The Collegian  ONLINE
         April 28, 2008

Elizabeth A. Perez/Collegian

Ricardo Brown Bear from the Calli Ollin Movimiento Indigena protests against the proposed border fence Wednesday night on the Tandy Hall lawn.

Four panelists spoke about the proposed border fence’s environmental, political, social and economic impact.

Biological Sciences Professor Genaro Lopez, the Rev. Mike Seifert, Rio Grande Valley Legal Aid attorney Celestino Gallegos and Assistant Professor of Nursing Eloisa Tamez gave their views during the “Fall of the Wall” forum, which took place Thursday in the Education and Business Complex veranda.

“The fence is an insult to us as biologists and to people who are concerned about the wildlife,” Lopez said.

He said bird watching in the Valley is a million-dollar industry and that building a wall would affect the wildlife in the area, including animals such as the jaguarondi and the ocelot.

Seifert, of the San Felipe De Jesus Church in Cameron Park, said the fence would separate families.

“I think all of us know the effects of immigration—family, home, loved ones. … To leave that behind, it’s a tragedy,” he said.

The United States is building a 700-mile-long fence along the border with Mexico to stem illegal immigration. In Texas, a section of the fence will stretch from Laredo to Brownsville.

“Theologically, the church is an immigrant,” Seifert said. “You can read scripture as the story of immigration. … The wall is a repugnant symbol of fear and racism. … Everyone knows the wall will not stop anyone. … The wall will not stop immigration.”

Gallegos said the wall “is a very big public works project” that not only will be “harmful for the environment, you [also] trample over peoples’ rights to do it.”

“We’re the ones making a sacrifice for security,” he said.

 Tamez described her experience with the Department of Homeland Security in regard to the potential seizure of her land for the proposed border fence.

“I have land in the path where the wall is going to be built,” she said. “I did not sign the initial waiver [and] the second waiver, so therefore DHS filed a lawsuit against me and they filed a ‘declaration of taking,’ ex parte, which means they wanted to take over my land within the 24 hours and U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen denied that, and he set up a hearing.”

On Feb. 7, Tamez went to court and argued that Homeland Security had not followed appropriate laws.

“They were following the Secure Fence Act, which had been repealed by the appropriations act that was signed into law by President Bush on Dec. 26, 2007,” she said.

The judge agreed with Tamez and ruled that Homeland Security had not proven that it had entered into negotiations with Tamez. On April 11, the judge ruled in favor of Homeland Security, granting them access to Tamez’s property.

“We are appealing,” she said. “We are not stopping there. We’re going all the way.”

Environmental justice activist Matt Smith asked the panelists: “What plan of action would you recommend that might not get us in jail and might increase our numbers?”

Lopez answered, “The main thing you need to do is get involved in the political process. Put in a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress and then hold their feet to the fire, keep after them.”

Gallegos urged the audience to stay active in the political phase.

“The advocates will tell you … people really need to send in comments, calls,” he said. “Send in letters, e-mails to [your representatives’] offices, because on this issue we are getting beat 12-to-1.”