Volunteers plan to aid migrants in desert : (TRAITORS)

Arizona Daily Star | 4/20/04 | Stephanie Innes

[SandRat]

PHOENIX - Inspired by the biblical lesson of welcoming the stranger, volunteers are planning to staff round-the-clock desert camps to aid illegal border crossers coming into Southern Arizona this summer.

The "Arks of the Covenant" desert camps, which will provide water, food and medical help, are part of a larger effort by Arizona's religious groups to curb what has become a crisis of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexican border on foot only to die of heat exposure and thirst.

"All our efforts are within the federal provisions of humanitarian assistance," said the Rev. John Fife, pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St.

Andy Adame, a representative of the Tucson sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, said he couldn't comment on the planned volunteer desert camps because he did not know enough about them. Federal law prohibits anyone from aiding illegal immigrants "in furtherance of their illegal entry," including sheltering them.

Fife was one of at least 150 religious leaders from across the state who gathered on the lawn of the Arizona Capitol Monday morning to sign a statement of solidarity against the federal government's border policy. The leaders agreed on a list of policy recommendations and pledged to step up education of their parishioners about the annual string of deaths in the desert.

"Today we put our faith into practice," said Jorgé Montiel, a parishioner at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Chandler and a member of the East Valley Interfaith organization. "Our spirituality includes shaping public policy."

Some leaders at Monday's gathering said the show of solidarity recalled the Sanctuary movement of the 1980s, when churches and other religious groups aided people fleeing war-torn Central America. The movement began in Tucson but quickly spread nationwide.

"This is a big deal," Fife said of the current effort.

But this time, Fife said, the movement is acting within the law. In the 1980s, Sanctuary workers helped smuggle the immigrants into the country, resulting in a federal felony conviction for Fife.

Organizers say the Arks of the Covenant will be set up on Memorial Day weekend and will remain at least through July. The camps' locations had not been determined. Fife said it is a version of the existing faith-based Samaritan Patrol, a program beginning its third year of sending teams in vehicles into the desert to offer food, water and medical help to border crossers.

Christian Peacemaker teams will provide between six and eight people to staff at least one of the Ark camps, said Rich Meyer, a member of the international organization.

"Sometimes the example of church leaders can lead the government to change laws," Meyer said.

"As Arizonans, we have a special responsibility to reach out to and welcome our brothers and sisters as members of God's family," Gerald F. Kicanas, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, told Monday's gathering. "We cannot remain silent as these deaths continue to mount on our doorstep."

The Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol reported 139 deaths in the desert for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2003.

° Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or at sinnes@azstarnet.com.

[SandRat]

This is how they excuse their treacherous acts:

"Faith-based Principles for Immigration Reform," endorsed by 150 religious leaders from around the state on Monday:

° The current border enforcement strategy is a failure that must be re-evaluated.

The status of undocumented persons currently living in the United States must be addressed.

Family unity and reunification must be the cornerstone of the U.S. immigration system.

° An employment-focused immigration program must allow workers and their families to enter the United States to live and work in a safe, legal, orderly and humane manner through recognized ports of entry.

Immigration policy must recognize that root causes of migration lie in environmental, economic and trade inequities.

[SandRat]

Traitors! Treason! Felons!

[risk]

Reverend,

1 illegal
2 illegal
3 illegal

...three strikes, you're out. I'm sure the prisoners will treat you well. If you have the courage to push your civil disobedience on this issue, you'd better have the courage to go to jail for a long time.

[SandRat]

Don't think the Reverend would be too happy in Sheriff Joe's Tent Prison outside of Phoenix. Green Baloney, Chain-gangs, pink underwear, old fashioned black and white prison stripes, etc, Sheriff Joe is a hard case.

[trebb]

Traitors because they want to save lives? It doesn't say they are trying to smuggle them in or hide them, just keep them from dieing. The authorities can decide what to do with the illegals. Until they make the decision, there is no problem with preserving life.

[keepinitreal]

Well now the La Migra can hang out in a nice tent and drink lemonade and wait for them to come instead of chasing them around the deseert.
I think it is great that these people are helping them and giving them food, water and shelter, but the law is the law.

[SZonian]

Giving the illegals any iota of hope is dangerous! When President Bush came out with his "amnesty" program the numbers swelled, until the furor died down.

I think even the semblance of legitimacy is wrong, these folks need to understand that offering assistance is akin to encouraging more illegal immigration because the illegals will be looking for help.

As for comparing this to the civil war in El Salvador, this is a whole different set of circumstances. This is an economic refugee situation and Vicente Fox needs to get his country's economy on the right path and not continue to encourage these folks anymore than he already has!

What happens when these "good people" get confronted by coyotes and there is a violent confrontation? Will they sue the Border Patrol because they didn't do enough to protect them in their quest to help? I don't believe in letting anyone die, but these illegals should know the risks by now, especially with all the news coverage about the ones who have died before them.

Seal the borders!

Cheers!

[keepinitreal]

Anyone who calls another a parasite for wanting a better life for himself and his family is lower than a parasite. If these people are parasites then what does that make you?

[4Freedom]

Where this tidal wave of illegal border crossers and their law-breaking enablers are concerned, Bush 'sees no evil and hears no evil.'

Bush has appointed Libertarian, open borders, pro-illegal immigration flunkies to head the Department of Immigration for the last 4 years.

The new Customs/Border Patrol Agency just announced a hiring freeze until further notice.

Looks like Iraq got the money that was supposed to be used in a feeble attempt to fool the voters into believing Bush was actually going to do something to secure our borders this year.

I guess Rove convinced him that even that was too much.

[SandRat]

Go to this story Fake residents, real woes: School district files police report over family's bid to enroll 5 kids.

Not even Nogales AZ can take it anymore and they are dead on the border and mostly Hispanic.

[JackelopeBreeder]

This is actually amusing. I'm guessing most of their camps will go into the western desert and few of these loons have the stamina to stay out there very long. I foresee the courage of their convictions wilting rapidly under the Arizona sun. Just about all of them are urban weenies, not border dwellers.

If they put a camp here in Cochise County there are plenty of volunteers available to observe and videotape any illegalities and loudly demand prosecution.

[Tacis]

What a great idea!! Liberals always try to hide behind some abstract priciple and meet their true objective while claiming to do good. This is really great, however.

These guys will be able to take the dope from the criminal illegal aliens, give them some water and a sandwhich, warn them not to say anything to any one and send them on their way. Sure, the guys to whom the stuff was really supposed to be given are going to get mad but what are they going to do?

And, the volunteers will ceratinly pick up some Saudis bringing cash and instructions to all the kerrorists already here. They'll be rich and able to hide behind their principle.

[DumpsterDiver]

the host

And I, for one, am an unwilling host to the very unwelcome "guests".

[keepinitreal]

Don't forget that you or ancestors were once the parasite that fed off me (the host), I and my ancestors have been here longer than you, kimosave.

[trebb]

I have no problem with the attitude that they are illegal and a drain on our tax dollars. In fact, I find myself getting mad about it quite often. However, until the authorities decide to really take care of it, I can't see letting them die like old dogs. It has been a problem for many years and it has been driven by the Democrats. We are now in the quandary of having a huge problem and no truly humane way to solve it. That's why I believe that some of the "amnesty" programs being talked about may be the best first start - at least it will start to get a handle on some accountability. It suck, but sometimes "sucks" is the best option available. I prefer to spend more of my emotional energy on getting Bush reelected and keeping the Dims in the underdog position. I think a second-term Bush will be much more forthcoming and more likely to blatantly expose the sicko Dims for what they are...

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Unbelievable. It would be a much shorter drive to Guadalupe or downtown Phoenix to give some assistance to AMERICANS down on their luck.

[SandRat]

Since you don't live on the F.E.B.A. you don't understand what we go through every single day. From every sort of crime to over burdened hospitals having to close because they handle the rush of freeloaders, to schools that can't meet budget needs, to the desecration of veteran's cemeteries with all of their trash and "HUMAN" leavings, to over 40 caught just yesterday on a military installation trying to sneak by. If you catch 40 you can bet you bottom dollar that twice that many got through.

Add to that for every 10 that get through 1 is an OTM, other than Mexican - we've already turned up evidence of Arabs having come through by their trash that they left behind.

So if those of us who live on the F.E.B.A. are getting what seems a little callous we have good reason.

As to ReElecting GW, you bet. We are also working to KAN KONGRESSMAN KOLBE and replace him with Randy Graf. Once that's done then '06 is the RINO McCainiac's turn to go to the unemployment line.