BNHR statement, Re: Border Patrol shooting
Border Patrol Agents Shot and Killed Teenager from Cd. Juárez
Border Network for Human Rights Statement
El Paso, TX, June 8, 2010 – The Border Network for Human Rights, an 11-year-old community organizing group with about 4,000 members in El Paso and Southern New Mexico, wishes to release the following statement regarding the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old middle school student from Juárez by a Border Patrol agent in El Paso last night.
“The tragic death of a minor at the border in El Paso last night represents the second incident in which a civilian has died from actions by Customs and Border Protection officers in only two weeks. On May 31, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas died after being shocked with a stun gun by Border Patrol agents at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego. Yesterday, around 6 PM (EST) once again, Border Patrol agents used lethal force to shot and kill Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca, a teenager from Ciudad Juárez.â€
These incidents raise critical questions on CBP officers’ training, on the agency’s use of lethal force policies and practices, and on the overall respect toward the rights and lives of migrants crossing the US/Mexico border.
In both cases, the Border Network for Human Rights urges and calls for a prompt, balanced and transparent investigation. Should such investigation uncover wrongdoing, we expect that the agent and the agency will be held accountable. BNHR will follow these developments closely and is preparing a series of activities to bring about justice and accountability.â€
The statement may be attributed to Border Network Executive Director Fernando Garcia.
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More information on the Border Network for Human Rights: This organization, founded in 1998, is one of the leading immigration reform and human rights advocacy organization in the United States. Based in El Paso, the BNHR counts about 4,000 members in El Paso and Southern New Mexico.
