Getting Involved : ‘Border Peace Patrol Affirms Nonviolence’

When people inquire about our Border Peace Patrol, they usually do so with that indulgent smile reserved for the projects of enthusiasts and small children. But the patrol is alive and well and is celebrating its third anniversary.

Back in 1991, a small group of members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) met in San Ysidro to walk along the U.S./Mexico border to learn more about the situation and possibly help to reduce the level of violence by our presence. We thought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday an appropriate starting date.

Since that time, members of the Border Peace Patrol, wearing arm bands and walking in groups of two or three, have continued along various sections of the 16-mile border at least once a month.

We talk to U.S. Border Patrol agents as well as to the people waiting to cross. Both sides tell us about some of their problems: The migrants share uncertainties about their future and their fears of being caught or mistreated by the migra . The agents tell us about the frustrations and perils of their job, from busted knees and back injuries suffered trying to apprehend border crossers in rough terrain to worries about migrants drowning in the Tijuana flood waters or women and small children endangered by wading through the sewage-polluted channel.

We do not pretend to offer any solutions to the complex issues of illegal immigration and law enforcement. We try simply to be present at the border in a manner that approaches all the participants in this drama with respect and compassion and affirms our belief that conflicts can be resolved without violence and abuse.

At least 50 people have come to walk with us and gain some first-hand experience about border issues. For many, our commitment to a strictly nonpartisan attitude has been difficult to understand. They tend to see the border issues mostly in black and white--as a conflict between absolute right or wrong, which has to be addressed by confrontation with the “evil” party. We try to point out what we see: that systemic violence is inherent in a situation that defines human beings as “illegal aliens” and charges others with the responsibility to hunt them down for no other crime than crossing a line.

“So, have you been successful?” we are asked. I guess the answer depends on how success is defined.

There are still only a handful of Border Peace Patrol members who are able to walk with some regularity. And the heavy fortification of the border with high steel fences has made contact with the people waiting to cross much more difficult.

But we have found the defensiveness of the Border Patrol agents give way to generally friendly and occasionally serious conversations and encounters. The migrants tell us they appreciate our presence. For ourselves, the experience continues to be enriching and supports our faith in the importance of compassionate involvement and nonviolent personal action, no matter how small.