Members of group giving food, water to migrants convicted of misdemeanors (See how this affects pending legislation and border security for NM)

Four humanitarian aid volunteers were convicted of misdemeanor charges on Friday after leaving food and water for migrants crossing a remote wildlife refuge on the United States-Mexico border in 2017. Four other volunteers with the group No More Deaths are set to go on trial next month and in March over similar charges, the organization said. A ninth volunteer, Scott Warren, also faces felony harboring and concealment charges after allegedly providing food, water, beds and clean clothes to two undocumented immigrants last year. His trial is scheduled to begin in May. In Friday’s decision, United State District Court Judge Bernardo Velasco said the volunteers — Natalie Hoffman, Oona Holcomb, Madeline Huse and Zaachila Orozco — hadn’t obtained permits to enter the Cabeza Prieta Refuge and Wilderness Area or followed the Department of Interior’s rules while they were there...MORE

Of all the areas in Arizona along the border with Mexico, why would the humanitarians chose to put out food and water in the Cabeza Prieta Refuge and Wilderness Area?  Because that's the corridor the illegal immigrants are using to enter the United States. Why? Because 803,418 acres of this 860,000 acre wildlife refuge have been designated as Wilderness. No motorized vehicles or mechanical equipt. is allowed in Wilderness Areas. Which means? The Border Patrol cannot by law patrol these areas except on foot or horseback. Naturally, that is where the human and drug traffickers have the best chance at a successful entry. The Cartels in Mexico understand this. The humanitarians in the U.S understand this. However, NM's two US Senators apparently don't.

Recall this from 2010: 

Memo Reveals Refuge Officers' Struggle to Secure Lands Along Southwest Border

As the threat of violence stemming from illegal immigration hangs over federal lands in southern Arizona, an internal memo from 2007 reveals that refuge officers have been spending most of their time struggling to deal with border-related activities instead of protecting wildlife habitat. According to the memo, which was obtained by FOXNews.com, the Department of Interior warns that refuge officers are spending 100 percent of their time at Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife preserve and between 90 to 95 percent of their time in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and Leslie Canyon dealing with border-related activities. It also notes that the Cabeza Prieta preserve is spending 60 to 70 percent of its budget on border-related activities. This includes everything from apprehending illegal immigrants until Border Patrol can arrive, to cleaning up the mountains of trash -- about 500 tons a year -- that they leave behind. More than 1,300 miles of illegal trails had been created on the refuge by illegal border-crossers, the memo says. In 2006, more than 95,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended on or near refuge lands, the memo says. A spokesman for Border Patrol declined to comment, saying it wouldn't be "prudent to give comment on a three-year-old memo." But T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Council, the union for Border Patrol agents, told FoxNews.com that the substance of the memo didn't surprise him. "Obviously, the impact of that policy is severe on our operations," he said. "When you can't drive in those areas, it makes it impossible to patrol and enforce the law, and it transforms it into a sanctuary for illegal aliens."...more

Recall this, also from 2010: 

Hundreds attend congressional field hearing about wilderness areas

In all, about 600 people showed up for the three-hour hearing, hosted by New Mexico Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, both Democrats. The unexpectedly high turnout forced New Mexico State University officials to open an additional room at the Corbett Center Student Union to accommodate the crowd. The two lawmakers last year introduced Senate Bill 1689, which would create 259,000 acres of wilderness - the most-restrictive land-use designation - along with 100,850 acres of national conservation area, a more flexible designation,in Doña Ana County. U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., also attended Monday. Only invited panelists from the community were allowed to testify in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. Backers of the legislation say it's needed to give the highest level of protection to scenic areas and enhance quality of life in the region. Opponents say they're concerned it would curtail access to the lands and hinder ranchers' livelihoods. The crowd's opinions Monday were split. Proponents, many of whom were rallied by the local New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, wore stickers indicating their backing of the measure, while a number opponents sported Las Cruces TEA Party shirts...read more

The most prominent issue then, as it is now, was border security: 

John Hummer, Greater Las Cruces Chamber of CommerceThroughout this debate, the reference to the 2006 MOU has been held out to solve access problems for the Border Patrol. In testimony to Congress this past summer, none other than Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, discounted that contention. In Napolitano’s letter dated October 2, 2009 to the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, two major points were revealed. First, Ms. Napolitano wrote, “While the USBP recognized the importance and value of wilderness area designations, they can have a significant impact on USBP operations . . .” Secondly, her report revealed the failings of the 2006 MOU in practice in the field. She wrote in reference to the document, “. . . along the southwest border it (the MOU) can be detrimental to the most effective accomplishment of the (USBP) mission.” The fact remains, that when Federal Wilderness is designated, full Border Patrol authority and access is terminated. That is unacceptable in this county.

The federal lands package that failed at the end of the last Congress has been reintroduced as S. 47. It includes Udall & Heinrich's legislation to create 12 new Wilderness areas in NM, 10 of which are in Dona Ana County, with one of the largest sitting just 5 miles from our border with Mexico.

That legislation is on the fast track, so the key question now is what is President Trump's position on legislating these virtual sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, where federal, state and local law enforcement are prevented from fulfilling their duties?  If the President is willing to shut down the entire government over the crisis we face on the border and his strong belief in national security, would he then turn around and sign legislation that hamstrings the Border Patrol and other law enforcement entities from protecting the health and safety of our citizens?

I understand there is bipartisan support for this 680 page bill. However, President Trump should advise Congress that 9 of those Wilderness areas in Dona Ana County should be stricken from the legislation or he will veto. Let the proposed Wilderness Area in the Organ Mountains stand. There is a lot of local support for that part of the legislation and those areas pose little if any impact on border security issues. But he should insist the other 9 areas be removed  or he will not sign the legislation. Signing the legislation as is would be totally inconsistent with his current efforts to shore up border security and protect our sovereignty and safety.

Brian Steed, Deputy Director for Policy and Programs at the BLM, had previously testified on the southern NM portions of this bill that “we believe it is not the appropriate time to permanently encumber Federal borderlands with restrictive designations."

We agree and genuinely hope that President Trump does also.