Border Action Network

 

Student’s Name:        Jack Black

A.        Title of agency or organization: Border Action Network

B.        Where is home base: Tucson, Arizona

C.        Date founded 1999

D.        Names of key spokespersons/officers
Border Action Network consists of staff, interns, a Coordinating Council, a Tucson, Douglas and Nogales Organizing Committee, volunteers and members. Jennifer Allen, the organization’s director

E.        What/who is key constituency or audience?
Border Action Network formed in 1999 to ensure that those who are most impacted by border and immigration policies are involved with the movements in regards to human dignity and civil rights. Border Action Network works with Latino immigrants and border residents in Nogales, Douglas and Tucson to ensure that their rights are protected. They are a membership-based organization that combines grassroots community organizing, leadership development, litigation and action.

F.       What are the agency’s main activities?

Voter Turnout Increases by 20% in Border Communities! From June to November 2004, Border Action launched an intensive campaign to increase voter turnout in Nogales and Douglas, AZ by 20% and to defeat Arizona’s disastrous anti-immigration ballot initiative, Proposition 200. When the ballots were tallied, we met our goals and demonstrated that Latino border communities should be counted!
No Immigrant Prisons-Victory! In March 2002 we won a successful campaign that prevented the construction of up to four privately run federal prisons for immigrants in Arizona and California. In May 2002, we also successfully mobilized a diverse and powerful Tucson coalition to preserve the separation of local law enforcement and the administrative powers of the INS. The Tucson police Department agreed not to begin enforcing immigration laws.
Exposing Border Vigilante & Militia Groups-Victory! In December 2002 we released a ground-breaking report Hate or Heroism: Vigilantes on the Arizona-Mexico Border and hand delivered it to the Arizona Attorney General. The report and delegation made several concrete recommendations that the governor and Attorney General could implement to undermine the base of racist, anti-immigrant groups that have invaded Southern Arizona. Our action enabled the voices of the vast majority of border residents who oppose these groups to finally be heard. The report brought local and international press coverage to the growing opposition to anti-immigrant groups in Arizona and launched an extensive campaign to stop vigilantes on the border.
Environmental-Human Rights Alliances: Border Action Network is the only organization in the southwest that confronts the injustices on the US-Mexico from both an environmental and human rights prespective. Our Arizona Border Environment Project brings together the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Sky Alliance, along side the Catholic and Presbyterian churches, immigrant right and worker rights' groups. The result is a powerful and comprehensive approach that hits the Border Patrol with everything from their racial profiling to unpermitted road construction!
Organization Building and Leadership Development: After a momentous all-voluteer 3 years, in February 2002 Border Action hired two full-time staff and a full time organizer, opened an office, received generous donations of state-of-the-art computer equipment and developed an active Board that is integrally involved in our programs! At the same time, we have strengthened the leadership skills of our members, particularly women and people of color. We have held trainings on desktop publishing, using environmental laws in grassroots organizing, using the Freedom of Information Act, community organizing and outreach. This education and skill development has been integral to members' participation from the beginning. (All taken from the Border Action Website)

G.        Mission statement? (Not Found)

H.        What are the key im/migration issues of concern to this agency: Human/Civil Rights.

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.?

U.S. TARGETS HUMAN TRAFFICKING -
MEXICO ON WATCH LIST FOR NOT ADDRESSING PROBLEM
Arizona Republic, The (Phoenix, AZ)
June 4, 2005
Author: Billy House, Republic Washington Bureau
Staff reporter Daniel González contributed to this article.
Estimated printed pages: 4

J.        Any publications: Yes

www.borderaction.org/

 

Author: Jack Black