Selling Alcohol on Sundays

Texas legislature is looking at lifting the ban on selling alcohol on Sundays to help increase sales for store owners. In Laredo, Texas businessman are all for the effort, but in the bordertowns such as Nuevo Laredo, it would take away their sales...

wanna read more...
http://www.pro8news.com/news/local/43323007.html

Videos

Video about the CAsa del migrante in Tijuana

On the Fence

Time has some pretty amazing photos of the border fence. Interesting to look at, may be useful to edit into some of your renderings.....

$7B in tax credits paid to illegals

Even without providing Social Security numbers, child tax credits were issued.  These credits are another incentive for workers to migrate here, especially those with children who need support.

linked.

Monarchs

Since I'm dealing with them, I figure I should post a link to a site that tracks the Monarch Butterfly migration.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/

The images are usually enough to blow me away. Pretty magnificent.

fun research?

Jess--With all the time you'll have this weekend, you might want to work while you watch My Fake Fiance, a new ABC Family original movie!

"The cash-strapped duo hatch the perfect plan - fake a relationship, engagement and quickie wedding...and they only have to stay together long enough to make it look authentic."

Though it's for the money and not a green card, might be worth a look at how it's done.

More Walls

Gotta love stumbling- Architectural Prozac Found this site with some inspiring representational images, but one of them was (believe it or not) about a wall.


"The Atlantic Wall was one of the last major defence lines of this century, built by German occupation forces in the period 1939-1944 along the coasts of France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway. During this period more than 12.000 heavy concrete bunkers were built. The project underlines the Atlantic Wall’s architectural, aesthetic, and cultural landscape value as a transnational cultural heritage, preserving a shared memory on European soil an heritage to be safeguarded and protected through the creation of The Atlantic Wall Linear Museum." The Atlantic Wall Linear Museum

Berlin Wall

So, this is random but- I was looking at my last post about walls in it. Some of the comments talked about Robert Sumrell, an architect who wrote a book called "Blue Monday" And in which he tells stories of absurd realities and natural phenomenon. Which led to a story about a lady who married the Berlin Wall. She has some kind of disorder which causes her to become infatuated with objects, and hence, she fell in love with the Berlin Wall. There are some news articles about her, but I think the best thing I found is her website. Enjoy the oddity...

Luch Libre moves to the US

Lucha Libre is becoming pretty popular in some US cities. I found an article that talks about Lucha coming to Denver, CO. The event started out with 200 people for the first one, and now has turned into an event catering to over 1,000 people!! Thats basically a summary, but read on if you would like...

http://www.lavozcolorado.com/news.php?nid=3498

Mexican Ambassador to Spain pissed off at Burger King Commercial

In Europe, Burger King sells a Texican Whopper. They are advertising by running a commercial that shows a "typical Texan" and a "typical Mexican" (Luchadore) living in harmony like the Whopper... This has created some tension and uprage in Mexico... check out the video, its pretty funny...

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2009/04/burger_king_cpb_now_pissing_of.php

Border Beat

Found another blog touching on issues with the border....

Death (alex)
Lucha Libre (leah)
Buying a bride (me)
Child labor (christine)- scroll all the way down to the entry on Feb 23rd
Thinking of Walls


and another interesting article Tijuana held a mass wedding for over 600 couples last february.

Interactive Gun Smuggling Webpage

Just something interesting about smuggling guns into Mexico.

Follow the link

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/04/10/us/20090409-Mexico-Guns.html

Lasers and Asylums

In my poking around for original mexican wedding vows I found a few brief articles that might interest a few of you.

Immigration Laser Tool Evokes Science Fiction

"The device employs a laser beam, to be trained on the cartoid arteries of border crossers in an attempt to read blood pressure and detect high stress levels in potential drug smugglers."

Female Genital Mutilation in US Immigration Law

While this article mainly affects immigrants coming from Africa, it touched on the idea of an asylum and how it pertains to immigrants. "In the United States, an individual seeking asylum must first prove refugee status as defined by US law. According to the INA § 101(a)(42), a refugee has to be unable or unwilling to return to her country of nationality “because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

border-smuggling funnies

Political cartoonists take on the war on drug issue plaguing Mexican/US border cities -

more funnies

Mexico convinces U.S. to delay border plant spraying...

Mexico has convinced the U.S. to [at least] delay the spraying and killing of vegetation. The herbacide they were planning to spray over 130 miles of the Rio Grande banks with has possible health effects - it is being compared to the Vietnam War-era Agent Orange chemical program. It could make its way into the groundwater, poisoning the water supply for Nuevo Laredo, which is located next to the river. Oh, and the project will cost $2.1 million. Nice move, America.

No Fence. No Obstructions. No Crossers.

"In a major setback to the environment last night, the Laredo TX city council voted to allow the Border Patrol to aerially spray the US-Mexico border with the toxic herbicide Imazapyr, a substance which begins to kill all vegetation immediately upon application."

Read more here

Mass Graves of Unidentified Bodies

This pertains to my project but thought it was interesting.
This was on CNN, Anderson Cooper talking about mass graves found in mexico the result of drug cartel violence.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/03/28/cooper.mexico.mass.graves.cnn?iref=videosearch

Update Violence Numbers

I found this live updated chart from an Mexican newspaper that charts deaths related to cartel violence in 2009

http://www.exonline.com.mx/diario/contenido/468598

#4 CNN article today:
Top Mexican Drug Cartel Suspect Arrested
Story Highlights:

• Vicente Carrillo Leyva, 32, arrested in Mexico City, officials say
• He was living under fake name; was found through his wife, who used her own name
  
• This is the fourth arrest of major drug cartel suspect in recent weeks
  
• Authorities in U.S. and Mexico blame drug cartels for surge in violence near border

The Mexican government is making an active effort to crack down on violence from drug cartels

Link to CNN article

Floating Fences

So subtopia has become one of my favorite blogs, just after ours. The idea of a fence that changes with the dunes. . . pretty damn awesome. Link below.

://subtopia.blogspot.com/2009/03/floating-fences-1-imperial-county.html

NAFTA

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/super-nafta-land.html

check out this project

Oral Stories and Data on Mexican Immigration

The Mexican Immigration Project by Princeton

This source has a collection of data and stories surrounding Mexican Immigration.

http://mmp.opr.princeton.edu/expressions/stories-en.aspx

simulate the Struggles of mexican immigrants

Tourists can simulate the Mexican immigration

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/16/usa-immigration-mexico-tourists-simulation

We are in the Texas A&M Newspaper

Apparently we made enough of an impression to be put in their newspaper.

Maider Lopez - from CCA

This is the personal website of the guy who did the painted soccer field on the public plaza.
http://www.maiderlopez.com/

There are a couple really interesting projects--all that deal with how you can take an existing space and add to them without altering the architecture, usually by painting or installing, and double the use of that space to make you reconsider it.

"A Field Guide to Military Urbanism"

Check out this blog.  Its called SUBTOPIA, and is written by Bryan Finoki. Very cool.

The most recent post is about The Border Tunnel Capitol of America.

Achitecture Intervention on theborder wall

http://borderwallasarchitecture.blogspot.com/

if you can't fight 'em...

the latest in narco-tourism...

More violence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Following up on frogger post...

In Ciudad Juarez this past weekend, drug traffickers decided that Roberto Orduna Cruz (the now former police chief) had to go.  The drug gangs have become so powerful there that they forced Orduna to resign and flee the city.  To get what they wanted, they vowed to kill a police officer every 48 hours, and did until Orduna resigned. The Juarez police up until this incident have been no match for the drug gangs, facing execution-style shootings, grenades, fires, and beheadings in recent weeks.  45 police officers have been killed since January 2007.

The federal government ordered 5,000 soldiers to take over the Juarez Police Department, and the defense secretary will pick the next chief of police.  2,000 soldiers have already entered the city, and will fight to take back control of the city.

Texas is responding to this violence by preparing for a potential collapse of the Mexican government...

Thoughts on Laredo

On my plane last night from Phoenix to Chicago, I found myself sitting next to a man in his mid-thirties. We got to talking about travel, and I mentioned that I had traveled recently to Texas, along the border ending in El Paso. He said he had been similar places due to work. It turns out that his company (I'm not sure what kind of company it is...I know he owns a farm with cows on the side) has a testing facility in Laredo, TX. We got to talking about our opinion of the city. He told me that he too had found Laredo strange. He had the option of moving there a few years back temporarily, but decided against it because he didn't want to raise children in that area. I found that to be a very interesting comment.
Additionally, he had crossed the border about five years ago, and had a much different experience than we did. He was shocked that we had stayed across the border, because when he had been there, he had felt very unsafe. He had seen a great number of vehicles and bars with bullet holes in their sides, and felt very much like he was in a place he shouldn't be.
Just interesting to hear a non-architecture student's opinion on the area.

February 20, 2009

This Travel Alert updates security information for U.S. citizens traveling and living in Mexico. It supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated October 15, 2008, and expires on August 20, 2009.

While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable.

Crime and Violence Throughout Mexico

The greatest increase in violence has occurred near the U.S. border. However, U.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Mexican and foreign bystanders have been injured or killed in violent attacks in cities across the country, demonstrating the heightened risk of violence in public places. In recent years, dozens of U.S. citizens have been kidnapped across Mexico. Many of these cases remain unresolved. U.S. citizens who believe they are being targeted for kidnapping or other crimes should notify Mexican officials and the nearest American consulate or the Embassy as soon as possible, and should consider returning to the United States.

U.S. citizens should make every attempt to travel on main roads during daylight hours, particularly the toll ("cuota") roads, which generally are more secure. Occasionally, the U.S. Embassy and consulates advise their employees as well as private U.S. citizens to avoid certain areas, abstain from driving on certain roads because of dangerous conditions or criminal activity, or recommend driving during daylight hours only. When warranted, U.S. government employees are restricted from traveling to or within parts of Mexico without prior approval from their supervisors. When this happens, the Embassy or the affected consulate will alert the local U.S. citizen Warden network and post the information on their respective websites, indicating the nature of the concern and the expected time period for which the restriction will remain in place. U.S. citizen visitors are encouraged to stay in the well-known tourist areas of the cities. Travelers should leave their itinerary with a friend or family member not traveling with them, avoid traveling alone, and should check with their cellular provider prior to departure to confirm that their cell phone is capable of roaming on GSM or 3G international networks. Do not display expensive-looking jewelry, large amounts of money, or other valuable items.

Violence Along the U.S. - Mexico Border

Mexican drug cartels are engaged in an increasingly violent conflict - both among themselves and with Mexican security services - for control of narcotics trafficking routes along the U.S.-Mexico border. In order to combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed troops in various parts of the country. U.S. citizens should cooperate fully with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways.

Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades. Large firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico but most recently in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area. The U.S. Mission in Mexico currently restricts non-essential travel to the state of Durango and all parts of the state of Coahuila south of Mexican Highways 25 and 22 and the Alamos River for U.S. government employees assigned to Mexico. This restriction was implemented in light of the recent increase in assaults, murders, and kidnappings in those two states. The situation in northern Mexico remains fluid; the location and timing of future armed engagements cannot be predicted.

A number of areas along the border are experiencing rapid growth in the rates of many types of crime. Robberies, homicides, petty thefts, and carjackings have all increased over the last year across Mexico generally, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California. Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which have recently experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues. Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana.

The situation in Ciudad Juarez is of special concern. Mexican authorities report that more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city since January 2008. Additionally, this city of 1.6 million people experienced more than 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings in 2008. U.S. citizens should pay close attention to their surroundings while traveling in Ciudad Juarez, avoid isolated locations during late night and early morning hours, and remain alert to news reports. A recent series of muggings near the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez targeted applicants for U.S. visas. Visa and other service seekers visiting the Consulate are encouraged to make arrangements to pay for those services using a non-cash method.

U.S. citizens are urged to be alert to safety and security concerns when visiting the border region. Criminals are armed with a wide array of sophisticated weapons. In some cases, assailants have worn full or partial police or military uniforms and have used vehicles that resemble police vehicles. While most crime victims are Mexican citizens, the uncertain security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are urged to contact the consular section of the nearest U.S. consulate or Embassy for advice and assistance. Contact information is provided at the end of this message.

Demonstrations and Large Public Gatherings

Demonstrations occur frequently throughout Mexico and usually are peaceful. However, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate to violence unexpectedly. Violent demonstrations have resulted in deaths, including that of an American citizen in Oaxaca in 2006. In 2008, a Mexican Independence Day celebration was the target of a violent attack. During demonstrations or law enforcement operations, U.S. citizens are advised to remain in their homes or hotels, avoid large crowds, and avoid the downtown and surrounding areas. Since the timing and routes of scheduled marches and demonstrations are always subject to change, U.S. citizens should monitor local media sources for new developments and exercise extreme caution while within the vicinity of protests. The Mexican Constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners, and such actions may result in detention and/or deportation. U.S. citizens are therefore advised to avoid participating in demonstrations or other activities that might be deemed political by Mexican authorities. As is always the case in any large gathering, U.S. citizens should remain alert to their surroundings.

Further Information

For more detailed information on staying safe in Mexico, please see the Mexico Country Specific Information at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html. Information on security and travel to popular tourist destinations is also provided in the publication: "Spring Break in Mexico- Know Before You Go!!" at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/spring_break_mexico/spring_break_mexico_2812.html For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and canada, or, for callers from Mexico, a regular toll line at 001-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department's travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.

For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Mexico, please contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ccs@usembassy.net.mx. The Embassy's internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.

Consulates:

Ciudad Juarez: Paseo de la Victoria 3650, tel. (52)(656) 227-3000. http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov.
Guadalajara: Progreso 175, telephone (52)(333) 268-2100. http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/.
Hermosillo: Avenida Monterrey 141, telephone (52)(662) 289-3500. http://hermosillo.usconsulate.gov.
Matamoros: Avenida Primera 2002, telephone (52)(868) 812-4402. http://matamoros.usconsulate.gov.
Merida: Calle 60 no. 338 k, telephone (52)(999) 942-5700. http://merida.usconsulate.gov.
Monterrey: Avenida Constitucion 411 Poniente, telephone (52)(818) 047-3100. http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov.
Nogales: Calle San Jose, Nogales, Sonora, telephone (52)(631) 311-8150. http://nogales.usconsulate.gov.
Nuevo Laredo: Calle Allende 3330, col. Jardin, telephone (52)(867) 714-0512. http://nuevolaredo.usconsulate.gov/.
Tijuana: Tapachula 96, telephone (52)(664) 622-7400. http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/service.html.

Consular Agencies:

Acapulco: Hotel Continental Emporio, Costera Miguel Aleman 121 - local 14, telephone (52)(744) 484-0300 or (52)(744) 469-0556.
Cabo San Lucas: Blvd. Marina local c-4, Plaza Nautica, col. Centro, telephone (52)(624) 143-3566.
Cancún: Plaza Caracol two, second level, no. 320-323, Boulevard Kukulcan, km. 8.5, Zona Hotelera, telephone (52)(998) 883-0272.
Ciudad Acuña: Ocampo # 305, col. Centro, telephone (52)(877) 772-8661
Cozumel: Plaza Villa Mar en el Centro, Plaza Principal, (Parque Juárez between Melgar and 5th ave.) 2nd floor, locales #8 and 9, telephone (52)(987) 872-4574.
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo: Hotel Fontan, Blvd. Ixtapa, telephone (52)(755) 553-2100.
Mazatlán: Hotel Playa Mazatlán, Playa Gaviotas #202, Zona Dorada, telephone (52)(669) 916-5889.
Oaxaca: Macedonio Alcalá no. 407, interior 20, telephone (52)(951) 514-3054 (52)(951) 516-2853.
Piedras Negras: Abasolo #211, Zona Centro, Piedras Negras, Coah., Tel. (878) 782-5586.
Playa del Carmen: "The Palapa," Calle 1 Sur, between Avenida 15 and Avenida 20, telephone (52)(984) 873-0303.
Puerto Vallarta: Paradise Plaza, Paseo de los Cocoteros #1, Local #4, Interior #17, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, telephone (52)(322) 222-0069.
Reynosa: Calle Monterrey #390, Esq. Sinaloa, Colonia Rodríguez, telephone: (52)(899) 923 - 9331
San Luis Potosí: Edificio "Las Terrazas", Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2076-41, Col. Polanco, telephone: (52)(444) 811-7802/7803.
San Miguel de Allende: Dr. Hernandez Macias #72, telephone (52)(415) 152-2357 or (52)(415) 152-0068.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

50 US Lawmakers want Obama to ban certain firearms because of Mexican Drug Cartels

MEXICO CITY – More than 50 U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to enforce a ban on importing assault weapons, saying many such guns are later smuggled south to arm Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.

"They come to the United States from Europe and other places, and they make their way down to Mexico," Rep. Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, told reporters in Mexico City on Wednesday.

The ban was implemented under the administrations of President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton, and the U.S. government can enforce it under provisions of the 1968 Gun Control Act.

But the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, has quietly abandoned the ban in recent years, the lawmakers said in their letter. The ATF declined to comment.

"As a result, the civilian firearms market is flooded with imported, inexpensive military-style assault weapons from primarily former Eastern bloc countries including Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia," the letter said.

All 53 lawmakers who signed were Democrats.

The ATF estimates that 90 percent of weapons seized in Mexico come from sources within the United States. Mexico has long demanded that the U.S. do more to stop the flow of weapons south, and Obama has pledged to step up those efforts. Congress included $10 million in the economic stimulus package approved last week for the ATF's Project Gunrunner, which targets gun-trafficking networks in the U.S.

Mexico's drug violence has rapidly escalated despite President Felipe Calderon's deployment of 45,000 soldiers across the country to fight cartels. Drug gangs behead their rivals and attack police on a near daily basis, especially in cities near the U.S. border. Last year, more than 6,000 people were killed in drug violence, double the previous year's rate.

Mexican police frequently complain of being outgunned by drug gangs. In some small towns, entire police forces have quit in terror following attacks on their colleagues.

On Tuesday, federal police fighting gunmen in the northern border city of Reynosa had to call the army for help. After the fighting, which left five gunmen dead and seven police injured, authorities seized several assault rifles and even a 60 mm mortar.

In a recent report, the federal Attorney General's Office said Mexican authorities have seized the most weapons from the Gulf drug cartel and its gang of hit men, known as the "Zetas." Members of the cartel have been found with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and weapons capable of piercing armor.

The article

The actual letter sent to Obama.

Even Carolyn "The shoulder thing that goes up" McCarthy got her signature in there..
----------------------------------------------------------

Comments to consider- (FYI- these are NOT my words, but I found this argument interesting) The following illustrates two issues which these 50 lawmakers fail to address.

1. Border Security

If we actually enforced our borders, the gun trafficking across the border would be drastically cut down. There is NO mention AT ALL of increased border security in the letter to Obama, just a ban on imported firearms.

2. Gun bans don't work

Mexico has VERY strict gun control laws, it is very difficult to obtain a permit to buy a firearm legally in the country. Even with the strict gun control, they are still having issues with firearms.. More gun control does not mean less gun violence.

Now.....
The comments about 90% of the mexican weapons coming from the United states..
The US is #2 in the world for small arms exports, second to Russia. It would make sense that the US, a country that supplies 30% of the worlds small arms annually, would be the source of most of the weapons in a bordering country.

Now you could blame the US background check process for the flow of guns.. straw purchases, etc.. The failure here is NOT the background checks and it's not that the US has too lax of a purchasing process for guns.. it's the fact that some asshole can fill his truck full of guns and make it across the border into mexico without being caught.

Drugs and weapons.. lock down the border.. and I mean.. Draw the line, post the guard, shoot to kill.. Lock down the border.


Your comments?????

Reynosa Narco Wars

Here is a brief article about the narco war outburst that happened a few days ago at the same time as the border protests... there are some photos and a video. The photos are graphic but the video is mostly the gunshots that were being fired.

http://guanabee.com/2009/02/narco-wars-5-dead-reynosa

yikes!

Thursday there were protests in three Mexican border cities: Juarez, NL, and Reynosa. In Reynosa it turned violent. Read about it here.

And here is a NYT story about the protests from that day.

Story about tourist relations in the area here and here (including the travel warning issued by the state department on Friday for Norther Mexico border cities.)

Kidnapping, Nuevo Laredo

Here is a story about a drug cartel related kidnapping in Nuevo Laredo that happened in December, 2009.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/American_kidnapped_business_torched.html

Federal government approves new Detroit-Windsor border crossing system

The federal government yesterday issued a long-awaited decision approving a new Detroit-Windsor border crossing system over the Detroit River. Following four years of clearance by US/Canadian governments the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study has jumped through all the hoops necessary to start building just north of "Zug Island." Construction of a new border inspection plaza, bridge and interchange is scheduled to begin in 2010, with an official opening of the new crossing system planned for 2013.

"The new border crossing system empowers Michigan's economic recovery and revitalization as evidenced by the broad business community support for the project," said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "In addition to fueling our economic engine and creating jobs, an expanded Detroit-Windsor border crossing system will benefit every traveler who relies on safe, efficient border crossings."

Boosts US/Canadian trade, increases border efficiency, and creates more jobs (10,000 during construction phase) during our economic crisis - sounds perfect...but who's paying? I'm assuming the US gov't, maybe partially both governments. It sounds like another 'bail out' to me (useful one at that) - government goes further in debt to save starving economy.

MDOT Article

nuevo! nuevo! nuevo!

To follow up on Matt's post here is a video of one of the bridges in Nuevo Laredo...

Marchers block US border to protest army presence

"CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – Hundreds of people blocked bridges to the United States in three border cities Tuesday, demanding the army leave in another challenge for the Mexican government as it struggles to quell escalating drug violence.

The protests in Ciudad Juarez blocked traffic for about two hours across three bridges connecting the city to El Paso, Texas. Similar protests broke out on bridges in the border cities of Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa. Demonstrators blocked city hall and a main avenue in the northern industrial city of Monterrey and roads in the Gulf state of Veracruz."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_violence

essay writing

I found this description of one person's entry into Nuevo Laredo here and thought it was pretty accurate and quite lovely.

Incidentally, this web site leads to KIVA, the micro-financing organization, which is pretty interesting. Check it out for ground-up ideas about commerce/building in regions with less access to typical bank funding. (Also in Luke's post...)

PALETAS

I found this article on Paleta's , the popsicles made with fruit that they had in Nuevo Laredo, thought I would share.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A177155

Some News

A few border related articles:


Global Trade = Global Prosperity
This one I thought was interesting, first because it pertains to our current global economical decline, and second because more global trade can be compared to NAFTA and its effects.

Arizona Fence: Pros and Cons
This article talks about how the new fence has affected the area.

100 Year Old Cuban Immigrant becomes Citizen
Just kinda fun. :)

Enjoy!

Migracorridos

Stephanie Fitton just shot me this link on BBC. The article is about US Government appropriation of corridos music to dissuade illegal immigration.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7879206.stm

you can stalk laredo...

I found Laredo and Nuevo Laredo's MYSPACE page... Laredo plagiarizes the City of Laredo's History page but has some interesting pictures and slide shows. Go friend them!


Laredo and Nuevo Laredo

Housing and Microfinance in Nuevo Laredo

http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/category/kiva-field-partners/fundacion-para-la-vivienda-progresiva-fvp/

An article on House construction in Nuevo Laredo. Just minute differences between the American Suburb and the Mexican Barrio. Enjoi.

Just a little background on... Marfa

The NY Times has a nice article about the art scene in that little place called Marfa. It also contains some info on just basic city activities, some of which I've posted. The piece on Donald Judd is worth some spare time however. Enjoy!


http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/travel/tmagazine/20TMARFA.html

The article contains gems of info like:


"Until fairly recently, Marfa was known for only two things: the Marfa Mystery Lights, which allegedly resemble headlights dancing in the night sky but have no known cause -- and which I am afraid I did not see; and the 1956 movie ''Giant,'' for which the town served as the setting for James Dean's last cinematic appearance. (Memorabilia commemorating both phenomena are widely available in town.) Things began to change in 1971, when the Minimalist artist Donald Judd sought a refuge from New York in more open Western territory and settled on Marfa as a congenial locale."

Our Hotel is described as:
"Thunderbird Hotel (432-729-4326). Just remodeled, it is the cutting edge of Marfa hipness. $79 to $105 a night. "

Finally, the dining options:

"Carmen's Cafe (432-729-3429). If you're lucky, when you go to breakfast the doughnuts will just be coming out of the fryer. Otherwise, console yourself with huevos rancheros. $8 for breakfast.Maiya's (432-729-4410). Could have been airlifted from South Beach. It has an excellent wine list and the most ambitious food in town. $50 a person.The Pizza Foundation (432-729-3377). The thin-crust pie may be the best food in Marfa. B.Y.O. wine or beer. $10 a person. "

We end with the peculiar image of Prada: Marfa.

Temporality and Maquiladoras

This little article begins to illuminate potential issues surrounding maquiladoras and the individuals occupying them.

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14511

Border Buildings

Interesting blog about border crossings and the ways that architects have chosen to represent the experience. It shows several projects that interpret it in different ways...whether it be building, bridge, etc.
http://blog.buildllc.com/2007/11/16/border-crossing-architecture/

US - Mexico Border RSS Feed

I put a RSS feed on the right side of the web page titled US - Mexico Border News Feed. It updates with articles about the border and immigration issues from the New York Times. Its right before the weather gadget.

High Resolution Maps

I found this while looking through the blog that Ayesha posted about but its a link to a bunch of high res maps of the border region. Might be useful later on.

Check out the other maps in their collections. There are a lot of really interesting ones and they are very accessible.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/us_mexico_border/index.html

“Guide For The Mexican Migrant”

I found the Mexican government's guide for crossing the border illegally. There is a color pdf and a black and white pdf. There is also a translation of the text that are all linked from my mfile.

COLOR PDF
B&W PDF
TRANSLATION

Addressing the Enviroment

This article from the NY Times talks about the plans to put money towards the environmental damage that the building of the fence caused. Environmental groups see the effort as too late. Plans are explained:

"That compensation could include modifying the fence to curb flooding and to accommodate threatened and endangered species or restoring their habitats, but officials have not worked out those details and it will vary depending on the area."

The most interesting part of this involves the prior government:

"The agreement between the two departments has been in the works since April, when the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, to the dismay of environmentalists and some scientists in the Interior Department, used his Congressionally authorized power to waive environmental laws to speed access to broad swaths of land."


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/us/17border.html?_r=1

Border Architecture

Another blog I found about the border fence and some architectural interventions.

http://borderwallasarchitecture.blogspot.com/

It has some interesting proposals and drawings.

money cutting short

Holland, MI -- The money sent home by Mexican migrants fell in 2008 for the first time on record, Mexico’s central bank said Tuesday, Jan. 27 — part of a global trend that could worsen as emigrants from developing countries lose jobs in the global financial crisis.

Many migrants living in the U.S. are trying to make ends meet, making it difficult to send money back to families in Mexico, said Lu Reyes, Lakeshore Latino Outreach Center volunteer and social worker.

“I don’t care how much you want to help, you have to take care of your own here — pay rent, buy food, the basics,” she said.

Reyes said people might be saving money until the economy improves.

Remittances, Mexico’s second-largest source of foreign income after oil, plunged 3.6 percent to $25 billion in 2008 compared to $26 billion for the previous year, the central bank said.

The percentage drop is nearly twice what the government had expected for the year, and central bank official Jesus Cervantes said the decline will likely continue this year.

Experts blame a crackdown on illegal immigration that has stemmed the flow of those heading north to seek work as well as the U.S. recession, in which many Mexicans, especially construction workers, have been laid off.

People have been leaving the country over the past few years, possibly contributing to less money headed back to Mexico, said Bert Jara, Latin Americans United for Progress executive director.

It was the first time remittances have fallen year-to-year since the bank started tracking the money 13 years ago.

Mexico is not alone: After several years of strong growth, remittance flows to developing countries around the world slowed in the third quarter of 2008. They are expected to drop even further this year in response to the global crisis, World Bank economist Dilip Ratha said Tuesday.

Global remittances that likely hit $283 billion in 2008 are expected to drop 0.9 percent in 2009, Ratha said. Remittances from some Arab countries could drop by 13 percent, he said.

“Remittances are the single strongest poverty-reduction tool that many countries have,” said Robert Meins of the Inter-American Development Bank. “This could translate into a great deal of hardship for a lot of people, which I think is underappreciated.”

In Mexico, reduced remittances are combining with a slide in exports to slow the economy, which is expected to stagnate or even contract this year. Mexico sends 80 percent of its exports to the United States.

“It’s definitely another sign that Mexico is receiving a shock from the U.S. recession through its trade ties to it, and we expect the economy to be in recession this year,” said Jimena Zuniga, an economist at Barclay’s Capital in New York.

Mexico receives the largest amount of remittances in Latin America and the third largest in the world, after India and China — where remittances have only slowed, but not dropped because they have many skilled professionals working abroad who haven’t been hit as hard, Ratha said.

— Staff writer Roel Garcia contributed to this article.

Background - my mom worked with this Lu Reyes

Designing for Guerilla Construction

This is a project by the firm ELEMENTAL in which they were commissioned to design a building that could accommodate 100 families but the project was designed in such a way that only so much was built while the rest was left to be requisitioned in the typical adhoc architecture of the shanty town. I think what is interesting about this project beyond the efficiency of the land use is that the building does not impede the vernacular act of architecture that normally would take place in the poorer urban areas of, in this case, the Chilian cities. The website has alot of interesting images and diagrams as well as videos.

Action Architecture

http://www.elementalchile.cl/category/vivienda/iquique/

On a lighter note.....

Obama's Immigration Reformation

• Barack Obama will secure our borders:

  Obama and Biden want to preserve the integrity of our borders. They support additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

• Improve our immigration system:

  Obama and Biden believe we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.

• Bring people out of the shadows:

  Obama and Biden support a system that requires undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Plan for Immigration

The Problem

Undocumented population is exploding: The number of undocumented immigrants in the country has increased more than 40 percent since 2000. Every year, more than a half-million people come illegally or illegally overstay their visas.

Immigration bureaucracy is broken: The immigration bureaucracy is broken and overwhelmed, forcing legal immigrants to wait years for applications.

Immigration raids are ineffective: Despite a sevenfold increase in recent years, immigration raids only netted 3,600 arrests in 2006 and have placed all the burdens of a broken system onto immigrant families.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan

Create Secure Borders

Obama and Biden want to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

Improve Our Immigration System

Obama and Biden believe we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.

Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally

Obama and Biden will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

Bring People Out of the Shadows

Obama and Biden support a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Work with Mexico

Obama and Biden believe we need to do more to promote economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration.

Barack Obama's Record

• Crack Down on Employers: Obama championed a proposal to create a system so employers can verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S.
• Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks.
• Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together.

you can see more at http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/

The Laredo Morning Times

Just happened to be browsing the Laredo Morning Times and I noticed some of the usual great morning stories. You know, like "Man gets killed for no reason type thing" "US gets blamed" :) .... But on a more positive note... I just wanted to post a link to the local paper because they have lots of more stories about whats going on in the city in case you care!! (But there really is such a story that exists.. (I'll post that below)

http://www.lmtonline.com/

http://www.lmtonline.com/articles/2009/01/27/news/doc497f07b4ef48e915792405.txt

Some helpful hints for our Travels!!

This website has a lot of information on what you can and cannot take into Mexico... tips for border crossing... and other random information about the city of Laredo! Enjoy!

http://www.ci.laredo.tx.us/LCVB/crossing.html

Border fence dispute brings Texas showdown

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/17/border.fence/index.html

This article is about a woman who will not allow the government to survey her property and put up a border fence on her land. The Secretary of Homeland Security thinks that the fence needs to be put up since parts of the Rio Grande are small enough to cross.

"On the banks of the river there is ample evidence that people do so. Piles of underwear lie discarded by swimmers after they make it across. The swimmers change into dry clothes they have carried across in plastic bags. Then they disappear into the United States."

Meanwhile, "Richard Cortez, the mayor of the border town of McAllen, Texas, believes hiring more Border Patrol agents, deepening the Rio Grande, and clearing its banks of tall vegetation would provide better border protection than the fence. Cortez calls the fence 'a multibillion-dollar speed bump,' which will slow, but not stop, illegal immigration. 'It is a false sense of security,' he said. 'America will not be safe. America will continue to waste resources on something that is not going to work.'"

Still, the Border Protection does not want to stop the construction of these fences.

Go to the article to watch a video of Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, talk about the civic responsibility to give up land.

Fronterizos

This essay speaks about fronterizos (borderlanders) and the ways in which Mexico is affected by U.S. products and culture verses the amount of "Mexicanness" it holds onto.

http://www.humanities-interactive.org/borderstudies/text/essay.htm

Are the Borders holy too?

Since I spent most of winter break in Israel, I cannot help but think of all the visual borders I felt during my journey. I remember with precision this one moment on a walk through Jerusalem. We paused on top of a mosque on the way to the Western Wall, and I noticed all around me religious and geographical symbols that for me manifest hatred of the State of Israel. In the context of this location, the people that belong to mosque itself, the Christian quarter to the right, and Jordan mountains to the left would rather that a Jewish state not exist here. There is no need for words or violent acts; these otherwise peaceful visuals are message enough. I wonder then what visual symbols, aside from written signs and gates, exist on the Mexican border.

The architecture surrounding the ancient gates of the city varies by the quarters. In this picture, the Jewish quarter is to the left and the Arabic quarter is to the right.

This is the Arabic quarter:

And the Jewish quarter:

The architecture in a small town Sfat (Safed) also speaks to the border once created between the Jewish and Arab communities. During the British rule of Palestine, in order to stop the fighting between these two groups, a certain stairway that runs through the town was set as the divide of where these two groups could reside. Today these stairs no longer mark any break in the city as Sfat has become one of the most peaceful cities in Israel.


One last example is the Syrian bunker I visited. During the 1973 Israel-Syrian War, Israelis hid in a bunker system that connected the two countries underground. Today it is used as a museum (the bunker is sealed off before you can get close to the border) with militaristic artwork outside it and this sign showing the directions of other cities around the world: (My camera died as we went inside the bunkers, but I can find a picture from a friend if anyone is interested.)
(It was cold)

http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/stable/pdfplus/215499.pdf
-Article on the twin cities that pop up along the US-Mexican Border

http://www.pro8news.com/news/local
-Laredo, Tx Local news station

Couldn't post the actual video at this site even though I know how now. But this is a pretty good video about the economic relationships between the two cities and how vital they are to both countries. Interview with the mayor of Laredo is good too.

http://borderstories.org/index.php/laredo-nuevo-laredo-los-dos-laredos.html

This one was also pretty entertaining. "Nestled in a deep bend in the Rio Grande, the Fort Brown Memorial Golf Course abuts the international boundary on three sides. Federal government plans to build a fence along the border could leave the course in a no man’s land between the barrier and the actual border."

http://www.borderstories.org/index.php/brownsville-golf.html

And last one for me today... This is an interesting project whose aim was to document two different sides to border crossing. Disposable cameras were given to those stopping illegal crossings as well as to the "crossers." It is called Border Film Project.

http://www.borderfilmproject.com/en/index.php

La importancia del Rio Grande a la gente y los peligrosos de agua sucio

As growth and development continue, both in the LRGB and in the watersheds above Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs, the need for water treatment to maintain adequate water quality is pressing. On both sides of the border, many people live in substandard housing. Poor water quality and lack of sewage and potable water, especially in Mexico and the colonias in Texas, have been linked to gastrointestinal diseases such as shigellosis, hepatitis A, cholera, and possibly birth defects such as anencephaly (Finley 1993). Toxic discharges have been documented downstream from population centers in the Lower basin and are most prevalent near the maquiladora industrial parks (assembly plants) (IBWC 1994; TNRCC 1994). As a result of the NAFTA Treaty and the environmental companion agreements between Mexico and the United States, construction of new water treatment facilities has received much attention in recent years. Important treatment plants are coming on line or are in the planning stage. EPA has invested much effort, including substantial financial funds, in helping Mexico to end conditions under which waste water from border communities is released with no or minimal treatment into the Rio Grande. EPA officials predict that most communities will be served by modern treatment facilities by 2010. To date, the two national as well as the various state governments in the region, have not given similar attention to the issue of secure water supply. We believe that this will become a critical concern in the LRGB in the next few years. If the current severe, prolonged drought continues, this may happen even faster.

http://www.harc.edu/Projects/Archive/RioGrandeBravo/Overview/

Border Crossing... Theme Park?

For $125, you can camp for two nights, and then have a midnight "border crossing" experience over a fake border.  Woo!

Border Crossing Theme Park | Viral | SPIKE.com

Brinco: "Jump"

Judi Werthein has created a high-top tennis shoe - a "crossing trainer" to help illegal immigrants cross the Mexio-US border.  The project originated through a cross-border arts exhibition called inSite, who commissioned Judi Werthein to design them.  The shoe is designed with a compass, flashlight, a map (on the sole) and Tylenol, all built-in, to help in any tricky situations.  Werthein has distributed them to many migrants planning to cross the border illegally, but if you want to buy a pair, you'll have to shell out $215.00 to get them out from under the glass display case in the San Diego shoe boutique, Blends.

"Werthein dismisses complaints that she is aiding and abetting illegal immigrants.  She argues she is just provoking an important discussion."

BBC Article

History of Violence

From Christine's Mom:

"This was interesting listening on my way to work this morning. Interesting time - I don't believe I have ever heard anything on the radio or tv about Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. I think I would rather have not known about the violence down there!"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99742620


From Christine:
Go read through this story. It speaks to the history of violence of Nuevo Laredo, which has been caused primarily by drug cartels. They say that conditions are getting better, but that five years ago, the gangs were in control of most things because of the threat they posed. If something didn't go the way they wanted (new chief of police, news coverage, etc.), they killed to solve the problem. This lead to a great decline in tourism. However, the war has slowed down/shifted to Juarez in recent years. In addition, a new mayor has made an effort to turn things around, through building public centers. He is most proud of his Estacion Palabra, which is an old train station turned literature center, that has had many visitors since it opened. In his mind, things are looking up.

Not your Mother's WWE

Becoming more and more interested in Nuevo Lardeo's passion for Lucha Libre wrestling, I wanted to post these two videos. One video gives everyone a taste of the sport, showing the agility and acrobatic beauty of the wrestlers and how their techniques contrast with American wrestlers seen within World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The other video interviews a former wrestler and teacher at a Lucha Libre school in Mexico City. It gives us a perception of the wrestler's intentions and agendas behind this underground sport. Hopefully we'll get to see a match or two while in Nuevo Laredo.

Sensacional de Lucha Libre



A Lesson in Lucha Libre

a relative border

So, My 13 year old brother has this best friend named Chris. His father is not a US citizen, but the rest of this family is. They have lived in Holland, Mi for Chris's entire life. Back in October his father went to Lansing to renew his visa and was deported on the spot. So over Christmas break, his family packed up their lives here and moved to Mexico. They moved to a border town so Chris could still go to school in the US. So this 13 year old boy crosses the US-Mexico border everyday to go to school. I have a gut feeling that they moved to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. I remember asking Chris before he left and am sure that the city he mentioned had two words and one of them was Nuevo. I think that it will be interesting to hear his families story and their feelings about borders, especilly the one that forced their family to move from their own country.

Corridos y Bailando

Corridos- a Mexican ballad or folksong about struggle against oppression and injustice.

"the Texas-Mexico border should be considered a prime candidate for the birth of the corrido. He is particularly interested in a special type of corrido that this border engendered, namely, the corrido of intercultural conflict. For Paredes, this corrido emerges as a major folkloric genre in the early period of Anglo-Mexican contact (from the 1850s on)"

The Texas-Mexican Conjunto
"As an expressive symbol, norteño music might well be considered the quintessence of border Mexican culture -- its soul, as it were. We are particularly interested here in the Texas Mexican variant of norteño music -- the conjunto, as it is called by the tejanos -- since this is the ensemble that was originally subjected to the most intense artistic elaboration."


Los Tigres del Norte are by far the most popular norteno band in northern mexico.


And here is a fun video if you yourself would like to practice duranguense before we leave!


Some other popular dances in Mexico (as well as the rest of latin america) are:
Cumbia

Bachata

Merengue

Salsa

and of course, reggaeton

US Border Patrol: Laredo, Texas

Here is a short video by Getty Images detailing the different tactics the Border Patrol in Laredo use to try to catch drug smugglers and illegal crossings at the border. They use speedboats and ground sensors along with others to stop the illegal activities.

It interesting to hear them talk about the effect of checking landings around the river as well as just the idea that they are able to use these boats to move quickly to scare off the trafficking. Also Laredo is #3 in the nation in seizures of marijuana.

Absolut Drinks to That....

I found this ad by Absolut vodka on a la times blog. Although the ad itself is very interesting and in my opinion farely clever, the more interesting thing was the reaction that it raised from the bloggers themselves. This is the link to the article.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2008/04/mexico-reconque.html

And here is a link to another blog where they have been discussing the ad itself.

blog

Oh and this ad was only intended for use in Mexico.

Wide Angle: The World's Most Complex Borders

A PBS broadcast of the show, Wide Angle, focuses in on what they call the "Worlds Most Complex Borders." The episode seems to focus in on the border patrol on the Botswana / Zimbabwe border. Although I have not found the full episode yet, I have embedded two short clips



Also, this link to the PBS website has a short info section for tense border situations around the world (US / Mexico included). Each synopsis includes information regarding:

-Start date
-Current total length
-Official purpose

Tex-Mex Ann Arbor

Tex Mex restaurants in Ann Arbor according to my iPod:

Tio's
Sabor Latino
Bandito's California Style Mexican
Full Moon

If anyone knows what is good, or some other restaurants that I might have missed post a comment.

commutation at the border

Upon leaving office, an outgoing president usually pardons and/or commutes multiple sentences of convicted criminals. The commutations usually happen in the last days of a presidency and are usually the types of crimes for which the outgoing president has some form of sympathy, political or otherwise. Today, former president Bush signed only two commutations. They were for a high profile case in El Paso for two Border Patrol agents who shot a fleeing border crosser (in possession of drugs). Read about it here.

Bridge Cams

I found a site off of the City of Laredo website that has eight webcams set up showing the four different international border crossing. Link



There isnt too much traffic late tonight but it seems that a bus it make the trip through. Im a bit intrigued as to why these are in place. Is it to allow people to watch our border and judge how good of a job the patrols are doing? or is it let people know how long of a wait they will have to cross the border? They seem to update every two minutes or so.


Also I'd like to add a little warning for our trip to Laredo...



Dont be that kitty.

Teddy Cruz

Teddy Cruz has done research pertaining to the border between San Diego and Tijuana. He draws a lot of interesting conclusions:

"We control access, and only insofar as it benefits the US. In reality, the wall is an anachronism; it is virtually powerless against the international connections and interests of a world emancipated by flows of information, technology, and hybrid identities belonging to a global community sans frontiers. This is the paradox of a world defined by geographies of contradiction, a world that wants to be simultaneously bordered and borderless."

http://www.aia.org/cod_lajolla_042404_teddycruz

Washington's B-Day!

Straight from Wikipedia...it looks like there's an annual month-long festival that's going to be going on when we get down to Laredo. Between Jan. 22nd and Feb. 22nd "The Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) is a month long event that celebrates George Washington's Birthday...The celebration includes parades, a carnival, an air show, fireworks, live concerts, and a city-wide prom during which many of Laredo's elite dress in very formal attire."


"The Taste of Laredo" - it happens to be two days after we leave this year, Feb. 12th :(

Found this movie called "Border" made in 2007 by Chris Burgard. Might be worth checking out. It is a documentary and Mr. Burgard did spend some time making the film in Laredo. Below is the synopsis. All the trailers are highly dramatic to stage the mood. Could be good. Also, to anyone, how do you upload youtube videos onto this?

At a time when America is in crisis, one man ventures to the southern border of Mexico in a big blue bus to discover the truth about illegal immigration. Filmmaker Chris Burgards movie is a striking and awakening vision of the true immigration story on our southern border. "Border" is a fresh and controversial documentary that takes a firsthand look at Americas failure to secure its borders and at regular citizens trying to take control again.

"Border" takes you on a journey from state to state and exposes a failed system and a failed policy who few dare to unveil. Burgards courageous journey includes powerful footage in the border crossing regions of America where dead bodies, armed Mexican military incursions, rape trees and drug traffickers are commonplace. Discover what it is like to feel like an American again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av7qVFFegUo