An Arizona Man Was Arrested For Helping Feed And Hydrate Migrants
An aid volunteer is currently on trial for helping two migrant men.
Scott Warren is a 36-year-old man from Ajo, Arizona. He is a humanitarian aid with "No More Deaths" (a Tucson based group), who provides water, food, and shelter to migrants who are walking through the Arizona desert. In January 2018, he was arrested and charged with two counts of harboring two men that crossed the border from Mexico, and one count of conspiring to transport.
Just a few days before his arrest, Warren went to the aid station known as "The Barn" where he found two Central American men seeking medical assistance. They had been walking through the desert for two days, their only nourishment was a shared burrito and sports drink. The men had blisters on their feet and had not urinated in over 12 hours. They also complained of chest pains.
Warren called for medical assistance, made dinner and rehydrated them. Volunteers were told by doctors to monitor the men and make sure they were drinking enough water. As the volunteers took care of the migrants, Warren went home. The next Wednesday, Warren was arrested after Ajo residents reported two migrant men in "The Barn." Two Border Patrol agents set up surveillance of "The Barn" and apparently saw Warren gesturing to the mountains, supposedly telling the two men how to avoid checkpoints.
Warren's attorneys believe that his arrest was retaliation against "No More Deaths," due to the fact that the organization has video footage of Border Patrol agents destroying the water left for migrants in the desert. Warren was arrested just hours after that footage was released. The main argument regarding Warren's case is whether or not he was intending to break the law. He only supplied food and water to the migrants and has never been anything less of law-abiding in the past.
If Warren is found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Obviously, he has done nothing wrong, he was only helping two men in serious need of medical attention, and leaving water at the border in the blistering Arizona desert is not a crime. The second week of the trial began Monday, June 3rd. If you would like to help Scott Warren avoid these charges, you can watch the video linked down below, write to Congress, and sign the petition that can be found on the ACLU website.
Who you can call and demand they drop the charges:
Prosecutor Anna Wright: desk (520) 620-7446
Prosecutor Nathaniel Walters: desk (520) 620-7512
Tucson General Line: (520) 620-7300
Phoenix General Line: (602) 514-7500
Assistant to U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Strange: (520) 620-7419
