Immigration
Hating Heroes: SWARMing to BAN Good People
by James Elwood
(American Patrol noted and referenced 1-1-03)

[Ed -Source-: The following article does not reflect the views of this web site. To add balance to this article we have invited the Border Action Network to respond. In the past we have interviewed organizations like La Voz de Aztlan and including the views or opinions of an organization or individual on this web site does not constitute tacit approval of the ideas expressed by the individual or organization in question]

I have lived in the South for a while. When the Border Action Network issued its "Hate or Heroism, Vigilantes on the Arizona-Mexico Border" on December 19, 2002, I heard about it. On December 22, 2002, I downloaded a copy and the following is what I found out about the organization and its study:The first article about the Border Action Network "Probe of Arizona armed civilian 'militias' is sought -- safety and legality are issues -- By Ignacio Ibarra" went out across the AP wire like wild fire and was republished on news services like Indymedia and bulletin boards across the country.

A quick visit to the Border Action Network's (BAN) borderaction.org site leaves one with the impression that this is a legitimate grassroots organization. In the "Hate or Heroism" report BAN describes itself as follows: "Border Action Network was founded in 1999 to organize for human rights, civil liberties and environmental protection on the Arizona-Mexico border. We are a grassroots, membership-based organization that works with southern Arizona and northern Sonora border communities. Relying on education, community organizing, direct action and litigation, Border Action Network is building a movement demanding dignity, rights and [a] healthy environment on the US-Mexico border." The borderaction.org website promises "exciting" new news to happen with the Border Action Network. The "Hate or Heroism" is "one of the first reports produced by Border Action Network." It is designed to build the case for the eight "concrete" recommendations that "Governor Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard can implement as they take office in January 2003 to stop the spread of hate in southern Arizona. Our voices will not be silenced."

I decided to take a look at the eight concrete steps. I have paraphrased the steps that borderaction.org has called for on-line:

1) Investigate ranchers to see if they have violated the terms of their land leases. If the individual/s in question have then "leases should be revoked."

2) Shell out money for an "independent investigator who would be responsible for ensuring that complaints and incidents involving civilians apprehending immigrants is [are] thoroughly and expeditiously investigated."

3) The Arizona Corporation Commission and the IRS should revoke American Border Patrol's incorporation and non-profit status.

4) The Attorney General should "investigate whether civilian vigilante groups have violated the state's anti-militia, impersonation of law enforcement or military, civilian arrest statutes, and other potential legal violations."

5) The State of Arizona should review the ACLU's complaints to the UN Organization of American States.

6) The Attorney General's office "should investigate whether Chris Simcox and other civilian groups have violated the US PATRIOT Act."

7) "The Secretary of State should fine and/or charge American Border Patrol with a misdemeanor for failure to register with the State prior to soliciting funds."

8) Congressional hearings should be held in southern Arizona.

Ok, the boring stuff first. The report is incredibly slanted and a moderately informed immigration "self-expert" will be able to see through most of the jargon. For example, the report refers to MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) in the following manner: "The American Border Patrol goes so far as to interpret the mainstream Chicano student organization MEChA, as a radical revolutionary sect, poised to reclaim Atzlan by force." Really. Here are some excerpts from various MEChA web sites around the country:

• Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A.) Is a student organization that promotes higher education, cultura, and historia. M.E.Ch.A. was founded on the principles of self-determination for the liberation of our people. We believe that the political involvement and education is the avenue for change in our society. In March of 1969, at Denver, Colorado the Crusade for Justice organized the National Chicano Youth Conference that drafted the basic premises for the Chicana/Chicano Movement in El Plan de Aztlan (EPA). A synopsis of El Plan stipulates: 1) We are Chicanas and Chicanos of Aztlan reclaiming the land of our birth (Chicana/Chicano Nation); 2) Aztlan belongs to indigenous people, who are sovereign and not subject to a foreign culture: 3) We are a union of free pueblos forming a bronze Chicana/Chicano) Nation; 4) Chicano nationalism, as the key to mobilization and organization, is the common denominator to bring consensus to the Chicana/Chicano Movement; 5) Cultural values strengthen our identity as La Familia de la Raza; and 6) EPA, as a basic plan of Chicana/Chicano liberation, sought the formation of an independent national political party that would represent the sentiments of the Chicana/Chicano community.
• El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán
  In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal "gringo" invasion of our territories, we, the Chicano inhabitants and civilizers of the northern land of Aztl·n from whence came our forefathers, reclaiming the land of their birth and consecrating the determination of our people of the sun, declare that the call of our blood is our power, our responsibility, and our inevitable destiny.
  
  We are free and sovereign to determine those tasks which are justly called for by our house, our land, the sweat of our brows, and by our hearts. Aztlán belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent
  
  Brotherhood unites us, and love for our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner "gabacho" who exploits our riches and destroys our culture. With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent, we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztl·n....
  
  7. POLITICAL LIBERATION can only come through indepen-dent action on our part, since the two-party system is the same animal with two heads that feed from the same trough. Where we are a majority, we will control; where we are a minority, we will represent a pressure group; nationally, we will represent one party: La Familia de La Raza!
  
  Action
  
  1. Awareness and distribution of El Plan Espiritual de Aztl·n. Presented at every meeting, demonstration, confrontation, courthouse, institution, administration, church, school, tree, building, car, and every place of human existence.
  2. September 16, on the birthdate of Mexican Independence, a national walk-out by all Chicanos of all colleges and schools to be sustained until the complete revision of the educational system: its policy makers, administration, its curriculum, and its personnel to meet the needs of our community.
  3. Self-Defense against the occupying forces of the oppressors at every school, every available man, woman, and child....
  6. Creation of an independent local, regional, and national political party. A nation autonomous and free - culturally, socially, economically, and politically- will make its own decisions on the usage of our lands, the taxation of our goods, the utilization of our bodies for war, the determination of justice (reward and punishment), and the profit of our sweat.
  
  El Plan de Aztl·n is the plan of liberation!
• MEChA news and links

The report then includes assorted quotes, mostly from the often-quoted "Anonymous Cochise County resident." BAN further asserts that these anonymous residents are afraid of reprisals. They quote Helen Hoffman of Double Adobe as being against Californians telling the residents what to do but they don't quote her husband who said: "It's a pain in the butt, I'll tell you," says Robert Hoffman, "You're not allowed to shoot 'em, but I keep threatening to hang 'em on these fence poles."

Doesn't seem to tell both sides of the story and it doesn't sound like Robert enjoys the illegal aliens.

After this the report cites violations of state land permits, Arizona militia laws, Illegal Civilian Arrests, Violations of Human Rights Standards, American Border Patrol Illegally Solicits Funds, Suspended Non-profit License in California, Violations of USA Patriot Act, Impersonating Law Enforcement or Military Officers, and, finally, cases of attacks on immigrants that need to be investigated. This is where it falls apart. I looked at the sources for some of these attacks and was shocked. Sources 83, 84, 88, 89, 90, and 91 are all "Based on documentation received by a source that requests to remain anonymous." The first cited incident on December 6, 2002 involved six men trying to rob eight illegal Mexicans. When the Mexicans didn't produce the money they were fired upon but all were uninjured. The "attack" ends. "Three men were seen fleeing the area, but a ground and air search did not locate them. It is not clear whether the attackers were vigilantes." In other words, it might not have been armed ranchers that tried to rob the illegal Mexicans it could have been other illegal Mexicans.

The only other attack with an authoritative source is the execution of eight Mexicans (this one incident used three sources: 85, 86 and 87). Again, no killer was found and other than speculation there really is nothing "concrete" there. On the other hand, the "Based on documentation received by a source that requests to remain anonymous" reports contained very detailed information on violent attacks involving prominent "vigilantes."

It was at this point my interest was aroused and here's what I found out: Border Action Network is new, (it's answering machine simply informs you that SWARM is now BAN). So new, in fact, that it directs you to a different web site: resistmilitarization.org. This is rather odd because Border Action Network claims it was founded in 1999 and is membership-based. Why the name change?

Simple: Google.

A Who is search (I post the abbreviated versions, feel free to http://www.network-tools.com yourself) will turn up the following:

IP address: 169.197.3.213
Host name: resistmilitarization.org
Alias: php.azstarnet.com [azstarnet.com - hey, isn't that the...]
Registrant: Brian Segee/SWARM (RESISTMILITARIZATION-DOM)
POB 710
Tucson AZ,85702
US
Domain Name: RESISTMILITARIZATION.ORG
Administrative Contact: Segee, Brian (BSH313) bsegee@BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG SWARM POB 710 Tucson , AZ 85702 520-623-5252 (FAX) 520-623-9797
Technical Contact: Ford, Chris (KVDPNDQYFI) cford@BorderAction.ORG Border Action Network PO Box 384 Tucson, AZ 85702 US (520) 623-4944 (520) 792-2097
Record expires on 05-May-2004. Record created on 05-May-2000. Database last updated on 23-Dec-2002 01:45:22 EST. Domain servers in listed order: NS2.AZSTARNET.COM 169.197.1.4 NS1.AZSTARNET.COM 169.197.1.5

This was odd because Brian Segee isn't mentioned in the "Hate or Heroism" report and Chris Ford only gets a "thanks" for "speaking out." Wonder why? On the BAN and SWARM websites the contact info is:
842 S. Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701 520.623.4944 (phone) 520.792.2097 (fax)

Maybe it has something to do with Chris Ford's involvement in S26:September 26-28, the IMF and World Bank are holding their 55th annual summit in Prague.
S26 Actions in Tucson, AZ
From: mmaxwell@cwa-union.org (Mary Beth Maxwell)
Reply-to: mmaxwell@cwa-union.org
To: s26@topica.com
Note: I do not have access to spellchecker from this email address. Sorry for my mistakes!- Chris Ford
It was organized by members of several diverse groups including the Southern Arizona Alliance for Economic Justice (SAAEJ), Students Against Sweatshops, Earth First!, Pueblo por la Paz, and others. It was held in front of the National Law Center (NLC), a powerful corporate "free trade" advocate based in Tucson. The NLC is one of the main proponents of the "NAFTA-like" trade agreement for the entire western hemisphere that is currently being discussed. This event ended up becoming the first step in what will be a long-term campaign against the National Law Center.

This is where it got interesting because some of these groups share things in common:

SAAEJ[Southern Arizona Alliance for Economic Justice]/Tucson WRB - Maritza Broce, SAAEJ, 842 S. 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701, tel: 520.670.1515, fax: 520.623.5901, saaej@saaej.net

SWARM: 842 S. Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701 520.623.4944 (phone) 520.792.2097 (fax)

The fact that the SAAEJ and SWARM shared a similar address was interesting (perhaps different buildings, I don't know-the address is listed as an art gallery). I decided to find out what SAAEJ was.

One Google search later:

Southern Arizona Alliance for Economic Justice: 670-1515 saaej@azstarnet.com, mtg.:2nd Mon. 7pm Centro Digna #135, 842 S. 6th Ave. I was curious now about two things: Maritza Broce and Brian Segee.

The easy one first: Brian Segee is interested in the environment. He is associated with the Center for Biological Diversity (which has a direct link from BAN and SWARM). I learned that Brian had sent a letter to:
INS A-E Resource Center
ATTN: Eric Verwers
819 Taylor Street, Room 3A28
Fort Worth, TX 76102-0300

RE: Scoping comments: Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on U.S. Border Patrol Operations and Proposed Infrastructure, Tucson and Yuma Sectors.

Mr. Segee states, among other things: "It is clear that Border Patrol and associated Joint Task Force Six operations have had, are presently having, and will continue to have an enormous impact on the Arizona borderlands region and the many threatened, endangered, and other special management species which exist in this area."

Brian sent this letter on October 27, 2000.

Oddly enough, on Oct. 25, 2000, Chris Ford had sent a similar letter to the same person. After I did the next Google search things began to fall into place.

Maritza Broce is/was:

• an organizer for the Southern Arizona Peoples Law Center in Tucson
• a community coordinator for Derechos Humanos/Arizona Border Patrol in Tucson, Ariz (one of the sites that is linked to from BAN).
• Maritza Broce, Arizona Border Rights
• A member of MEChA in college
• A member of SWARM

Before I lay the big scoop I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the other people listed in this report.

The report was written by: Zoe Hammer-Tomizuka and Jennifer Allen.

Is that the same Zoe Hammer-Tomizuka that gave an address "Incarceration as Class War: Prisoners Making Sense of The Celling of America " at the "the Party's not over Marxism 2000" conference?

Who gave the "Consuming the Famine: Media Representations of Operation Restore Hope and the Production and Political Economy of Whiteness" speech at Bowling Green State University?

"Women Indebted, Capital to the Rescue: Incarceration, Development, Militarized Contracts and the Containment of Bodies" at Berkeley?

Is this the Zoe who was so thorough and unbiased in her report that: "Hammer-Tomizuka acknowledged that neither she nor anyone associated with the report spoke to any of the leaders of the Arizona border-enforcement groups."?

It might be. Hey, wasn't there an article "A union man clear to the bone" article about the Salt of the Earth Labor College that "is a small, rundown house filled with social justice posters and a library stocked with books by Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and W.E.B. Du Bois. On most days the college sits empty, collecting dust, home to only piles of brochures and a groundskeeper who lives on the property" a while back and weren't there four people in a photo accompanying the article? (Pat Birnie, left, Zoe Hammer-Tomizuka, Julia Sudbury and Howard Druan listen to a lecture about immigrant rights.) -- Arizona Daily Star Tucson, Arizona Saturday, 2 November 2002.

The same "Benefit for the Anarchist Black Cross Network 2:00pm Fighting Private Prisons for Immigrants in AZ (Zoe Hammer, AZ Prison Moratorium Project)" Zoe?

At this point I was beginning to wonder if there was an angle or personal agenda to all of this. After all, it doesn't seem like Zoe would be the most unbiased person to compile a report (especially if she didn't talk to the people who were the subject of the report).

What about Jennifer Allen? Well, things change. First, she is referred to as "Jennifer Allen, community activist with the Southwest Alliance to Resist Militarization who was a delegate to the UN Conference on Racism at Durbin, South Africa last August" and then it is "Human rights with Jennifer Allen, attendee at the World Conference Against Racism." Delegate, attendee, who cares?

And then I wondered if that was the same Jennifer Allen that worked PR for Raytheon (Of the 599, 436 are tactical missiles, Raytheon spokeswoman Jennifer Allen said.).

I don't know.

I wonder if this is her?:

Named for a cactus native to the North American desert, the Saguaro Fund supports organizing for human and economic justice in communities of color with an emphasis on labor rights, immigration, environmental and economic justice, and initiatives affecting women within all of these areas. The Saguaro Fund began multi-year funding by selecting two organizations to be recipients of three-year grants at $10,000 each year. In addition, in conjunction with the OUT Fund for Lesbian and Gay Liberation, the Saguaro panel commits monies to a pool designated for proposals from organizations that are working to address issues affecting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered communities of color. As of June 30, 2001, the following community organizers and activists from around the U. S. are serving on the Saguaro Fund panel: Jennifer Allen Tucson, Arizona.

I don't know.

I could only come up with one Jennifer Allen in Tucson: Jennifer Allen 8754 N Johnny Miller Dr Tucson , AZ (520) 229-3475.

Hmmmm....Okay, so the writers may not have been that balanced but what about the others? Researchers like:

Randall Smith of the Southern Arizona People's Law Center (Maritza Broce),

Melynda H. Barnhart (UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW OFFICE OF THE IMMIGRATION JUDGE FLORENCE, ARIZONA RESPONDENT S BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF ARGUMENT THAT A CONVICTION FOR SHOPLIFTING UNDER ARIZONA CRIMINAL CODE ß13-1805 IS NOT A CRIME INVOLVING MORAL TURPITUDE.... This brief was prepared by Melynda H. Barnhart, a legal intern for the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, under the supervision of Elizabeth Dallam, Martin Taylor (conservation biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity - the "silent somebody" Brian Segees' group)

Salomon "When I was president of MEChA over 20 years ago" Baldenegro

Lupe Castillo of Derechos Humanos (Maritza Broce).

Just to recap:

• SWARM changes to BAN and gets a makeover with Chris Ford in the "thanks" background
• Brian Segee is on the Who is search for resistmilitarization.org.
• Chris has a "humanitarian" problem with the Border Patrol. Brian has an "environmental" problem. Both of them want the border patrol gone from the hinterland.
• Maritza Broce is a former MEChA member and rep. from a number of interchangeable "humanitarian" groups.
• The BAN report is compiled by an assortment of leftists and Chicano nationalists.
• The report could not cite any source other than "Based on documentation received by a source that requests to remain anonymous" for the "vigilante violence" that was the subject of this "report." In fact, the only named violent incident the list (on their web site and not in the report) is the death of Esequiel Hernandez that they recall in the following way: "In 1997, 18 year old high school student Esequiel Hernandez of Redford, Texas was killed by camouflaged JTF-6 Marine personnel while he was tending to his family's goats. After stalking him for several hours the Marines, dressed in =ghillie” suits and using high powered assault rifles and surveillance equipment, shot Esequiel in the back just several hundred yards away from his family s home. The Marines made no attempt to provide first aid to the dying boyteven though one of the Marines was a certified Emergency Medical Technician-- and Esequiel eventually bled to death at the spot where he was shot." But, hey, wasn't Esequiel carrying a rifle and didn't he open fire on...oh, nevermind.

One question: How did this ever get to print?

Answer:

"Probe of Arizona armed civilian 'militias' is sought c safety and legality are issues" By Ignacio "I was born in a migrant camp in deep-south Texas. At the time, my parents had been living and working in the United States illegally for eight years." Ibarra working for the ARIZONA DAILY STAR (www.azstarnet.com).

Ignacio "As a youth, I was deeply influenced by the civil rights movement, Cesar Chavez, and the anti-war movement and I wanted to contribute. I thought a career in law was the best course, but quickly learned that the law is more about compromise than justice." Ibarra.

Ignacio "Ignacio Ibarra is a leading figure in an organizing effort initiated by Sin Fronteras called the Border Agricultural Workers Project (BWAP), a farm worker center, in El Paso, Texas. The center is located in South El Paso, in the heart of the border movement, and operates as a multipurpose support facility for border agricultural workers. The farm workers' center has served to renew the hope of a better life for the chile pickers and for the workers in general. Mr. Ibarra and BWAP are committed to improving the lives of farm workers by developing and implementing long-term solutions to the economic and social problems facing their community." Ibarra (ASSG).

Is this the Sin Fronteras Organizing Project http://www.farmworkers.org/bawpdesc.html that has articles like "La Ingratitud Americana"?

To recap:

• Southern Arizona Alliance for Economic Justice: 670-1515 saaej@azstarnet.com, mtg.:2nd Mon. 7pm Centro Digna #135, 842 S. 6th Ave
• IP address: 169.197.3.213
  Host name: resistmilitarization.org
  Alias: php.azstarnet.com

Let's see who is borderaction.org:

IP address: 169.197.3.213
Host name: www.borderaction.org
Alias: php.azstarnet.com
TraceRoute to 169.197.3.213 [www.borderaction.org]
Updated: July 22, 2001

DNS Records for borderaction.org: query from dns.consumer.net to get an authoritative nameserver
NameServer used for query: ns1.azstarnet.com

OrgName: TUCSON NEWSPAPERS
OrgID: TUCSON

NetRange: 169.197.0.0 - 169.197.63.255
CIDR: 169.197.0.0/18
NetName: TNIB
NetHandle: NET-169-197-0-0-1
Parent: NET-169-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Assignment
NameServer: IN-ADDR.AZSTARNET.COM
NameServer: NS1.AZSTARNET.COM
NameServer: NS2.AZSTARNET.COM
Comment: RegDate: Updated: 1999-03-16
TechHandle: AN320-ARIN
TechName: Network Operations Center, AzStarNet
TechPhone: +1-520-573-4220 TechEmail: noc@azstarnet.com

I'm not saying anything or implying anything. I just was curious. It seems there are some irregularities that need to be checked into.

[Ed -Source-: The article does not reflect the views of this web site. To add balance to this article we have invited the Border Action Network to respond. In the past we have interviewed organizations like La Voz de Aztlan and including the views or opinions of an organization or individual on this web site does not constitute tacit approval of the ideas expressed by the individual or organization in question].

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