Will US Immigration Reform Mean More Migrant Deaths on the Border? Hannah Hafter and Robin Reineke - The Huffington Post
go to original March 19, 2013

In May of 2009, Eduardo was on his way to work when he was pulled over by police for failing to come to a complete stop at an intersection. When asked for paperwork proving that he was in the country legally, Eduardo had nothing to show. He was taken into custody, and deported to Mexico shortly after.

With three small children at home in Phoenix, Ariz., Eduardo spent only a week in Mexico before trying to return to them. His wife was being threatened with eviction because she couldn't pay rent without his income. Eduardo found a guide to lead him across the Sonoran desert on foot in early June. He called his wife the day before leaving, promising that he would be back as soon as possible. She never heard his voice again. In July, a decomposed body was found in the desert and later identified as Eduardo. He had lived in the U.S. for 20 years. He left behind a wife and three children, all American citizens.

Stories like Eduardo's are tragic, and all too common for those of us working on the Arizona-Mexico Border. Robin Reineke works at the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office, helping loved ones identify bodies found in the desert. Hannah Hafter coordinates crisis response work in Nogales, Mexico, with people who have been deported and are often missing family members. We bear witness to the border's human devastation every day - and we believe that if comprehensive immigration reform is implemented as proposed by the Senate "gang of 8," death and suffering on the border will only increase.

Read the rest at The Huffington Post

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!