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Agency Report:
A. Title of agency or
organization?
No More Deaths
B. Where is home base (city/state/country)?
No More Deaths is a bi-national organization made up of many
migrant-friendly groups and individuals from all over the U.S. and
Northern Mexico. No More Deaths sets up aid camps in the Southern
Arizona deserts and they have offices located in both Phoenix and
Tucson, AZ.
C. Date founded?
Though some of the groups involved with No More Deaths have been in
operation for some time, the actual humanitarian movement that now
makes up No More Deaths was founded in the spring of 2004.
D. Names of key spokespersons/officers
No specific names could be found although one of the founding
members is Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Dioses.
E. What/who is key constituency or audience?
No More Deaths is unique in that it calls to action all people who
are concerned with the rising numbers of immigrant deaths along the
U.S.-Mexico border and those who feel that there is need for the
reform of U.S. immigration laws and policies. Furthermore, being a
faith-based organization supported by various churches in Arizona,
No More Deaths calls to action people of faith who are interested in
helping their fellow man.
F. What are the agency’s main activities?
No More Deaths primarily focuses on giving aid to immigrants that
have been driven to the desert by the recent militarization of the
U.S-Mexico border. Specifically, they set up aid camps known as
“Arks of the Covenant” at which immigrants can receive medical care,
food, and water to aid them in their journey. Furthermore, No More
Deaths is interested in raising awareness of both the failure of
current U.S. border policies to both decrease and prevent illegal
immigration and the need to implement new policies and laws to help
humanize the border.
G. Mission statement? (you may quote mission statement if
available; use quotation marks!)
“No More Deaths is a coalition of communities and individuals of
faith and conscience that works to end the suffering and deaths of
migrants in the Arizona-Sonora borderlands. We embrace an action
plan that includes movable desert camps, support of migrant aid
centers, maintenance of water stations, Samaritan patrols that
search the desert for migrants in need, and advocacy on behalf of
migrant-related issues.”
H. What are the key im/migration issues of concern to this
agency?
This particular organization is mainly concerned with the
humanitarian aspect of immigration. Mainly, they are concerned with
what they see as unjust deaths of illegal immigrants in the Arizona
desert every year and the need to help change policies to prevent
future deaths from occurring.
I. As best as you can determine, on what
evidence/sources/research/community does this agency base its
informational statements issued, press releases, reports, etc.?
Much of the informational statements seem to draw numbers from
newspapers and electronic publications that have done studies or
articles on immigration laws, immigrations figures, government
reports, and even human interest stories. Though they do provide
figures regarding deaths of immigrants since 1998 it is not clear,
at least immediately, where this information is obtained.
J. Any publications? (what types, sample titles; if online,
give links)
Some publications include brochures that give a basic summary of
what the organization is about as well as a 2004 report that gives
the historical origins, intentions, and information about No More
Deaths. Furthermore, the report presents examples of deaths that
have occurred in the Arizona desert and how similar groups are
helping to aid injured or sick immigrants. The report can be found
at the following link:
http://www.nomoredeaths.org/2004_No_More_Deaths_Report.pdf.
K. Give at least one citation about this agency from a
newspaper article (preferably an Arizona newspaper). Use a citation
index to research this e.g., Lexis Nexis, available from the
Migration Course Web Page made by the Fletcher Library:
http://library.west.asu.edu/subjects/SOC/soc331.html Briefly
state what the article is about, and provide a quote from the
article that includes the agency’s name and gives a good idea of
this agency’s perspective on im/migration. Note: not a quote from
agency’s own web site!
One of the articles taken from the Arizona Star and linked to the No
More Deaths website is concerned with the July 9, 2005 arrest of two
No More Deaths members who have since been charged with transporting
illegal immigrants. The article specifically addresses the debate
surrounding what No More Deaths sees as a humanitarian act of
helping ailing immigrants and not a criminal act. The quote below
addresses one of many attempts made by No More Deaths to have the
criminal charges brought against their members dropped.
“Members of the local No More Deaths movement are launching a
campaign against the U.S. attorney for Arizona, asking that charges
be dropped in the case of two aid workers charged with illegally
transporting undocumented immigrants.”
L. Any other issues of interest about the agency?
One of the more interesting issues that No More Deaths addresses is
the need for revision of current immigration policies. They believe
that by changing the policies to a more humanitarian approach that
considers more heavily the need to help reunite families currently
divided by borders and the need to address Mexico’s need for
employment within the U.S.
M. Is the agency noticeably pro or con immigration? (You may
need to determine this from “reading around” in its position papers,
press releases, news reports, etc)
Initially, No More Deaths seems to be a pr- immigration
organization, but further reading leads me to believe that they are
neither pro nor con. By taking a more humanitarian approach they try
to focus more on the people who fall victim to the Arizona desert as
a result of the current militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border as
opposed to supporting or opposing immigration itself. Though they do
support changes to current immigration policies, their foremost
concern is helping to prevent any more deaths from dehydration and
exposure in Arizona’s desert.
N. Web site? Give URL
www.nomoredeaths.org |