Dear Friends,

It's really active here on the border right now. After about 6 weeks of post card weather, we are in a cold-snap. Last night we Healing Our Borders members handed out about 35 blankets to two groups of migrants returned to Mexico by the Border Patrol. In the two groups there were about 1/2 dozen women, a baby, a todler and three other children. They were returned to Agua Prieta between midnight and 1 am. Tonight is to be even colder, so it will be another 1:45am bedtime. And tomorrow I'm to be bright eyed by 9:30am back in Agua Prieta to be a volunterr substitute teacher of English at the DouglaPrieta Works center there. Last Thursday when I did my first day of subbing, I had 5 gradeschool students. The schools in Agua Prieta are so crowded that the children only go half days. So my students go to school in the afternoon. We have another teacher to teach the children who attend school in the morning.

We need more blankets, so I sent a request to the San Francisco AFSC office just this morning.

Two No More Deaths volunteers were arrested for transporting sick and injured migrants to medical care this summer. Last week a court ruled to Not dismiss the case, so it will go forward to trial. This case is a test for all those who do humanitarian aid.

But the real reason I'm writing is: No matter the outcome of that trial, if the Senate doesn't change the legislation just passed by the House before Christmas, ALL who aid migrants will unambiguously by subject to arrest and prison. We need you all to contact all our legislators, especially the Senators. Ask them to kill the horrible immigration legislation just passed by the House that would build 700 more miles of border walls, make felons of all undocumented migrants, even the babies, and make criminals of all "good samaritians" who might aid hungry, lost and sick migrants at our door. It's a terrible bill what need to be stopped. Then offer your support for the McCain/Kennedy bill S.1003 The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. This bill includes a vehicle for migrants to come to work in a humane fashion, and come out of the shadows with the prospect of eventually buying their citizenship is they desire. The companion bill in the House is the Kolbe/Gutierrez bill HR2330.

One selling point to the immigration issue is the fact that we very soon will need these workers to replace the baby boomers retiring. If we want to keep Social Security, etc, we will need those hard working immigrants to keep these programs going. We just don't have the workforce we'll need to take care of us . And that time is coming fast, if it hasn't already arrived. Our economy and life can not continue as is without these "despised" workers. Let's do right by them. If all goes acording to plans this next month may be critical to the future of migrants, the border and it's people.

Peace to you, Judy Plank