Civilian Police Agencies, the First Casualties Are
Immigrants
‘The death toll along California’s border with Mexico has
reached 567 … all [who died] were trying to evade Operation
Gatekeeper, a six-year-old blockade that has tripled the number of
armed U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Diego,’ writes Tim Dunn on
Americas.org
Dunn, the author of The Militarization of the U.S.-Mexico Border:
Low-Intensity Conflict Doctrine Comes Home, has written a gripping
exposé on the federal police force that has been condemned by both
Amnesty International and U.N. Human Rights Secretary Mary
Robinson.
Dunn suggests that beefing up the U.S. Border Patrol has less to do
with the original intent of supporting the war on drugs than with
militarization. He cites how different civilian agencies such as
the sheriff’s departments now use military equipment, strategies,
and techniques, and how ‘thousands of military troops have been
deployed along the border for patrols, surveillance, and
training.’
On a more positive note, the Americas.org website,
dedicated to demonstrating the connections between people of Latin
America, the Caribbean, and the United Sates, also includes a link
to an article on the growing network of peace activists that are
fighting against these practices. — Sara V.
Buckwitz
Go there>>
