Crime Of Humanity
The humanitarian group No More Deaths, an Arizona based organization dedicated to providing provisions (food, water and shelter) to those lost in the desert near the Arizona/Mexico border for the purpose of preventing the loss of human life has long had an understanding with law enforcement. The organization’s goal was simple, provide humanitarian aid to those who had entered the United States (legally or otherwise) to reduce the number of migrants suffering avoidable and horrific deaths following their arrival in America. Until recently, the organization had not faced hostility from law enforcement. That changed recently including the arrest of a volunteer named Scott Daniel Warren for providing provisions to people who entered the country illegally in addition to the destruction of potentially life saving supplies left by the organization by Border Patrol agents. The concept that agents of the United States government would penalize citizens for attempting to save lives regardless of their immigration status and that the same agents would dump water onto the desert sands to prevent it from being consumed by migrants (and potentially saving their lives) is unacceptable based on the American Ideals that I was raised with. America should be outraged and that outrage should come from the top of the government. Unfortunately, the environment fomented by the current top of the American government would seem to be the fuel for this environment.
A volunteer for an Arizona group seeking to prevent migrant deaths in the desert at the U.S.-Mexico border was arrested after giving food and water to undocumented immigrants, according to court records.
Scott Daniel Warren, an instructor with Arizona State University and volunteer with the group No More Deaths, faces the federal charge of harboring or concealing two people in the country illegally, according to court documents.
Warren was arrested on Jan. 17 after allegedly giving two undocumented immigrants “food, water, beds, and clean clothes” in Ajo, Arizona, according to a criminal complaint.
Border Patrol agents were conducting surveillance on a building known as “the Barn” when they saw two people matching the descriptions of lost undocumented immigrants, according to the federal complaint.
The undocumented men said they researched the best methods for crossing the border and had received the address of “the Barn” as a place they could receive food and water, according to the complaint.
“After finding their way to ‘the Barn,’ Warren met them outside and gave them food and water for approximately three days,” according to the complaint.
William Walker, Warren’s lawyer, said he has worked with No More Deaths for many years and there had always been an understanding between the group and law enforcement.
“We have always had an understanding here with both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Border Patrol and also the wilderness area managers that we are a neutral party,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “We don’t smuggle people, we don’t violate the law — what we do is we help to save lives and they’ve recognized that for years.”
