Our delegation was fortunate to have a discussion with Obie, a Border Patrol agent, about his work near Douglas, AZ. Over dinner, we heard from him and his wife, Maria, about their family backgrounds as immigrants working the harvests across the U.S. He also described a typical night on patrol. When he stops 1 or 2 undocumented people who scale the 30-foot border wall (using seatbelt material to ease their descent), he often observes with his night vision gear 30 to 40 others cross and scatter nearby. The Border Patrol agents call this a “Banzai” maneuver. All these crossings are organized by the polleros, or guides, employed by the cartels.
At the close of our evening, Obie stressed this point to our group. Seek out the undocumented in your community. They’re people in need of care and encouragement – not a group to be discounted.
