Day 2

The first thing we did today was drive to the Border Patrol in Nogales, Arizona. The members showed us a powerpoint and a brief video on what the sectors do and how immigration efforts are preveted. The two guides also answered all of our questions. However, they avoided answering the main purposes of some questions. They kept emphasizing that as a US Border Patrol officer, they had no opinions nor compassion towards immigrants. When asked their moral standings, they replied that they were just doing their job. This is the case, I understand that. However, how is it possible to see the miserable faces of hundreds of immigrants each and eery day and not feel anything? After questions, we toured the place. I think that majority of people's most memorable part was when we saw the immigrants locked up in rooms waiting to be researched. Men would scan the fingerprints of immigrants to see whether they had a previous criminal record in the US. If they did not, they were immediately sent back to their home lands. If ghey sid have an offense, they would be sent to see a judge.
This led to our next stop of the day. We went to the US court. The judge Benardo Velasco viewed 70 immigrants and sentenced them all in approximately an hour. This quick sentence process is called ''Streamlining.'' The first thing I noticed when we were finally let into the court room was the smell. the body odor of the immigrants was obvious. I realized then that they must not have showered since they started their mission to cross the border which could be about 4-6 day. That amount of time not showering is inevitably going to make anyone smell. I was also struck by the fact that all the immigrants, 68 male and 2 females, wore chains on their feet and ones on their hands that connected to the chain around their waists. All the immigrants didn't speak English, therefore a translator was needed for the whole time. The judge, afterwards, answered all the questions of the visitors. He explained that these immigrants received a sentence if 30-180 days in jail due to whether they had previour minor infractions on their UD criminal records. A person that had crossed the border two times would be sentenced to 30 days. A person that repeatedly comes back to the cross the brder or received a DUI would get 180 days in jail. The judge used severe exaggeration and sarcasm when answering questions. It was obvious that he didn't want to be in thay court and that he viewed it as a waste of time. I wish that he would have been more courteous and sincere in his responses. He was very biased. He believed that all immigrants should be sent back, no ifs ands nor buts. He assumed that all the visitors were extremely againt streamlining, which wasn't the case at all. Our curiosity simply resulted in many questions.
The defendant contrasted greatly from the judge. The defendent contradicted many of the statements of the judge and vice versa. After Juan's powerpoint, I was confused on the facts, for one man gave one reason and the other another. Howeer they both insisted that they were right. What really stays with me is that the defendant knows that the process of immigration, including streamlining, needs to be improved. I wholeheartedly agree. However, neither him or I are able to think of ang original ideas to help cotribute to the issue's solution.
After reflection that night, most of my questions were shared between my leers. Everyone was confused by the ironic differences in the statements of the judge versus the defendant. As a group, wedi discussed the events of the day and helped each other answer the questions that were formed due to the inteoduction of immigration behind the scenes.
All day, I was on the go. Therefore, I was extremly hungry and tired. Overall, it was a good dat for I learned alot of new information on immigration and even the day's events have shifted my opinions on the global matter. If my views could be change in one day, I wonder what I'm going to think on the last day of the trip.
Good Night 😘
- Adianna L. San Lucas (aka Unknown posts)