General Info
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Humanitarian Groups to Announce Course of Action Regarding Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge |
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Tuesday, 07 July 2009 12:23 |
What: Press Conference
Where: Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W 23rd. St, Tucson
When: Wednesday, July 8, Noon
Contact: No More Deaths Media - 520.240.1641,
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Despite Multiple Invitations, Refuge Manager Fails to Respond to Request for Meeting
Tucson, AZ – On Wednesday, July 8, No More Deaths, a Tucson-based humanitarian group, will announce their plans to distribute gallon water jugs on known migrant trails crossing the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. The plans will be presented at noon at Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St.
While No More Deaths remains committed to working with BANWR to ensure that adequate humanitarian assistance is available on refuge lands, the heat of summer necessitates immediate action.
With summer in full swing and daytime temperatures climbing over 100 degrees, volunteers from No More Deaths will be joined by other prominent members of the community to put out gallon jugs of water along known migrant trails crossing BANWR, starting the morning of Thursday, July 9.
A letter signed by more than 70 human rights, environmental and faith-based organizations and individuals was hand delivered to refuge manager, Mike Hawkes, on June 16 asking for a meeting by July 1. A copy of the letter was also hand-delivered to Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. Mr. Hawkes responded on Friday, June 26 requesting a proposed agenda and list of participants, but no further correspondence has been received.
Since the deadline passed without an offer from Mr. Hawkes for a meeting date, No More Deaths is prepared to take the initiative to ensure that migrants will have adequate opportunities to encounter life-sustaining water while crossing refuge land.
Volunteers put caches of drinking water in locations easily found by migrants. The water drop locations are checked at least once per week to pick up empty jugs and replace the used jugs.
Media is encouraged to accompany the volunteers. Details will be released at Wednesday’s press conference.
No More Deaths believes that US immigration policy based on deterrence is the main source of environmental damage along the border. The policy intentionally pushes migrants into remote, dangerous and environmentally sensitive areas of desert. The response to this trend has been the construction of the wall and the deployment of thousands of Border Patrol agents using 4-wheel-drive trucks, ATVs, helicopters and other vehicles, which destroy the land and disrupt wildlife movement in areas like Buenos Aires.
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