'Border Angel' speaks at SUU

The founder of a humanitarian group reminded students at Tuesday's Convocation that two to three people die every day crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.

In 1986, Enrique Morones founded Border Angels, a humanitarian organization which provides support and aid to migrant workers on the U.S.-Mexican border.

The organization consists of volunteers who want to stop unnecessary deaths of individuals traveling through the Imperial Valley Desert areas, as well as the areas located around the United States and Mexican border, according to the group's Web site, www.borderangels.org.

Volunteers maintain 340 water stations installed in the Imperial Valley Desert and surrounding areas, according to the Web site.

A graduate of University of San Diego, Morones said his parents came legally to the United States, where he was born in San Diego.

"My parents gave me a very strong upbringing of being proud of your roots," he said.

Morones began his work by giving humanitarian aid to those living near the U.S. border in Mexico.

When he realized some poorer immigrants residing in the U.S. were living in canyons because they did not have shelter, Morones gave them water, food and blankets.

"I was developing this concept of reaching out," he said.

There is power in being able to save one person at a time, Morones said.

"Humanitarian aid is never a crime," he said. "I don't care what the law says."

Border Angels is a faith-based organization and Morones said he lives his life by the Bible verse Mathew 25:35.

"I live by the phrase: 'When I was hungry, who gave me to eat? When I was thirsty, who gave me to drink?'" he said.

Morones said events in the 90s such as the death of César Chávez, freeway shootings in Los Angeles and Rodney King riots had an impact on the immigration issue.

California Proposition 187 in 1994 also impacted immigration.

Voters passed the proposition, which denied illegal immigrants access to health care, social services and education, Morones said.

The height of Proposition 187 was "against the American spirit," he said.

Morones recalled the 15-foot wall built in 1994 meant to maintain the flow of illegal immigrants through Nogales, Ariz. and San Diego.

Since the government built the wall in 1994, two to three people die every day crossing the border, he said.

"We estimate that 10,000 people have died since," he said. "These are real people that are dying."

Morones said about 90 percent of immigrants cross the border in hopes of gaining economic opportunities, and the other 10 percent cross to reunite with family.

Morones said a racist vigilante group, Minuteman, has been and still is a problem in our society.

According to their Web site, www.minutemanhq.com, Minuteman civil defense corps will employ all means of civil protest, demonstration and political lobbying to accomplish a secure border.

Morones said he tried peaceful resistance with the Minuteman organization, who he said flew confederate flags and sported swastika tattoos.

When Morones and a group of volunteers tried to speak with members of the Minuteman in the desert one night, he said they chased after them with guns until they drove away.

Morones met with a leader of Minuteman on the Today Show in 2005 in a head-on debate.

"They have proven that racism is alive and well in the United States," he said.

Morones said illegal immigration has many economic benefits for the U.S.

"The undocumented community is less likely to commit crimes," he said.

He also said Social Security generates about $7 billion a year from undocumented people.

"This causes an economic surplus," he said.

Morones said it is not easy for immigrants to get a visa to come legally.

"The reason they don't get in line (for a visa) is because they can't," he said.

Poor people cannot get a visa because of the cost, he said.

Convocations Director Jeb Branin said the turnout for this Convocation was not as well attended as the last Convocation, but still drew a decent crowd.

"I thought (the Convocation) was very interesting," he said. "It's a pretty controversial topic."

Branin said Morones was successful in addressing the issue without being too inflammatory.

"The topic of immigration is a huge national dialogue right now," he said. "One of the values I see in it is the fact is that we're all involved in this dialogue, but that doesn't mean we understand the human impact."

Branin said he appreciated Morones speaking from a human perspective rather than a political perspective.

"I was attracted to his story because it focused on the human side of it," he said.

Branin said he realizes it is a controversial topic, but thinks students should be open to hearing different ideas.

"As long as were not trying to be inflammatory, it's okay," he said. "If nothing else it can help strengthen our own values."

Ben Toala, a freshman management major from Salt Lake City, said he enjoyed the Convocation for the most part.

"It had a lot of (biased) opinion," he said.

Toala said his favorite Convocation was "Iraq: The Unintended Consequences of War," with the panel of BYU professors.

However, many times the immigration issue is overlooked by those who are not Hispanic, Toala said.

"But I learned so many people are dying every day by crossing the border," he said. "The issue should not be overlooked."