Scott Warren Faces Felony Charges for Helping Two Migrants

Scott Warren faces felony charges for helping two migrants.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives to cross illegally into the United States. But just crossing the border is not enough; many must then travel many miles on their own, without food and water, while trying to avoid capture by Border Security agents. This results in hundreds, or possibly thousands, of annual deaths.

A group called No More Deaths has become very controversial in the state of Arizona. This group, called No Más Muertes in Spanish, tries to keep migrants from dying during their travels. The group is affiliated with the Unitarian Church. Group volunteers often travel to the Sonoran Desert and leave non-perishable food, jugs of drinkable water, and blankets for migrants. No More Deaths says it is not trying to help anyone break the law, but just trying to help people survive.

Last year, Border Patrol agents arrested Scott Warren. Warren, who is 36 years old, teaches geography at a college in Arizona. He is also a volunteer with No More Deaths. The agents saw Warren allegedly providing directions to two migrants, and learned that he had also given them water, food, and shelter. The federal government charged Warren with conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants, and two counts of harboring them. If convicted on all counts, he could face 20 years in prison.

On June 11th, after two weeks of testimony, the jury in this case said it was hopelessly deadlocked. This means that the jury was so divided that they’d never reach a unanimous decision. The judge declared a mistrial. Prosecutors have until July 2nd to bring the case again, or let it drop.

The U.S. has been trying to crack down on illegal immigration for decades. But when Border Patrol agents are able to shut down one path, or “corridor,” migrants will often find another way to travel. For this reason, the Sonoran Desert has become an increasingly popular migrant corridor in the last few years. Unfortunately, it is also one of the deadliest. It is estimated that at lease 5,000 migrants have died there in the last 25 years.

This desert makes up most of the Mexican state of Sonora. It also stretches up into the southwestern U.S., and has a total area of about 100,000 square miles. Cities such as Tucson, Phoenix, Palm Springs, and Mexicali, Mexico are located within this desert’s boundaries. But it also has many thousands of miles of arid desert land. Daytime temperatures can get as high as 118 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. During the winter, some areas fall below freezing.

One of the most famous roads in this area is El Camino del Diablo, which in English means “The Devil’s Highway.” Native Americans have used this 250-mile desert road for hundreds of years. Border Patrol agents often patrol this road to make sure it is not being used by migrants. These agents also patrol the hills, valleys, ditches, and other areas. Sometimes, they find supplies left there by volunteers from No More Deaths and other groups. Agents have been known to trash these supplies to make it more difficult for travelers. One border agent was caught on camera dumping out the water left for migrants. Despite all this, No More Deaths has vowed to keep leaving supplies for migrants in the Sonoran Desert.