dispensing water

About Humane Borders

Mission

Humane Borders, was founded in June 2000 to create a safe and death free border environment. Our membership includes, more than 1,500 volunteers and 100 affiliated organizations from all walks of life.

Humane Borders, motivated by faith, offers humanitarian assistance to those in need through the deployment of emergency water stations on routes known to be used by migrants coming north through our desert. Our sole mission is to take death out of the immigration equation. Our water tanks are on a combination of private and public lands. In all cases we have permission to locate our water stations on these lands in writing from the landowners.

Leadership

Professional Staff

Executive Director: Juanita Molina
Operations Manager: Pablo Peregrina

Board of Directors

President: Felipe Lundin
Vice President: Mark Townley
Treasurer: Gary Wolfe
Secretary / Washington Representative: Dinah Bear
External Relations: Rev. Randy Mayer
Phoenix Coordinator: Rev. Liana Rowe
Education: Paula Mich
Research: Dr. John F. Chamblee
At Large: Idelfonso “Poncho” Chavez
At Large: Karl Tucker
At Large: Albert Elias
At Large: Rev. Edward Bonneau
At Large: Pastor Brian Schlemmer
At Large: Bob Feinman

Water Stations

Most of the deaths in border crossings come from dehydration, so in 2001 we established and continue to maintain a network of water stations in the region. Thirty-five stations are now serviced by thousands of volunteers. Since 2001 we have dispensed more than 100,000 gallons of water and we're still counting. Permits and agreements to place and maintain the water stations have been reached with a variety of government agencies including the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Pima County, Ariz., the City of Tucson, Ariz., Grupo Beta in Sonora, Mexico, and private property owners along the border. Most Humane Borders water stations consist of a single 65-gallon barrel of water, while others may have up to half a dozen barrels. All the barrels are constructed of industrial strength plastic, fitted with spigots, and placed on steel stands above the desert floor. All the water stations are marked by a blue flag atop a flagpole 30 feet high. The barrels all have Humane Borders bumper stickers on them and are painted with the word "Agua" (Spanish for water) on the side. Local soft drink companies who support our cause have donated some of the 65-gallon drums.

By collaborating with the Pima County Medical Examiner, Humane Borders develops detailed maps of the region that mark the geographic location of every migrant discovered to have died. This information allows us to approach government and private land managers, show them where deaths occur most frequently, and offer a strategy for water stations aimed at curbing the fatalities. On some federal lands, our permits allow us to place the water stations a day's walk apart. On some private ranches we place the barrels at cattle watering stations so that migrants don't damage equipment and drink foul water. We know that more deaths occur in the areas we are not permitted to establish the water stations. It is not our business to pretend we can control the flow of migrants that come north through our deserts where daytime summer temperatures can exceed 110 degrees. The facts are that due to circumstances way beyond our control they do come. Despite whatever opposing political views people may have on this issue we hope that the one thing we can all agree on is that this northward migration should not cost people their lives.

The water stations are maintained by hundreds of volunteers. Each station is checked regularly to ensure the safety of the water, report vandalism, and pick up the inevitable collection of trash and discarded personal items left behind. All the water barrels are purified with chlorine, preventing organic growth and keeping the life-saving water safe for drinking.

Maps, Posters

Humane Borders volunteers have developed maps and warning posters. The maps are widely distributed and designed to illustrate the relationships between migrant deaths, road networks, terrain, and land ownership. Warning distributed in strategic locations throughout Mexico urging people not to make the trip north. We warn them of the dangers of drug smugglers, of border bandits, and other desert perils. We tell them that in some cases a United States Immigration officer could be their best, life saving friend. However, reality tells us that a very small number of people heed our warnings. For that reason our maps also include tank locations, and the truth about how long it will take to make the trip on foot.

Find out more, and download the maps and posters here.

Collaborations

Our work would be impossible were it not for the collaborations we openly seek on both sides of the US/Mexico border with our supporting organizations, individual participants, public and private land managers, property owners, tribal leaders, government entities and faith-based groups. Humane Borders is. This is one of the many things about us that has allowed us to have continued access to land in order to maintain water stations, while guaranteeing we will not damage property or natural resources, and that we will not break the law littering or by transporting un-documented immigrants. Read more about collaborations here.