Description

Violations of Human and Civil Rights on the U.S.-Mexico Border, 1995–1997: A Report

Michael Huspek, Roberto Martinez, and Leticia Jimenez report on American Friends Service Committee investigations of violations of human and civil rights on the U.S.-Mexico border. The report chillingly chronicles the use and abuse of the law by various U.S. enforcement agencies, the trend toward lawlessness at the border, and the increasing criminalization of Latinos. Developments throughout the region include a steady build-up of military and police personnel, an increased integration of military and police units, heightened deployment of surveillance technology, intensified criminalization of activities related to illegal immigration, and an inflamed rhetoric that vilifies targeted subjects and legitimates the tactics used by law enforcement agencies against them. The report makes several thoughtful policy recommendations and promotes an understanding of broader areas of criminal and social justice.

United States — immigration policy, U.S.-Mexico border, criminalization of Latinos

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 25, No. 2 (1998): 110-130