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El Paso Organization To Document Police Abuse In Border Region
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
A team of Border Patrol agents make an arrest outside Hidalgo, Texas.
A human rights organization in El Paso will be documenting cases of law enforcement abuse this month as reported by border residents in southern New Mexico and west Texas.
The Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) has acted as a watchdog against abuses by local, state and federal officers for the past 15 years. This month volunteers will set up tables near the ports of entry and engage with border crossers about their experiences. They also plan to reach out to the relatives of people held in immigrant detention centers and inquire about the conditions and treatment within the facilities.
The organization has documented hundreds of cases of abuse including allegations of racial profiling and unlawful searches which they then compile into annual reports. BNHR works with agencies like the Border Patrol and area sheriff's offices to reduce such abuses.
On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released their own report which showed a reduction in use-of-force incidents. There have been three fatal shootings by border agents in 2015. Last year there were four.