This summer, the News21 program at ASU released a startling report about issues facing illegal immigrants crossing the U.S./Mexico border.
One of the reports focused on the disconcerting trend of “rape trees,” which are trees on which human traffickers and drug cartels hang the undergarments of women they’ve raped.
Some illegal immigrants hire drug cartels or human traffickers, also called “coyotes,” to help them cross the border. These immigrants pay a hefty fee for the coyotes’ services, but some expect more. According to the reports, coyotes often rape women and young girls during their voyage to the U.S., and as a token of their victory, contribute to rape trees.
Pictures of the trees in Southern Arizona are a stark depiction of these horrific crimes. YouTube videos on this subject show several photos of bras and underwear of children as young as 12 or 13.
According to a report by Amnesty International, six out of 10 migrant women who cross the border will be sexually assaulted.
The United Nations came out with a similar report, announcing that up to 70 percent of women crossing the border without husbands or families are abused.
Many of these crimes go unreported because women fear deportation if they tell officials once they reach safety. Even when women are picked up by Border Patrol, they rarely report any sexual abuse.
Rupert Knox, a researcher at Amnesty International, said, “Migrants in Mexico are facing a major human rights crisis, leaving them with virtually no access to justice.”
The first step to fixing this problem is starting legislative reform to allow immigrant women access to legal recourse. If women are able to report crimes without fear of deportation, more women will come forward. Granted, it may take years before justice can be served, but that is not a reason to postpone reform.
Sadly, many citizens, even Arizonans, do not know about the cruelties that some illegal immigrant women face when crossing the border. Media coverage focuses on other immigration issues, leaving the exploitation of these women almost completely unknown.
Essentially, this issue is not about immigration. It is about an injustice occurring on American soil every day.
No woman or child should ever have to experience such a horrific crime. At the very least, these women and children deserve the right to report the crime and prevent it from happening again.
Rape along the border has been an issue for well over two years, and little has been done to stop it. Lawmakers and politicians need to address this issue immediately.
Another important step to ensure justice along the border is to publish the stories of women who are sexually assaulted. We need to inform Americans and lawmakers about this human rights issue and encourage action.
Individuals who cannot separate the legal side from the human rights issue should put their differences aside. This is not about politics. This is not about immigration. This is not about Democrats or Republicans. This is about a horrible crime being committed.
This is about a tree of shame growing in the desert.
Contact Emilie at eeeaton@asu.edu
