Border Voices
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BORDER VOICES Understandings of Undocumented Migrants in Bachelor Thesis Tucson, Arizona 2014-2015 Benthe Guezen & Mayke van den Boogaard Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 1 Photograph Frontpage 1 This picture was taken by us the day we visited Glenn Spencer, the president of the American Border Patrol, a non-governmental organization concerned with securing the U.S.-Mexico border. Part of the border fence is situated in Spencer’s backyard. His property is highly securitized, motivated by his worry of Mexicans who want to ‘reconquer’ the American Southwest. PAGE 1 Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 Border Voices Understandings of Undocumented Migrants in Tucson, Arizona Bachelor Thesis 2014-2015 Benthe Guezen 4009819 [email protected] Mayke van den Boogaard 4021320 [email protected] Coordinator: Katrien Klep PAGE 2 Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 PAGE 3 Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 Inhoud Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction……… .................................................................................................................................. 9 Aim and Relevance………. .............................................................................................................. 9 Methods……. ................................................................................................................................. 11 Reflection and Ethical Concerns…………..................................................................................... 12 Content and Structure……… ......................................................................................................... 14 1. Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................................................... 15 1.1 Globalization and Migration…………. ........................................................................................ 15 Framing Migration……… .............................................................................................................. 16 1.2 Borders………. ............................................................................................................................ 18 Implications of Border Policies………… ...................................................................................... 20 Process of Bordering ……… ......................................................................................................... 21 1.3 National Identities and ‘Othering’…………. ........................................................................... 22 1.4 Illegalization and Criminalization…………. ........................................................................... 24 2. Context………… ............................................................................................................................... 26 Opening and Barricading the US-Mexico Border …………….. ........................................................ 26 The Borderlands of Tucson, Arizona…………… .............................................................................. 27 Migrant Rights Advocates………… .............................................................................................. 28 U.S. Border Patrol………. ............................................................................................................. 29 Civilian Border Patrol Groups………….. ...................................................................................... 30 Operation Streamline ...................................................................................................................... 31 3. Migrant Rights Advocates…………………………………………………………………...………31 Opposing the Dehumanization of Border Enforcement Strategies ..................................................... 32 Victims of Necropolitical Policies .................................................................................................. 32 Humanitarian Aid is never a Crime: A Loophole for Activists .......................................................... 34 Victims of Militarization: The ‘War on Migrants’ ......................................................................... 36 Border Patrol’s ‘War on Drugs’ ..................................................................................................... 37 Understandings of Migrants’ Agency ................................................................................................. 39 Understating Migrants .................................................................................................................... 39 Overstating Migrants ...................................................................................................................... 41 Relationship with U.S. Border Patrol ................................................................................................. 42 PAGE 4 Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 Victims of Abuse ............................................................................................................................ 42 Border Patrol as an ‘Occupying Army’ .......................................................................................... 44 Dehumanizing Border Patrol Agents .............................................................................................. 45 Main Border Narrative of Migrant Rights Advocates .................................................................... 46 4. Border Patrol: Paradox of Protection…… .......................................................................................... 47 Demarcation of Borders...................................................................................................................... 48 Who is the threat? ........................................................................................................................... 48 Border Policies: Selective Mobility ................................................................................................ 49 Criminalization ............................................................................................................................... 50 Narrativity of Socio-Political Elites................................................................................................ 50 Management of Borders ..................................................................................................................... 51 Liberal Paradox in Practice ............................................................................................................. 52 Secure Border, Save Lives.............................................................................................................. 54 SB1070: Breaking up Families ....................................................................................................... 55 Border Patrol’s Narrativity ............................................................................................................. 56 5. Civil Border Patrol Groups: Preserving National Identity ................................................................. 58 More Rigorous Demarcation, Better Management……………… ..................................................... 59 ‘The other’, threatening national identity………….. ......................................................................... 60 Narrativity of Civilian Border Patrol………….. ................................................................................ 64 6. Operation Streamline………………………………………………………………………………...65 Official Juridical Procedure …… ..................................................................................................... 65 Border Narratives of Lawyers and Public Defenders ......................................................................... 70 Insufficient Legal Representation………..... .................................................................................. 70 Main Border Narrative of Operation Streamline…………….. .......................................................... 72 Concluding Remarks…… ...................................................................................................................... 73 The Clash of Narratives ...................................................................................................................... 73 Maintaining the Status-Quo ................................................................................................................ 75 Appendix 1: Tucson Samaritans Protocol .............................................................................................. 77 Summary 77 Bibliography 80 PAGE 5 Border Voices Bachelor Thesis 2015 Acknowledgements Doing fieldwork in Tucson, Arizona has been a very special experience for us. Our time in America has been made extra valuable by the ‘Southern hospitality’ of the people we have had the pleasure to meet. We would like to thank everyone who helped us with our research, in Tucson as well as in the Netherlands. There are a few people we would like to thank in particular. Nicholas and Mark; for opening up your houses and familiarizing us with the city of Tucson. John; for sharing your expertise about the U.S. Border Patrol as well as your kindness. Mark; for granting us a formal interview with Border Patrol, even though our background check was not finished yet. Peter; for your interest in our research and for introducing us to your friends. Gerry; we would