Border Network Condemns Governor Perry’s Decision to Deploy the National Guard to Face Children at the Border

El Paso, TX /Southern New Mexico- Statement of Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights on the announcement to deploy Texas National Guard at the Border:

“Governor’s Perry decision to send the National Guard to the border to face unaccompanied migrant children is deplorable and has nothing to do with securing Texas. Unfortunately, Gov. Perry is playing politics and using a humanitarian crisis to advance his anti-immigrant political agenda; an agenda that distorts the situation of the US/Mexico border, negates the massive border enforcement build-up done in the last few years, and intentionally ignores the violent reasons that force children to leave their countries and look for protection in the US.

Sending the Texas National Guard to confront children is neither humanitarian nor provides any kind of solutions. It only fosters the right wing anti-immigrant and anti-children rhetoric, and irresponsibly funnels more that 12 million dollars a month to state-oriented operations at the border.

Also, it is very clear that the National Guard is not trained to enforce civil or criminal law and is not prepared to deal with border residents or immigrant population. This might only lead to violation of rights and discrimination.”