Unidos Contra el Muro

Unidos Contra El Muro in Front of White House

2009-03-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

CASA members spend the last day raising awareness by sharing photos and testimonies from the Valley. The Border wall is an issue that though is of National impact, not everyone knows about it. The group went to the front of the White House and hold a protest against the border wall. Elizabeth did her piece of non-violent direct action civil disobedience and posted a no border wall sticker on the fence of the White House for what she was interrogated and asked for personal information, What is your organization, CASA I responder proudly, do you have a phone # to contact you? (at this point I asked the officer why h e wants this information from me) He just told me he needed to send some information to the people who were looking at us from the inside. So I did, your name? No al Muro!! He looked at me for a few seconds, and then he asked me, can you spell that for me, please!!!i offered him a No Border wall sticker but he wouldn’t take it! How long would you be here, for about 5 more minutes, he gets his radio, and said: “negative”…

While there, CASA members were joined by students from Russia, and Virginia who learned about the border wall and offered us their support and promised to pass the word around in their communities.

CASA members and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

2009-03-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

In this picture you see Yajaira Tauber (in red) behind Speaker of the House. Yajaira was able to handed to Pelosi a CASA folder containing photos and testimonies against the border wall.

CASEROs got to see Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi give a talk during the 13^th Mexico/US Congressional Conference. Pelosi was keynote speaker for the event. In her speech, she mentioned that a comprehensive immigration reform is needed and is needed soon. Speaker of the House stated that with Presided Obama, this is the first time, in a very long time, that there is a great possibility that am immigration reform will be enacted. It needs to be a reform that will provide secure borders, protection for workers, and family re-unification. She condemned ICE policies and practices of raids which separates families. “We need to stop this kind of raids, it is not the American way, and this must stop” stated Pelosi. The Speaker of the House mentioned hat for her it is very important to protect our borders, but this has to be done without disturbing border communities; “because immigrant community, specially from Mexico, whether they came centuries ago, or days ago, they have make America more America”, concluded Pelosi.

During the Conference, CASA Members also approached Congressmen Henry Cuellar who stated that a mile of technology along the US/Mexico border that will cost approximately $1.5 md is as efficient as a $7.5 md border wall.

CASEROs also met with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from the Texas 18^th District a big supporter of comprehensive immigration reform that will provide a path to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants who live in the shadows. After meeting with CASA, before the conference, Congresswoman Jackson Lee quoted the group during her presentation at the 13^th Congressional Border Issues conference

CASEROs also met with Fabiola Rodriguez, Congressmen Xavier Becerra’s Communications Director, Senators Kennedys Aid who was very engaging in the conversation when CASA members presented her pictures and testimonies related to the Border Wall.

During the conference, decision-makers from both sides of the US/Mexico border meet and discussed common issues such as economic outlook and infrastructure modernization, US & Mexico Security Cooperation labor mobility and immigration reform.

CASEROs also visited offices of Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Senator Kay B. Hutchinson.

Fighting the Wall in Capitol Hill

2009-03-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

CASA Members attended the13th Annual Us/Mexico Congressional Border Issues Conference. During The Congressional Reception, CASA Members met with Congressmen Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), and Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador of Mexico to the US. CASA members were able to talk about the border wall issue with them. During the day, CASA members also attended DHS Secretary J. Napolitanos Offices and met with David Pagan of US Custom and Border Protection State/Local Liaison, Patricia Villarreal, Executive Director of Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressmen Filner (D-CA), and Congressmen R. Grijalva (D-AZ).

CASA Members Cindy Johnson, Ryan and Yajaira Tauber, at the steps of Capitol Hill, meeting with Congressman, Robert Aderholt.

Elizabeth Garcia, Carol Spring, Cindy Johnson, Yajaira Tauber, Carl Magruder, Roger Wolcott and Charles Spring, protesting against the border wall in front of Capitol Hill.

CASEROs also met with the Global Ministries Department of the Methodin Church in DC, and with Michael Degnan, from the National Forests and Wildlife and Sierra Club.

The border wall, a despicable act of terror

2009-03-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Today, I went to El Calaboz, a little town about 10 minutes west of Brownsville. I went there after I learned from my friend Eloisa Tamez, that DHS had already begun the construction of the fence on both sides of her land.
Eloisa is in a legal battle with DHS, because she refuses to let them survey her land and take it away to build the wall that will go right on her backyard.
So, it was cold, (and I am always cold) but I also needed some pictures to share with the people we will be visiting in DC. So, I left home, hoping I will get some good lighting, to get some good pictures. I got there, and I was devastated by what was in front of my eyes. The first thing that my body felt was tension, then I got sadden, and depress, and then I got angry. I went right to the fence and touch it, and by doing so, I was able to feel the evil behind it. This wall is a crime against humanity; it is a despicable act of terror in our own backyards.
This wall is a clear failure of the Bush administration to sponsor a just immigration reform. It is a legacy of the horrible policies that Bush promoted during his presidency.
While I was there, I prayed, I prayed that the new administration will bring light into this darkness. I prayed that Obama will be wise and strong enough to stand against the border wall.
Here are a few pictures of the 18ft tall border fence.

Delegation to DC

2009-03-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

CASA members continue united against the border wall, and during spring break, CASEROS will embark in a trip to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to challenge the consciences of our elected officials, and policymakers. As members of CASA, we want to make sure that our elected officials hear our position against the border wall. There is a tremendous lack of political representation in our area, CASA members feel that our elected officials are not advocating for the interest of their constituents. They have heard the voices of the people who are opposing the border wall, but they have fail to listen to the concerns of the citizens

Pictures from the Vigil

2008-06-02T17:23:00.001-07:00

For Friendship & Hope, a Vigil from Coast to Coast

2008-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 1st. groups gather to protest the border wall all the way from Friendship Park in San Diego, CA, to Hope Park in Brownsville, TX.The vigil at Hope Park, started with a "canto" a solemn prayer by the group Calli Ollin, an Azteca/Chichimeca indigenous group of our region. It was followed by some poems about the border wall written by Gene Novo and Nephtali de Leon. Present were people from McAllen, Harlingen, San Benito, AZ, Kansas and Brownsville. At the end of the Vigil, participants, were invited by CASA members to sign a banner that will be traveling around collecting signatures of people opposing the border wall. Around 55 people participated in the vigil. The event was organized by CASA (Coalition of Amigos in Solidarity & Action) among others, groups endorsing the event are: Proyecto Azteca, San Felipe de Jesus Church, ARISE, Proyecto Juan Diego, Proyecto Libertad, Presbyterian Church of Brownsville.

Pictures from the rally

2007-07-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

WALLS

2007-07-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Throughout our history, walls have been symbols of embarrassment, symbols that bring shame, disgrace and division among communities and entire countries. We can not go to the east making war, killing thousands of people proclaiming that we do it in the name of justice; we can not go invading other countries promoting human liberty and world peace, when we build walls in our own back yard, walls that promote structural and physical violence, and mental anguish. Home Land Security said that the wall will stop illegal immigration, and terrorists coming to our country, but let’s face it, migration to the North is based on economic needs, and if instead of spending hundreds of billions in building a wall, we put our heads together to work with the Mexican government to find ways to create decent jobs, I can assure you, immigration will drop significantly. Terrorists don't cross the border illegally, terrorists are sophisticated, have passports, terrorists have money to buy visas, terrorists are well educated people with the financial means to get the US government to issue them passports.

The wall is therefore nothing more than a racist barrier, not to stop terrorism, not to stop immigration, it is a wall to demonstrate to the world that in the US, the most powerful country in the world, the leaders of this country have not succeed at providing a comprehensive immigration law, and so they build a wall. A wall that brings shame to us all, a wall that will promote more violence among communities, a wall that will destroy wild life and eco systems , a wall that will take away land from the ranchers, a wall that will send a message to the rest of the world of how racist we really are. This wall will make us believe that we are not a county that promotes justice and freedom, because we build walls that kill the freedom of all mankind, I can not help but wonder, what happened to that beautiful poem, inscribed in the Statue of Liberty, give me your poor, give me homeless….seems we have forgotten that fundamental value of being a welcoming country. In 1987, President Regan, gave a great speech while visiting the Soviet Union, in his speech he said "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Today, 20 years later, we ask the leaders of our country, and we say to the President, "Mr Bush do not build this wall"!...
As part of Christian Peacemakers Team, I have worked with the Arizona project, in which horrible walls divide the border; I had seen the fence in El Paso, TX. I have experienced the iron wall that separates Palestinians from the rest of the county. I have seen the devastating effects walls produce, not only to our communities, but to entire societies and most of all I have experience what walls do to the human spirit. I certainly do not want a wall build in our backyards.