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Federal Trial against Humanitarian Begins June 1

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Who: No More Deaths volunteer Walter Staton What: Federal misdemeanor charge of “knowingly littering” Where: DiConcini Federal Court, Congress & Granada - Room 5A When: Trial begins Monday, June 1 at 9:00 am, gathering of supporters at 8:15 am Contacts: Walter Staton: 520.240.1641 Attorney William Walker: 520.622.3330 ‘Deadly Border Policy Must Come to an End’ Walt Staton speaks with a Border Patrol agent while a Fish and Wildlife officer prepares his citation. Border Patrol had three agents and a helicopter tracking NMD volunteers on December, 4. Local humanitarian volunteer, Walter Staton, is being charged with knowingly littering after putting out gallon jugs of water intended for migrants crossing remote areas of the Sonoran desert last December on Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. He was cited by Fish and Wildlife Service officer James Casey, along with three other volunteers from the Tucson-based humanitarian group No More Deaths. The charges against the other three volunteers were dismissed by the US Attorney’s Office. [Download the Police Report] Officer Casey was assisted by three US Border Patrol agents, including one of their helicopters, to track and cite Staton. Officer Casey confiscated eight jugs of water that was put out for migrants, and then seized another six gallons of water from the group’s vehicle. The group of volunteers was carrying out empty water jugs and other trash at the time of the citation. The trial against Staton is set to begin at 9:00 am, June 1 at the DiConcini Federal Court House in Tucson. Magistrate Jennifer Guerin will preside over the trial, which will include a 12-member jury. Click for a map showing the locations of bodies recovered from Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge. Map prepared by Humane Borders. Approximately 20 bodies of migrants have been recovered from Buenos Aires since 2002 (see map below) with many more deaths occurring just outside the refuge’s boundary. Dehydration is often a factor in the deaths that occur along the border. Staton will try to defend himself on moral grounds, although the US Government has filed motions to preclude him from testifying to his intent. “I am moved by my faith as a Unitarian Universalist to be engaged in this work along the border. It’s an important social justice issue to be in solidarity with the courageous people who leave so much behind to try and build a more dignified life for themselves and their families,” Staton said. No More Deaths recognizes that the root causes of migration lie in environmental, economic and trade inequities. Coupled with a border enforcement policy that focuses on deterrence, the result is a death toll of more than 5,000 people along our southern boundary since the mid-1990s. “The United States is enforcing a border policy that intentionally pushes people out into the Sonoran desert to try and deter them from coming to America. It is a deliberate policy of death since people will come to find jobs and reunite families regardless of the deterrence,” Staton said, who has volunteered with No More Deaths for five years. The trial is expected to last most of the week. Rev. Robin Hoover, president of Humane Borders and Ed McCullough, retired dean of the College of Science at the University of Arizona, will both be called as witnesses for Staton’s defense, which is being presented by attorney William Walker. While the water jugs are a key part of No More Deaths’ humanitarian work, the group recognizes that it is treating a symptom of a much larger global issue. Staton, who recently returned from a delegation to Germany, Malta and Italy with other humanitarian volunteers, sees parallels in the deterrence strategy used to prevent refugees and migrants from entering the Unites States and the European Union. “Militarized borders are not a solution to the growing numbers of people on the move around the world. It’s time we bring this era of deadly border enforcement strategy to an end,” Staton said. More than one dozen bottles of water were seized by Fish and Wildlife during the citation. Behind the new jugs, you can see the discarded jugs that were also taken out by NMD volunteers. Fellow volunteer, Dan Millis, was given a similar littering citation in February, 2008. His case is currently being appealed to the 9th Circuit Federal Court. No More Deaths will continue with providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in the desert around Arivaca and at border aid stations in Agua Prieta, Naco and Nogales. The group is also continuing its work documenting human rights abuses of migrants in US custody, and is actively working with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to create a set of custody standards that will protect detainees held by the Department of Homeland Security. The mission of No More Deaths is to end the death and suffering of migrants crossing the US/Mexico border in the Sonoran desert. The group first began direct humanitarian operations in the summer of 2004. Hundreds of volunteers come to Arizona each year to participate in No More Deaths’ humanitarian projects. No More Deaths is a ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson.