us. Invite your relatives, friends and co-workers. Bring your signs and candles.We also continue protesting at the construction site every day from about 7 a.m. to about 8 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

ESPAÑOL
Hemos concluido una semana mas de protestas en contra del muro en el sitio de construcción, en la carretera Cesar Chavez (también conocida como Border Highway) y Yarbrough. Cada día, mas y mas gente se une a esta causa. El viernes 26 de octubre, mas de 30 personas participaron en la protesta de la tarde. Poco a poco estamos levantando un movimiento realmente de la comunidad en oposición al muro.Este miércoles 1 de octubre a las 6:30 de la tarde, empezamos nuestra campaña "YA BASTA! TOD@S CONTRA EL MURO!" con una ceremonia de vigilia en el mismo sitio de construccion. Nos juntaremos en el parque que se encuentra en la Yarbrough y carretera Cesar Chavez. Esta vigilia estará encabezada por representantes de distintas religiones. Estamos invitando a todo mundo a que nos acompañe a esta vigilia. Les pedimos además que inviten a sus familiares, amigos y colegas de trabajo. Traigan sus pancartas de protesta y velas.También continuamos protestando todos los dias en el sitio de construccion de como poco antes de las 7 a.m. a las 8 a.m. y de las 4:30 p.m. a las 6 p.m.Sientase libre de distribuir y hacerle cambios a este mensaje.For information/Para informacion hable al (915) 873-8933

Help us stop the construction of the border wall!

Currently, we have a permanent protest at the site where construction of the wall started on September 12. We are protesting at this place daily during the mornings and evenings and are committed to intensify our protests if they intensify their construction. We are confident that the construction of the wall can be stopped if we continue pressuring.

The proposed activities are:
October 1: Vigil at the construction site.October 12: Indigenous ceremony at construction site.
October 25: International Day of Action Against the Wall of Death.
October 26: Interfaith Action Against the Wall.November 2: Day of the Death at the border.
November 9: Celebration of the 19th Anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall.
November 27: No Thanks we Don't Want the Wall Day.December 18: Action for Justice for all Migrants That Died at the border.
January 1, 2009: Probable Joint Action at the border.
January 17, 2008: Human Action to Suspend the Construction of the Wall.

These are the proposed actions that still require work (and resources) for our campaign. At this point we are not making some of these actions public but we want to inform you about it to gain your support and participation. We will keep you informed of the details and developments of this campaign.

In solidarity, we send you fraternal greetings from the US-Mexico border.
Carlos Marentes

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.

Border Ambassadors March Opposing the Border Wall from Ft. Hancock to El Paso

Border Ambassadors is sponsoring a Peace and Unity March against the Border Wall in the Tigua region, from Fort Hancock to El Paso.

Here is a breakdown of the August 27-31protest march against the border wall.

August 27 (Wed). Kick off cultural event in Fort Hancock.August 28 (Thu). From Fort Hancock, walk to Alamo Alto. August 29 (Fri). From Alamo Alto, walk to Tornillo, hold community event. End in Fabens. August 30 (Sat).From Fabens, walk to San Elizario, hold community event. End in SanYsleta del Sur with the Tiguas community. August 31(Sun). Morning ceremony in San Ysleta del Sur .Then to El Paso. After arriving in El Paso, a bi-naional event will be held in Anapra, Chihuahua and Sundland Park, NM.

It was not many years ago that we called an "iron curtain" something immoral and inhumane, something that only cruel and hateful people would do to their fellow man, a product of a totalitarian enemy. So, from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, from both sides of the border we invite all citizens of good will, organizations, faiths and media to join us in this peaceful and united protest against the border wall.

We can show solidarity in many ways. Join the march, forward this information, donate to the event, post the event on blogs, and encourage the media to not allow such an historic event to be suppressed at the national level. So, please feel free to join us and liberally share this information with others. In solidarity against the border wall.

For more information contact
Jay J. Johnson-Castro, Sr.
(830)768-0768
(830)734-8636 (cell)
jay@villadelrio.com
http://www.borderambassadors.com/

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!

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.

Write Congress to Protest Chertoff's Waiver of Laws on the Border!

Invoking the power granted by the Real ID Act to waive any law that he sees fit to build walls on the border, DHS Secretary Chertoff has suspended 36 federal laws. This allows him to begin border wall construction immediately, regardless of the damage that they will do to communities and the environment. Homes will be bulldozed, farms will be sliced in half, and endnagered species will be driven to extinction. The Real ID Act makes a mockery of the notion of the rule of law.

We must flood Congress with calls, letters, and emails demanding that they immediately repeal section 102 of the Real ID Act and rescind the waivers that Chertoff has issued.

Contact you Representative today and let them know that since they enacted the Real ID Act, it is up to them to repeal it and undo the damage. You can contact House members using the House of Representatives website:

https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

Contact your US Senators and let them know that they too bear responsibility for undermining the rule of law, and must act immediately to repeal section 102 of the Real ID Act. You can contact your Senators using the Senate's website:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The No Border Wall Coalition will be sending the following letter to members of Congress. Feel free to quote or paraphrase from it when you call or write your elected representatives.

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Representative,

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has “waived in their entirety” 36 federal laws along the entire United States southern border from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas. This represents an unprecedented abuse of authority on Secretary Chertoff’s part, and clearly demonstrates the need for an immediate repeal of section 102 of the Real ID Act.

Obeying the law is not voluntary, it is mandatory, and Secretary Chertoff cannot legitimately claim to be sweeping aside a host of laws on the border in defense of immigration laws. In a nation of laws all laws must be respected, not just those that are convenient.

Equal protection under the law is meant to be a fundamental right shared by every American, but the Real ID Act makes the legal rights of citizens who live near the border conditional on Secretary Chertoff’s whims. Section 102 of the Real ID Act of 2005 states, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall have the authority to waive all legal requirements such Secretary, in such Secretary’s sole discretion, determines necessary to ensure expeditious construction of the barriers and roads under this section.” No one else is granted this extreme power under any circumstance. The President cannot waive our nation’s laws even in times of national crisis, and Secretary Chertoff cannot waive the laws that protect citizens who live away from the border. Only border residents may have their legal protections waived.

The only reason for Secretary Chertoff to waive these laws is because he knows that construction of the border wall will break them. In announcing the Real ID Act waivers Secretary Chertoff said, "Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation." The waivers are an admission that the border wall will itself violate these 36 federal laws, making construction of the wall a criminal act. If Chertoff is genuinely concerned with criminal activity he should ensure that the agency that he oversees complies with the law. Instead, by setting these 36 federal laws aside, Secretary Chertoff sets himself above the law.

Congress must not allow unchecked power to remain in the hands of an unelected administration appointee. As James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers, “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands… may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” Allowing one man to overrule laws passed by Congress and signed by the President for the express intent of circumventing judicial oversight is un-American.

The No Border Wall Coalition calls on Congress to repeal section 102 of the Real ID Act and restore the rule of law. The waivers already written must be rescinded so that citizens whose only offense is the location of their homes may again be afforded the full protection of all of our nation’s laws. In passing the Real ID Act Congress created this situation, and it is now up to Congress to remedy it.

Email Congress - Cut Off Funding for the Border Wall

Click HERE to go to the Democratic Courage website to send an email to your members of Confress urging them to cut off funding for the Border Wall and to support the Borderlands Conservation and Security Act.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that he is going to waive 18 laws including the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Clean Water Act so he can build a wall between Arizona and Mexico in the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area, allegedly to keep out illegal immigrants. The wall won't work to stop anyone with a ladder, or anyone who just overstays their visa, but it will mean death for endangered species of the Southwest like the ocelot, jaguar, and Sonoran Pronghorn Antelope. Contact your member of Congress today and ask them to cut off funding for the border wall and cosponsor the Borderlands Security and Conservation Act. Feel free to add your own text.

To learn more about Chertoff's latest waiver of federal laws, visit the No Border Wall blog.