"Presente"
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023
Today, we drove from Phoenix to the US/Mexico border at Douglas, AZ.
The drive between Phoenix and Tucson was familiar, having driven many times when I worked for the Presbytery de Cristo and to see my daughter when she was a student at the University of Arizona. We drove past the Gila River Reservation, where many dear friends live, we passed through Tucson where I had circulated with natural born US citizens, with Native American citizens, with naturalized citizens, with undocumented citizens- with people. Tucson is a beautiful place 122 miles north of the border. A university town, there is a rich diversity of cultures, especially Mexican and US, with amazing restaurants, museums, tourist attractions and shopping. It is a large city that still seems small, somehow.
There we were met by Frontera de Cristo (FdC) Mission coordinator, Mark Adams and several staff and volunteers. After dinner, we got in to FdC van and drove a short distance to The Wall (US side). We got out. An occupied Border Patrol truck sat under a shade structure. Mark had a quick visit with the agent and came back to us. As we stood together, he gave a brief history of the 500+ years of economics and politics up to today. This section of the wall was a giant rusted metal fortification, stretching for 30 miles to the east and many, many, many miles to the west. From where we stood we could see no end to it either direction.
That was the US side.
When you looked through the irons slats that make up the wall to Agua Prieta, the city on the other side, you saw life going on in a regular fashion. Cars zipping by, commercial billboards, houses and people going about their life. Normalcy.
Mark noted that he cannot refer to it as "Trump's Wall" or the "US/Mexico wall". When speaking to Americans, it's "our wall". Our tax dollars spent to stop migration. It has been successful in stopping the migration of animals (except birds). It has been successful in slowing northward traffic in the more populated areas. It has not stopped the desire to reunite with families who now live in the US or other destinations. It has not eliminated the violence in Central and South America or other war-torn countries around the world that drive people from their homes seeking safety for their families. And It has not stopped the drug traffickers who have the financial means to carry drugs by air/ATF/ tunnel, etc. Furthermore, in Agua Prieta, now the cartel is making money off of the human trafficking, including migration, as well. Without hinderance from law enforcement, the syndicate takes the migrants' money directly and employs the coyotes, or traffickers, to take them through the desert. Some see their "cargo" to their destinations on the US side, others abandon them in the desert with a 5 -7 day walk ahead of them.
Besides the wall, billions of dollars have been invested in ultra-sensitive equipment that detects walking, ultraviolet at night and other high-tech surveillance. So anyone wanting to cross by vehicle or foot is squeezed into the most remote areas with no resources to sustain them. One of our guides said "It's a wonder anyone gets across at all." But people still cross, the mortality rate is higher and the deadly dance continues.
Punctuating all that we had just seen at the US side of the wall, we were invited to attend a "Healing Our Borders" Vigil which is held every Tuesday evening at 5:15 in Douglas. A wagon full of small white crosses sat at our gathering spot 5 blocks from the port of entry into Mexico. In the introduction, volunteers told us that this group has met weekly since 2000 to remember and honor the 380+ people who have died in Cochise County alone while attempting to cross. Each cross had the name, the birthdate/age of the person and the date their remains were found. We each took a few and began a walk along the lines of cars waiting to cross into Mexico. In succession, we announced the name on our cross, held it aloft and together exclaimed "Presente" ("Here"). We then left that cross leaning against the curb, took another from the wagon and continued our walk for nearly 5 blocks. At the end, we gathered and had a moment of silent remembrance and returned, picking up the crosses. Many said "Vender no Information" (Unknown) They died unrecognized, a horrendous death. It will always haunt me. The vigil:
l
It was 30 feet tall and, new since my last visit, continuous coils of concertina wire stretched along the upper third of the wall on the US side. Running alongside the wall was a Border Patrol road, and on the other side- x-shaped metal parapets also with concertina wire extended along the length of it. You know, like the pictures of the Berlin Wall? If you looked up along the road, you saw floodlights and cameras on poles every 15 yards or so. And the landscape was dead. Lifeless. Desolate. Ugly.
That was the US side.
When you looked through the irons slats that make up the wall to Agua Prieta, the city on the other side, you saw life going on in a regular fashion. Cars zipping by, commercial billboards, houses and people going about their life. Normalcy.
Mark noted that he cannot refer to it as "Trump's Wall" or the "US/Mexico wall". When speaking to Americans, it's "our wall". Our tax dollars spent to stop migration. It has been successful in stopping the migration of animals (except birds). It has been successful in slowing northward traffic in the more populated areas. It has not stopped the desire to reunite with families who now live in the US or other destinations. It has not eliminated the violence in Central and South America or other war-torn countries around the world that drive people from their homes seeking safety for their families. And It has not stopped the drug traffickers who have the financial means to carry drugs by air/ATF/ tunnel, etc. Furthermore, in Agua Prieta, now the cartel is making money off of the human trafficking, including migration, as well. Without hinderance from law enforcement, the syndicate takes the migrants' money directly and employs the coyotes, or traffickers, to take them through the desert. Some see their "cargo" to their destinations on the US side, others abandon them in the desert with a 5 -7 day walk ahead of them.
Besides the wall, billions of dollars have been invested in ultra-sensitive equipment that detects walking, ultraviolet at night and other high-tech surveillance. So anyone wanting to cross by vehicle or foot is squeezed into the most remote areas with no resources to sustain them. One of our guides said "It's a wonder anyone gets across at all." But people still cross, the mortality rate is higher and the deadly dance continues.
l
Comments
Post a Comment