Garcia I'm the executive director and founder of the Border Network for Human Rights Today. We have a delegation of 40 members from our border community coming to Washington. these are members representing families also we have a students. We have community leaders coming with us with one single purpose to continue our push for accountability transparency. And professionalism of the board and when I say that it is. We got built the largest enforcement operation in the nation at the quarter, with 20 - 5000 Water Patrol agents with 18 billion dollars being spent every year on enforcement with technology that could be used in any song war. What there's a conflict so we had dealt a massive enforcement operation Affective oversight and accountability mechanisms, and obviously that has consequences time after time we had come to Washington to make the case of why we are accepting that at the border, there's a history of immunity and abuse by those enforcement institutions that are supposed to protect the Constitution and enforce the Constitution in the Lord. Find situations where this enforcement institutions are the ones violating the constitution and the constitutional rights of people at the US Mexico border. So we have presented most people reports in the past, not only the cases of abuses that we're gonna hear today a little bit of the patterns of abuses that we see at the border, but also to make the case for us an American solution to these enforcement that. Oversight Let me remind everybody that chicken balances, accountability and oversight. It is an American value. so we cannot understand independently of the immigration debate. This is not about immigration loss. This is about making a law enforcement responsible and accountable. I mean how difficult it is to understand that what a patrol local police state police they need to mentally respect the constitutional rights of all. They are not there's no mechanism to really assess the impact of this massive enforcement on human rights and civil rights, but also on private land rides on on the economic impact of these enforcement. There's no way to assess it. However, we continue to have more and more and more enforcement, but thanks to the leadership of members of Congress. Now, there is a very important tool in place. In this Congress, our congresswoman from El Paso File HR, 22, zero three, which is essentially what we need. We're asking for the border. We create the mechanism that legislation creates the mechanism to bring accountability and oversight, and also the leadership of Senator Udall that actually introduced the same legislation on understand it, which is 20. One which encompasses the same demand for accountability and oversight, but do that let me then introduce them because this is these are they are champions and they can explain a little bit better. They're motivation to respond to our community man on a contribution oversight. So let me then pass it on to Senator Udall from New Mexico. That very, very kind introduction and let me just congratulate Congresswoman Veronica Escobar for her leadership on this bill. She's gotten it through the House and it's been a real honor of working with her on this New Mexico's border communities are proud. They're vibrant. They're fundamental to the fabric of our state. I'm so glad to be joined here by so many of our border leaders, let's give them around. Applause. Let's see here. And I'm glad to stand with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of the Great City of El Paso in New Mexico. We are all too familiar with the heartbreaking photographs of children sleeping in cages in DHS facilities have even separated from their parents. We are all too familiar with the reports of severe overcrowding of lack of hot meals, showers and toothbrushes for children we hear. Stories of mistreatment from both inside and outside DHS facilities, our border communities are on the front lines. They represent the best of our state and our nation. These border communities need and deserve real engagement and accountability from the. Security, They are not getting that the system is broken complaints against the Department of Homeland Security. We're off into a black box. Months even years only to receive a letter. Trump administration border communities are left in the dark about policies that have a direct. Just spring in New Mexico, thousands of micro families were dropped off in the Middle of the streets. Our communities were left to scramble for their shelter and defined places for them to eat. our communities and organizations have stepped up, but they simply need better communication better transparency and more support thousands of New Mexicans interacted with the border Patrol and homeless security officials each day they feel the effect. Policies firsthand When the Trump administration stoked rumors about Mass roundups, they sold fear in our immigrant communities force. To stay home from school, forcing people to miss doctor's appointments. The communities are hurt by this administration's anti-immigrant policies. These people are hurt and they deserve a voice put simply New Mexicans and all Americans should have an outlet to raise their concerns to improve functions at the border. and that's why I've introduced the Homeland Security Improvement Act to bring accountability and transparency to DHS. This bill is. Direct response the needs and concerns of those who know the border best The people who lived in this bill makes a number of critical reforms to ensure that we have a Department of Homeland Security that is accountable to the people. It is supposed to serve this bill is already passed the House thanks to Congresswoman Escobar hard work. Now we need to get it through the Senate. I'm committed to fighting alongside all of you to get this deal done and for now. I turn it back to you over to the distinguished Congresswoman. I'm so honored to be here with my border family on this beautiful sunny day. So that I can express my gratitude to them for their leadership on this bill and my gratitude to Senator Udall for his leadership on this bill. Senator I cannot wait for the moment when. This bill is so important. And it's unique because it literally came from the ground up. It came from the very border community that has seen. A billions of dollars. Yet not be corresponding, transparency, accountability or oversight. One thing that I wanna make very very. When it comes to border security, there is no one in this country who want safe for communities more than those of us who have the privilege. So when we talk about border security, those of us who have raised our children, those of us who work there every day those of us with deep roots and deep. We know what we're talking about and we have long as as the senator pointed out, we have a long and an interval part of the solution of the challenges that our country faces. Changing vibration patterns or people who are running for their lives arriving at our future. And as an example of the solution. When our country saw thousands of migrants arriving order community. The difference between the community response and the government response was pretty start communities like El Paso with zero federal Resources Zero assistance from federal. Opened up our arms. We took care of the vulnerable. We welcome the stranger. we Fed thousands of families. We close them. We offer them hospitality all without any kind of investment or support or help from the federal government. You look at our government's response on the contrary and it was severe overcrowding because of a decision that's deliberate decision not to use alternatives to detention. We saw children dying in American custody. We saw violations of due process and violations of human rights and that is with hundreds of billions of dollars at the disposal of one of them. So what we are saying in response to that is we want to be part of the solution We we are absolutely willing to sit at the table with ideas with leadership with compassion and with American. And this bill ensures that we have that seat at the table after decades of demonstrated leadership on this issue, decades of demonstrated compassion on this issue and decades of of demonstrated embracing American balance. This bill also contains some fundamental good government components that most law enforcement agencies at the local level embraced long ago. as one example in El Paso County. El Paso County implemented the use of border cameras long ago because it's good law enforcement officers wanted to be protective and good law enforcement leaders wanted to be sure to root out bad apples. That we're giving them one percent. And so we are asking the same in this legislation for the Department of Homeland Security to do what local police departments and sheriff's offices have done all across the country Prepare plan over the next year for body cameras so that if you, if you're a good agent, you can be protected in the face of criticism. But if you're a bad agent know that there will be accountability, I will tell you one last thing before I turn it back and something that's a very important component. The Office of the Englishman, where an on-demand who works for the Secretary of DHS, essentially, has the ability to do something Congress cannot, which is go into these facilities that announced in order to find out what's happening. Many of us in Congress found out about the severe over. Through lawyers do journalists and one other way that I found out was through good agents on the inside who are sounding the alarm to their superiors over and over and over again only to have that alarm silence. This is not just a tool for thriving, vibrant, safe and secure border communities like El Paso and other communities on the US. But this is a tool also for law enforcement, so that law enforcement also has a vehicle to sound the alarm and make sure that the highest levels of government the highest levels of leadership within DHS know what is happening. I cannot tell you how many times I heard something on the ground from a whistle-blower only to take it to the highest levels of DHS and to hear back that they. No idea so this good government bill is something frankly that should be embraced by everyone. regardless of what side of the aisle you are on. If you are a fiscal hawk, then you should want to see where those hundreds of billions of dollars going and make sure that that money is is accountable to the American taxpayers. If you are a believer in human rights, then you should be a supporter of this if you're if you're a supporter of law enforce. You should be a supporter of this. So I look forward to working with press roots leaders and activists who have fought so hard to have their voice heard. I look forward to working with Senator Udall and everyone who has signed on and just a quick couple words in Spanish get por tanto tiempo para tener voz en las discusiones sobre política de la frontera sobre lo que está pasando en nuestras facilidades nosotros tenemos un gran orgullo de las comunidades que están seguras y queremos nuestro lugar en la mesa queremos que nuestra voz sea parte de la solución y por acá por eso estamos aquí y vamos a luchar hasta que tengamos esta legislación y con la firma del presidente de los estados unidos muchísimas gracias v We are not an anti-abortion Organization. We are not against enforcement Border patrol. We are we are for the quality of the important. we're gonna do a testimonial coming from the border to listen to the testimonies from border communities. y soy presidente de san juan tamos aquí en los agentes de ganador They look. las motocicletas en la a los barrios no les importa que haga niño se meten a los techos este helicóptero eh arriba de nuestras casas los agentes sociedades podido particular pues sí me ha pasado en muchas ocasiones y han estado dentro de mi propiedad final ismo de las agencias y sobre todo que sean transparentes pero para eso necesitamos una legislación una ley nueva que force estas instituciones a cumplir con los derechos humanos con los derechos institucionales constitucionales y para eso nosotros hemos hecho este esfuerzo de traer estos testimonios a continuación va a hablar a título de la red fronteriza a gabriela para hablar sobre los patrones de abuso que hemos encontrado en las últimas años aquí en la región fronteriza gabriela castañeda en la era en tu cuenta solutions Abuse recommendation Before that we did last year since the early two thousands, we have documented abuses committed by law enforcement agencies working in our area who are abused commendation campaign. Please year. Our campaign started on May with dozens of Human Rights documentaries throughout the Borderland this campaign run through the month of May and June. In total, then we had 50 - eight cases documents that in the course of the 2019 abuse This is 15 cases 50 reports suggest that specifically abusive or problematic behavior by border immigration for criminal law enforcement. Senator Udall mentioned it congresswoman mentioned and now 40 -. three members of the border are here to tell you this is what's happening. This is the truth we are living in dealing with this on a daily basis, the major finding so that the commendation before People in CBP custody detention lack of access to food or water spoiled food or multiple severe overcrowding lack of access to medical care, bearable, psychological and physical abuse by CBP personnel. The second major finding is extremely aggressive enforcement activities in Sunland Park, New Mexico. We are talking about Border patrol, specifically reports. collaboration between gora patrol personal and family cory novaliches it's raining refugees in a sign of senators and the poor for patungong entering homes without a search warrant or without the owners permission We see continued at view of water cross or support entry on a daily basis people that's trying to come to this country to contribute to the economy US citizens that look like me that are harassed by seeking personal because they are told them they're not US citizens and that they bought that for certificate. We know what the problems are. those are the problems I lay them on to you. We know what the solution is. We need transparency, oversight and accountability. This is not an immigration bill and thanks for listening to the people. From data in entrenamiento de derechos humanos y derechos civiles y que y que existe realmente una política balanceada a en cheque en balance And we have a couple of friends that actually are gonna come and make some statements in regards to their support to this effort in this legislation have Christie Parker Jessa Council for from Protect democracy. She's gonna have some statements and comments. Good morning. It's great to be here. I am from Fernando said from protect democracy. My organization's mission is to protect our democracy from declining into more authoritarian form of government and what I would like to talk to you about here for a few minutes is why accountability, transparency and oversight are not partisan issues but fundamental democracy issues. there is nothing more important to our democracy and our constitutional. Of checks and balances the Framers of our constitution very clearly intended for us to have three co-equal branches of government that would check each other and keep each other from exceeding the scope of their hours. Nothing was more important to the Framers than for of our constitution and preventing our system of democracy from declining into the monarchy we had bought. And the branch of government that they were the most worried about in that respect was the presidency and the presidency becoming too powerful, the President overseas, the executive branch, which is merely one. The President is not a King yet this President repeatedly acts like he defies congressional subpoenas. He has declared a phony emergency order. Override congressional appropriations decisions endorses laws passed by Congress and he starts immigration authorities to divide the Wall. There's really nothing more important and nowhere is that oversight authority more important than in relations to federal law and federal law enforcement officers exercise vast power. But they do so having taken an oath to uphold our. This is crucial, especially with respect to immigration authorities who exercise some of the more vast powers in the best plant. Dana plead a federal powers, so it is incredibly imprisoned in litigation challenging the President's illegal emergency declaration. and while Congress already has constitutional authority to check the President as we've seen during this administration, it's extremely important for Congress to act. To ensure that their powers are respected in the administration that has repeatedly violated constitutional norms and exposed loopholes in that system of checks and balances legislation like this is one piece of that. so our larger efforts to enact post water gate style reforms that would seek to correct the excesses of this administration. Once again, we just simply emphasize that. Absolutely a democracy issues that every person who believes in having a democracy in this country should believe in. Wrap it up by saying that these two these last two years they been extremely tough or our border communities. We never seen so many bad things happening at the same time in terms of violation of civil and human rights was nation already children dying in detention wooden patrol eyes entering our homes our property Serious racial profiling They're building a walls it is unprecedented in the land. The latest thing was obviously the attack of Walmart on August, the third, all of that is because there's a rhetoric. An intentional unfortunately coming from the White House that enforcement, especially especially immigration enforcement at the border, don't have to be accountable that they can do whatever they want with this regard of the constitution of the United States and the dignity of people. So today we're calling for Congress to pass is 20 - 690 - one, which is the Homeland Security Pass on the House already and we're gonna do our effort for this for the Senators in the Senate to really get those 60 votes and pass it on it pass that legislation to be signed by the President. So with that, we're gonna close it and we're gonna go one -on-. I'm Fernando Garcia, the executive director and founder of the Border Network for Human Rights, US Latino equipment and we we have to get out. no solo entre los hispanos de la regiones fronterizas como la tuya estará empezando a sentir de esa misma manera nosotros hemos sufrido los efectos del racismo especialmente racismo anti mexicano en la frontera por décadas pero es evidente que en las últimas en los últimos tiempos en los últimos años es el racismo se ha intensificado precisamente creo las condiciones para que se atacar a walmart y se dice y se llevara el mensaje que llevaba el tirador terrorista walmart de que iba a ir a matar mexicanos ese era el concepto central y claro eso eso es parte de cómo ha sido envenenada la retórica la política en este país especialmente hacia los latinos inmigrantes latinos la ahorita la la guerra la supremacía blanca las fuerzas de las primas supremacía blanca están concentrados en contra de los migrantes latinos eso es sin duda y ese es el efecto que se ha creado también en la frontera ganado uno a uno o más gracias