immigration

by Dave Onion & Lillian Goodman

Last month, in Shenandoah, PA, just a couple hours drive from Philly, an all white jury dismissed murder charges against 4 white high school students accused of killing Luis Ramirez. Last July, Ramirez, a young Mexican living in Shenandoah, had been waiting to meet up with his fiancée and sister when four football players from the local high school picked a fight, interspersing racist epithets with punches and kicks. The four took turns beating Ramirez. Once Ramirez was beaten to the ground, a final kick cracked his skull. He died in the hospital the next day from the injuries.

by Jen Rock

In the early 1990’s, close to the implementation of the North American  Free Trade Agreement, U.S. immigration policy heightened security along the  US/ Mexico border.  Instead of preventing entrance without legal documentation, “Operation Gatekeeper” in San Diego and “Operation Hold-the-Line” in El Paso have merely served as a “funnel”- pushing 52% of migration traffic through the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona (Fernandez, 2007).  The route through the desert, used by thousands of migrants every day, is at best a 3 days journey.  Most migrants are ill prepared for the terrain and climate.  Without appropriate shoes or clothes, food, or water to drink, the journey is extremely dangerous.