CPTnet
25 July 2005

ARIZONA/SONORA: CPTers respond to No More Deaths' call to "flood the desert"

[Note: No More Deaths (NMD) is the organization that invited Christian
Peacemaker Teams (CPT) to set up its Arizona/Sonora project.]

On 9 July 2005 the United States Border Patrol arrested two No More Deaths
volunteers, Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss, while the NMD volunteers were
medically evacuating three people in distress from the desert near Arivaca,
Arizona. (See 14 July 2005 release, "No More Deaths volunteers arrested for
providing humanitarian aid to migrants.")

Sellz and Strauss rejected a government-offered plea agreement to resolve
the charges. On 22 July, Federal prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charge
of obstruction of justice, but will pursue the felony charge of transporting
illegal migrants.

In response to the arrests, No More Deaths is calling on friends and
concerned community members to "Flood the Desert" with volunteer patrols
carrying food and water on designated roads the week of 25 July 2005.

CPT Arizona is participating by patrolling the Douglas/Bisbee areas. CPTer
Kim Lamberty has agreed to be on call to evacuate migrants in medical
distress when other volunteers do not wish to risk arrest.

In spite of the arrests of their volunteers, No More Deaths is organizing an
even stronger presence in the desert. This week 147 people attended the NMD
training in Tucson, and an additional fifteen attended the training in
Bisbee.

Statements from Daniel Strauss, Shanti Sellz and attorney William Walker:

Strauss - "In the last two weeks seventy-seven people have died crossing the
border. It is the efforts of hundreds of humanitarian workers that have
kept these numbers from soaring even higher. Humanitarian work needs to be
applauded, and not prosecuted. Shanti and I are not accepting this plea
because we have committed no crime."

Sellz - "The day before my arrest I was scouring the desert and found a
family searching for their lost daughter. If our presence in this desert can
prevent just one more human soul from leaving this world in agony, then our
purpose is fulfilled. We cannot stand by and watch others perish and we can
find no guilt in saving another life."

William Walker, No More Deaths attorney - "They (prosecutors) have not done
their legal research. There are actually cases in the United States where
people have transported people illegally in the United States, but not in
furtherance of their illegal presence here, and the courts have held that
that is not a crime."

Visit http://www.nomoredeaths.org/ for more information.