In April 2008, the San Diego chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced a collaboration with Mexico’s National Commission of Human Rights, a quasi-governmental agency. They've now released a report in which they - surprise - oppose border enforcement and call for what would amount to nearly open borders. The report is entitled "Humanitarian Crisis: Migrant Deaths at the U.S.-Mexico Border", but what they fail to note is the role that they and all others who oppose immigration enforcement have played in those deaths. If the ACLU and other far-left and racial power groups had supported our laws, there would have been many fewer deaths among those trying to cross our border; see the false compassion page for more. If anyone wants to do something about this issue, go to ACLU events and ask them these questions.

You can download their report (written by Maria Jimenez) from aclu.org/immigrants/gen/41186pub20091001.html These are their recommendations:

Action on Day One:
* Recognize border crossing deaths as an international humanitarian crisis.
Action within 100 days:
* Shift more U.S. Border Patrol resources to search and rescue.
* Direct government agencies to allow humanitarian organizations to do their work to save lives and recover remains.
* Establish a binational, one-stop resource for rescue and recovery calls.
* Convene all data collecting agencies to develop a uniform system.
* Commit to transparency.
* Elevate border deaths to a bilateral priority.
* Invite international involvement.
Action within One Year:
* Adopt sensible, humane immigration and border policies.
* Support nongovernmental humanitarian efforts at the border to do what governments are unable or unwilling to do.

Ultimately, effective border enforcement strategy requires acknowledging the necessity of good faith efforts to fix this problem, respect human rights, and preserve life. Most importantly, it necessitates exploring policy options that minimize forced migration and maximize choices for legal, safe avenues of migration. Only when both nations are seriously engaged in protecting the lives of their most vulnerable populations, will the right of state sovereignty be balanced with the fundamental rights inalienable to all people.

The ACLU solution basically consists of letting anyone who wants to come here cross the border in a safe legal orderly fashion, amounting if not to open borders then to something close to it.

And, if you know a lawyer in San Diego, let them know about this:

This report was funded in part by a Grant from the San Diego County Bar Foundation generously supported by a contribution from the San Diego County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the San Diego County Bar Foundation or the San Diego County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

UPDATE: Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post discusses the ACLU's report here. He, of course, fails to point out the role that the ACLU, the Mexican government, and the WaPo have played in encouraging people to try to cross the desert. Compare what Sarukhan says to what the ACLU says (and Bush said before):

Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican ambassador to the United States, called the deaths along the border "a matter of utmost concern," citing both countries' efforts to avoid fatalities and to "break the back" of human smuggling operations. However, he added in a written statement, "at the end of the day, a secure, orderly, legal and humane flow of migrants will be the only solution to this challenge."

David Hoffman, chief of the strategic planning, policy and analysis division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Washington has taken many steps to reduce border deaths under a 1998 national border safety strategy, identifying dangerous areas with the Mexican government and adding rescue beacons in some areas.

"Every death is a tragedy," Hoffman said, adding that the Border Patrol has rescued nearly 11,000 illegal crossers in the past six years. "If there are shortfalls, if there are things we can do better, we are open to doing that," he said.

It's unfortunate that Hoffman didn't also take the opportunity to point to the partial culpability of those who work to prevent immigration enforcement.

UPDATE 2: There's a local news report at peekURL.com/v1iiqb5