no more deaths is a volunteer group that offers humanitarian aid in the Arizona desert to migrants who try to cross over into the United States by using this arduous route. Border Patrol has recently conducted a raid on the camp and arrested four men, and No More Deaths is unhappy at the action.

They look upon this as a change in strategy and attitude of the authorities, especially when outside temperatures are soaring. There used to be an understanding as per a previous agreement, that migrants could seek medical help at the camp without fear of arrest.

This has now come under a cloud of distrust.

Problems with Border Patrol

According to New York Times, the founder of No More Deaths has said that the raid conducted by Border Patrol was not a humanitarian act but was an effort to cripple the lifesaving mission. The group extends medical help to the needy which had already been agreed to by both the sides and such raids could increase the risk of death of migrants.

They will suffer from dehydration due to exposure to extreme atmospheric conditions in the desert. This is aggravated when many of them try to cross over into America through remote locations of the Arizona desert to avoid detection. They ignore the high temperatures, and that is a matter of concern.

It seems a number of other volunteer groups also offer humanitarian aid to help out the migrants. But, No More Deaths is one of the largest and the only one in Arizona with a permanent base in the desert. It has been set up with a mission to contain deaths in the desert areas that has already seen many deaths. Hundreds of migrants have lost their lives in the desert in trying to cross over and deaths of this nature increase during the warmer months.

The other side of the story

Customs and Border Protection is the parent agency of the Border Patrol, and it has clarified that its agents faced opposition from the volunteers who refused to let them in. They wanted to question four suspected men and at least one of them had criminal records.

It is a fact that No More Deaths is engaged in humanitarian work.

They help those who are trying to cross over into America in search of a better life and accept everyone at face value and criminals might take advantage of that. Leaving water containers for migrants as a part of humanitarian aid is fine but when it comes to more serious matters, the humanitarian groups must ensure that everything is clear and above board to avoid embarrassment.

Helping out others is a noble act and those who indulge in such activities deserve praise. They have to ensure that the aid is not misused and those with a criminal bent of mind are kept out of the purview of such aids. Attempts to cross the border and enter America is a dream that remains a dream for many. Hopefully, such attempts will stop once the Mexico Border Wall is built.