Border Wall: Texas Finds Plan Biased Against Poor, Raises It To International Human Rights Issue

A committee of scholars from the University of Texas who are against the proposed 670-mile, Texas-Mexico border wall are in Washington, D.C. today to testify in front of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a part of the Organization of American States. This marks the first international hearing on a matter the rest of America pretty much cheerlead into existence. Their strategy will be that building the wall is a violation of human rights against Native Americans who cross the border, by agreement with the U.S. government, for traditional native ceremonies. But most interesting to us is the university group’s findings that those who stand to lose the most land with the current plan are owners of small plots who are poor, Latino and often less educated about their rights.

“There’s a connection between income and education levels related to gaps in the fence,” said Karla Vargas, a law school and public affairs student who is part of the university group.

“It’s definitely an argument for bias and discrimination toward the lower income community.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Lloyd Easterling said the agency will not respond to the university committee’s charges. Much like they aren’t responding to a university request for information which was made in April under the Freedom of Information Act. The Commission on Human Rights will not give their opinion immediately and if they do hand down a recommendation, it won’t be judicially binding. Welcome to East Berlin, Texas.

Texas group opposing border fence in Washington [NY Daily News]