Border Network for Human Rights
Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) is a left-of-center advocacy organization that supports increased immigration and expanded legal protections for immigrants. It was founded as the Border Rights Coalition in the early 1990s with support from the American Friends Service Committee, 1 a left-of-center, Quaker-related organization that supports left-of-center policy on immigration, criminal justice, and economic issues. 2
Contents
Activity
Border Network for Human Rights was a plaintiff in litigation against the construction of the wall along the U.S. southern border proposed by former President Donald Trump. BNHR runs events called “Hugs Not Walls” that bring together families and friends separated by the border for a few minutes in the middle of the Rio Grande River, which separates Mexico and Texas. 3
In August 2019, BNHR organized a petition signed by 17,000 people asking then-President Trump not to visit El Paso, Texas until he atoned for his purported “hate” directed to immigrants, rescinded his administration’s border policies, and enacted gun control. 4
In April 2021, BNHR was involved in a march through the streets of downtown El Paso for the “We Are The 11 Million” campaign, the largest in-person mobilization of activists for immigration reform since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 5 BNHR runs an annual abuse documentation campaign in El Paso, where activists visit immigrant neighborhoods to document evidence of police misconduct or harassment. 6
Lawsuit
Represented by Protect Democracy, BNHR and El Paso County filed a lawsuit against then-President Trump over his declaration of a national emergency to fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall, asserting that the declaration violates numerous provisions of the Constitution and federal law. 7
Embezzlement Allegations
In 2020, Carlos Spector, a former BNHR board president and immigration attorney, and other former employees accused executive director Fernando Garcia of embezzlement. Spector made these claims in a letter that was sent to BNHR’s major funders, including the Ford Foundation, which had provided BNHR with grants totaling to $3.14 million since 2003. 3
In the letter, Spector alleged that Garcia received cash or checks to pay for trips to Mexico and then charged those expenses to a BNHR credit card. Spector also claims that in February 2019, Garcia had opened three bank accounts that held more than $500,000 without board authorization and named himself as the sole signatory. Spector alleged that these actions were facilitated by Garcia’s manipulation of the organization’s board. 8
People
Fernando Garcia is the executive director 9 and a non-voting board member of the Border Network for Human Rights. 10
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,296,397 | $1,305,476 | $1,753,759 | View |
| 2023 | $1,745,706 | $1,598,773 | $1,515,624 | View |
| 2022 | $1,546,901 | $1,600,487 | $1,382,746 | View |
| 2021 | $1,331,071 | $1,530,448 | $1,246,792 | View |
| 2020 | $1,040,188 | $1,106,122 | $796,082 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 12
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Fernando Garcia | Executive Director | $167,208 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $17,237,026
- Number of Grants: 137
- Number of Funders: 44
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years: