Border Patrol Raid on Humanitarian Aid Group Sparks Concerns of Escalating Lawlessness
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A recent raid by U.S. Border Patrol agents on a humanitarian aid station in the Arizona desert has ignited concerns about a growing pattern of unchecked authority within immigration enforcement agencies. The November 23rd incident, documented by video footage, involved agents taking three individuals into custody and forcibly entering a trailer without a warrant while providing medical care to migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border.
A History of Aid and Increasing Scrutiny
For over two decades, No More Deaths, also known as No Más Muertes, has operated in the Sonoran Desert, offering critical medical assistance to migrants traversing one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes. The organization’s camp, located just miles from the border, has become a vital lifeline for those facing extreme conditions. However, in recent years, it has increasingly become a target for the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.
“There’s this frightening pattern of impunity that’s happening across the country,” said Monica Ruiz House, a No More Deaths volunteer with experience in deportation defense. “Whether it’s Border Patrol, whether it’s ICE agents,” she continued, referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, highlighting a perceived rise in lawless behavior.
Warrantless Entry and the “Hot Pursuit” Claim
This latest raid marks the third time in recent years that Border Patrol agents have targeted the remote Arizona site. However, it is the first instance where agents entered a structure on the property without a warrant. According to volunteers, agents justified the warrantless entry by claiming they were acting under the “hot pursuit” doctrine.
This legal concept typically applies when law enforcement is actively pursuing a suspect who flees into a private space, with no opportunity to obtain a warrant and a demonstrable risk of escape, evidence destruction, or harm. However, Amy Knight, an attorney representing No More Deaths volunteers, asserts there was no evidence to support such a claim during the November raid.
“They were inside of a building on private property, and the agents were able to pretty well surround the place — so if they left, they could catch them,” Knight explained. “There was no reason why they couldn’t get a warrant.”
The Raid Unfolds: “Disappeared” into ICE Custody
On the afternoon of November 23rd, a contingent of Border Patrol vehicles arrived at the organization’s gate near Arivaca, Arizona. A loudspeaker announcement demanded those inside “come out,” stating agents had tracked a group of suspected migrants to the location. Despite volunteers refusing access without a warrant, agents eventually entered the property and targeted a trailer.
“If there are people locked in that trailer that’s a big concern,” one agent reportedly stated. When questioned about the lack of a warrant, agents claimed they were in “hot pursuit,” authorized by “the U.S.A.” – potentially a reference to an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
The first of the three individuals taken into custody was reportedly “dragged” to a Border Patrol truck as volunteers prayed. Since the raid, No More Deaths has been unable to locate the arrestees. “They’ve somewhat disappeared into the ICE custody black hole,” Ruiz House said. “We’re trying to locate them.”
A Pattern of Targeting Humanitarian Aid
This incident is not isolated. In June 2017, Border Patrol agents, acting with a warrant, arrested four Mexican nationals receiving treatment at the camp for heat-related illnesses. The situation escalated further in January 2018 with the arrest of Scott Warren, a No More Deaths volunteer, and two Central American asylum-seekers. Warren was initially charged with federal harboring and conspiracy, facing up to 20 years in prison, but the case ultimately collapsed after his defense successfully argued his actions were rooted in deeply held religious beliefs protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The administration also pursued littering charges against volunteers for leaving water jugs in the desert, a practice aimed at preventing migrant deaths. These actions, often carried out by BORTAC, a specialized SWAT-style unit within Border Patrol, demonstrate a concerted effort to target those providing aid to migrants.
“ICE is increasingly relying on Border Patrol to carry out its internal operations,” Ruiz House explained. “Having Border Patrol operate in the interior is absolutely a force multiplier…but there’s also a very big symbolic dimension.” She argued the uniforms and tactics instill fear within immigrant communities, representing an expansion of militarized border enforcement.
As one senior agent recently told the New York Times, “The border is everywhere.” This sentiment underscores a shift in strategy, extending enforcement beyond the physical border and into the interior, raising serious questions about the limits of authority and the protection of humanitarian work.
