A case for cosmopolitcanism: Shanti Sellz & Daniel Strauss

I just found out this. Along the 1000 mile long border with Mexico, hundreds of 'illegal immigrants' die each year from heat exhaustion or other causes in their effort to reach what Ry Cooder describes as 'the promised land' in his song 'across the borderline' (great song...!)

The USA is the promised land for many Mexicans. There they can earn more in a month than a whole year working much harder in their home country. No wonder then that many are willing to try a clear the border. Not so long ago, this was relatively easy. You had a whole grey economy of seasonal workers, domestic helpers and what have that consisted of illegal Mexicans. Then something changed. Many blue collar and middle class Americans are afraid that more and more the Mexicans are a threat to their jobs and their salaries. Much like many in the Netherlands are afraid of an influx of Polish workers.

Since the US system is such that there is huge political capital to be gained if you do exactly as your voters ask you to do, many politicians in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have been advocating a tougher stand on the the migration from Mexico to the USA. One of the measures proposed (and half-way completed) is a high fence all along the US Mexican border, designed to keep unwanted human being out. So far, it has not really quenched the flow of half-desparate adventurers whose only crime is that they are ambitious, eager to improve their situation and willing to take some considerable risks in pursuing their ends. And the risks are high, so far, 279 migrants have died in Arizona alone trying to go over to the other side.

A local church initiative "No More Deaths" has decided to try and prevent these deaths. They leave food and water along the trails leading through the Sonora desert and during the hot summer patrol the desert to assist Mexicans eager to find employment in the USA with finding the way, providing them with water and, if necessary, medical assistance.

Last year, the state of Arizona has outlawed such activities, claiming that it is a crime to assist people trying to immigrate illegally into the USA. (Similar laws apply in California it seems).

The results of this law are ridiculous. In July 2005 with temperatures in excess of 105 degrees (more than 40 C), Shanti Sellz, a volunteer for No More Deaths together with a collegue, Daniel Strauss, were patrolling the Sonora Desert between the border town of Nogales and Tucson. They encountered a group of immigrants. Three of these were in such bad shape that they needed medical attention. Shanti and Daniel conferred with a doctor who advised to bring them to a local hospital where they could receive urgent treatment. They put them in their car and drove out to Tucson. On the way, they were stopped by the US border patrol and arrested on the grounds that they were assisting illegal immigrants.

Shanti and Daniel declined a plea bargain which would let them off the hook with a fine. Instead, they now face a jury trial where they could get up to 15 years imprisonment, the maximum penalty under Arizona state law.

I find it preposterous that volunteers who assist a couple of people in a life threatening situation can end up on prison. It shows that the walls around the rich states of this world not only hurt the poor -- they inevitably will hurt those who are sympathetic to the plight of the poor.

Perhaps cosmoplitanism, the theory that claims that national borders are morally arbitrary, is right after all.