Enrique Morones, founder of The Border Angels in 1986, a non-profit organization supporting humanity by providing water to those crossing the border. It wasn’t until his theatre company, Teatro Máscara Mágica produced the play, “Detained in the Desert” written by Josefina Lopez, to tell the story based on the work of The Border Angels and Arizona’s SP1070.
This organization consists of extraordinary volunteers who want to stop unnecessary deaths of many individuals traveling through the Imperial Valley desert areas and the mountain areas surrounding San Diego County, as well as the areas located around the United States and Mexican border. The high percentage of unnecessary deaths have been results of extreme heat and cold weather conditions, in addition some have sadly been the results of racial-discrimination crimes. In attempt stop horrifically hot temperature and dangerous conditions for those crossing, The Border Angels organization and their volunteers set up hundreds of rescue stations are located along the ten state US Mexico border region. Temperatures reaching as high as 127 degrees, so the water is critical for their survival. Volunteers maintain stations throughout the spring and summer months. Since those early days, the group has expanded well past the water drop-offs, and now do much, much more. One of their biggest tasks, though, is raising awareness about the humanitarian aspects of immigration and the many dangers immigrants face as they cross the border.
Morones called on President Obama to provide a “humanitarian response to the humanitarian crisis” facing undocumented immigrants today, even if it means utilizing executive powers to circumvent Congress.
Among the specific actions Morones would like the President to take, he would like to see mass deportations of immigrants halted, the enhancement of DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals) and passage of the Dream Act. And contrary to what critics may believe, Enrique Morones and Border Angels are not asking for citizenship for every undocumented immigrant. Rather, they are seeking an official process by which immigrants can become documented. They are aiming for immigrants to be legally be recognized, so that they can safely enter this country to find work, or perhaps be with their families who are already here.
“There is no line,” Monones says, regarding the current status quo for undocumented immigrants seeking entry into the United States, “I would like to see a line be created.”
“We want a humane bill that allows the people to get in line, that has the possibility to let [undocumented immigrants] be documented,” he says.
Ultimately, Morones feels that many Americans are simply unwilling to acknowledge the changing cultural and ethnic demographic make-up of the United States.
“We got to remember that before we were us, we were them,” Morones says referring to the US population. We were that latest wave of immigrants coming in for a better life.” You came from another part of the world, or your great grandparents. Let others have the same opportunity come to the US to have a better life and to contribute.”
That reality seems to have been lost on most of the anti-immigration crowd, according to Morones, and part of his mission with Border Angels is to remind people of that and hopefully change their perception of immigrants. Awareness and Support Educating citizens and government dignitaries on the status of weather related deaths and racial-discrimination crime deaths is crucial in gaining support in the volunteer, donation and jurisdiction areas. Border Angels are proud supporters of Equal Rights.
at www.borderangels.org
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