Improve Drinking Water and Environment

The U.S.-Mexico Border region has recently become difficult to manage due to the overall increase in population. One of the most important goals we need to establish is drastically improving the inadequate drinking water on the border. Border residents are frequently vulnerable to hepatitis A and other diseases that can be contracted through water. If there is a problem concerning the water systems, we need to address them immediately. Access to safe drinking water is an absolute necessity for border residents and also for immigrants trying to to cross. With the increase in the number of homes along the border, domestic water must be free of waste, otherwise disease will spread and health risks will increase. Water standards must be followed and waste must be eliminated. To treat the waste water, we must come up with a plan to build a solid infrastructure that will eventually succeed, making safe drinking water no longer a problem. With the help of regional work groups, we can improve water quality through volunteer assistance, by providing purified drinking water, no matter the weather. Task forces must be assembled to focus primarily on ensuring people have water at all times, and no one dies of heat exhaustion or dehydration. Research must be conducted to give us a better understanding of how many people are drinking contaminated water, and also how many people have recently died of disease along the border.

Pollution is another element that continues to plague border residents, and is also slowly destroying valuable agriculture. Harmful toxic chemicals are contaminating crops and making the environment unsafe and unhealthy for the the entire community. Agricultural pesticide residues are a commonly dangerous problem residents must cope with on a daily basis. The sudden increase of trade on the border has created an active market, which also requires heavy pesticide usage. The demand for agriculture has prompted farmers to plant more seeds, and therefore more pesticide is needed. However, this increase in pesticide is extremely hazardous to residents, especially children. Kids from all ages are being exposed to chemicals that should never enter their lungs. It is a high priority issue that needs to addressed as soon as possible. Hazardous waste is another problem that continues to make the border unsuitable for children. In some areas along the border, people are told not to go too far from their homes because of the airborne toxins. Children cannot even go outdoors because the environment is polluted.

It is important to protect the border residents and also protect their privacy. There have been several reports of immigrants coming into the backyards of residents, and drinking their clean water. This would not be a frequent problem if we could restructure the water system, allowing purified water to become more available. Having a clean water system is a necessity for any modern society, and the surrounding border communities are no different. As mentioned above, water task force teams would greatly improve the current border situation and take some pressure off of Border Patrol (http://www.cbp.gov/).

If we are going to make any significant progress, the United States government needs to establish healthy and working relationships with organizations that truly care about cleaning up the border. By contacting financially responsible institutions, the community can work together and cooperate with an organization in an effort to successfully construct a sustainable water system. If the system is successful, the border residents will be satisfied, and sanitation will no longer be an issue.

Immigrants are Frequently Mistreated by Authority

The U.S./Mexico border is an area where immigrants seek opportunity, but recently, Border Patrol and other local authorities have been abusing their power. The border enforcement policies that exist today need to be re-evaluated to better fit the needs of these immigrants. Fundamental human and civil rights have been frequently violated, and we need to drastically improve the border situation. Firstly, the local police should organize a task force dedicated to helping immigrants who are in need. For example, many innocent people become victims of heat exhaustion, and sometimes take their last breathe in the middle of the desert. This is unacceptable. We need to supply dehydrated people with water as quickly as possible. It does not matter where the people may reside, but it IS important to save life. Secondly, people need to become more aware of the cruelty and violence that takes place on the border. Essentially, we need to expose the mistreatment and educate our communities about human and civil rights. Many people have no idea that innocent people are being stripped of their human rights on a daily basis. This clearly needs to stop, and our communities can lead the way. In December of 2006, Border Action Network (http://www.borderaction.org/) released a preliminary report on the status of human rights and civil rights on the Arizona-Mexico border. In the report, they list possible types of abuses committed. Such as, psychological/verbal abuse, physical abuse, and deprivation of basic necessities. But, the type of abuse that puts the reality of the situation into perspective is torture. There have been approximately thirteen documented cases of torture that have occurred along the border, according to the preliminary report. Torture is something that cannot be tolerated, and is absolutely unethical. These people are trying to start a new life for themselves, and deserve proper treatment, from ALL authorities. It is our responsibility as members of the Tucson community to do our part in improving the conditions along the border.