The Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) is one of the leading immigration reform and human rights advocacy organizations in the United States. Based in El Paso, Texas, the BNHR has a membership of more than 1,000 families, or close to 7,000 individuals, in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. It also helps organize other civic-minded groups along the border and is the force behind the Texas-wide Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance.
The BNHR’s mission is to organize border communities through human rights education and to mobilize our members to ignite change in policy and practice. The BNHR has three ongoing campaigns -Comprehensive immigration reform; Accountable and responsible border policy; and Protection and Promotion of civil and human rights.
The strength of the BNHR lies in its grassroots organizing and its willingness to work within the system to combat human rights and civil rights abuses, and to bring about change to our broken immigration system. BNHR members can speak firsthand of the suffering of immigrants under current laws, and now have the tools to advocate for reform.
The BNHR is currently participating in the nation-wide effort to push once again for a comprehensive immigration reform by educating elected officials at every levels of government about the needs of border communities. BNHR members want the border to have a voice in this important debate because the consequences of immigration policy are felt on the border every day.
“What the Border Network does is unique. We organize the community through education about human rights; we build coalitions with other border groups; and we work with the federal government to address problems. We have been working in parallel spheres from the grassroots level to the Capitol level. That’s what makes it comprehensive; that’s also what makes it complex.”
Fernando Garcia, BNHR Executive Director
