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

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then-President Trump not to visit El Paso, Texas until he atoned for his purported “hate” directed to immigrants, rescinded his administration’s border policies, and enacted gun control.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. ⁸

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. ⁹

People

Fernando Garcia is the executive director ¹⁰ and a non-voting board member of the Border Network for Human Rights. ¹¹

1. “History.” Border Network for Human Rights. Accessed December 11, 2021. https://bnhr.org/about/history/.
2. “Join the Call to #FreeThemAll.” American Friends Service Committee, April 16, 2021. https://www.afsc.org/FreeThemAll.
3. Villagran, Lauren. “Border Network for Human Rights Director Fernando Garcia Accused of Financial Malfeasance.” El Paso Times. Last modified January 31, 2020. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/01/31/border-network-for-human-rights-director-fernando-garcia-embezzlement-allegations/2860413001/.
4. “Border Network For Human Rights: ‘Don’t Come to El Paso Until You Atone for Your Hate.’” KRWG. Last modified August 6, 2019. https://www.krwg.org/post/border-network-human-rights-don-t-come-el-paso-until-you-atone-your-hate.
5. Martinez, Aaron E. “Hundreds of Activists March for Immigration Reform in El Paso.” El Paso Times. Last modified April 10, 2021. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2021/04/10/border-network-human-rights-marches-immigration-reform/7174113002/.
6.  Resendiz, Julian. “Civil Rights Advocates Looking for Victims of Police Abuse in Immigrant Communities.” BorderReport. Last modified October 7, 2021. https://www.borderreport.com/news/top-stories/civil-rights-advocates-looking-for-victims-of-police-abuse-in-immigrant-communities/.
7. “El Paso County v. Trump (National Emergency).” Protect Democracy. Last modified February 11, 2021. https://protectdemocracy.org/project/el-paso-county-v-trump/.
8. Villagran, Lauren. “Border Network for Human Rights Director Fernando Garcia Accused of Financial Malfeasance.” El Paso Times. Last modified January 31, 2020. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/01/31/border-network-for-human-rights-director-fernando-garcia-embezzlement-allegations/2860413001/.
9. Villagran, Lauren, and El P. Times. “Border Network for Human Rights Director Fernando Garcia Accused of Financial Malfeasance.” El Paso Times. Last modified January 31, 2020. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2020/01/31/border-network-for-human-rights-director-fernando-garcia-embezzlement-allegations/2860413001/.
10. “BNHR Staff.” Border Network for Human Rights. Accessed December 11, 2021. https://bnhr.org/about/staff/.
11. “Board of Directors.” Border Network for Human Rights. Accessed December 11, 2021. https://bnhr.org/about/board-of-directors/.