Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

September 19, 2010

Coopted by Homeland Security: Native Americans call for boycott of the University of Arizona

The University of Arizona in Tucson is funded and coopted by Homeland Security as abuse of Indigenous Peoples continues at the border

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

TUCSON -- Native Americans are calling for a boycott of the University of Arizona for profiteering at the border, as the university continues to be funded and coopted by Homeland Security. The University of Arizona's most recent cash from the militarization of the border comes in the form of $500,000 to evaluate the effectiveness of Border Patrol checkpoints and their impact on nearby communities.
Native Americans say the US military, federal agents and US spy operations have no place on university campuses.
The University of Arizona's National Center for Border Security and Immigration opened in September of 2008 with funding from the Department of Homeland Security. The operation is co-led by the UA and the University of Texas-El Paso, which will also get $500,000 to study checkpoints.
The US has already reported that the checkpoints have not proven to be efficient or effective. The militarization of the border has resulted in the increased targeting of people of color by border agents, including Native Americans who live in their homelands.
The border hysteria and new passport laws means that Indigenous Peoples are subjected to abuse from border agents and police as they travel in their homelands, from the Kumeyaay in Calif., to the Cocopah and Tohono O'odham in Arizona and the Ysleta del Sur and Lipan Apache in Texas. Yaqui, O'otham, Apache and Yavapai also have communities in the US and Mexico and are subjected to abuse by border agents during family visits and while traveling to ceremonies.
The latest funding comes as the University of Arizona continuous to engage in global cyber spy activity, increases the climate of racism by targeting people of color during classroom spy instruction, receives Department of Defense funding, and increasingly has Homeland Security agents on campus.

Previous article: The University of Arizona just got a lot creepier
Classroom spy training targets people of color as university celebrates its global cyber spy:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2010/05/university-of-arizona-just-got-lot.html

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