From the workshop in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, Erendira Guerrero makes teddy bears for the family and friends of COVID-19 victims in order to console them.

Mexican seamstress fills in void left by COVID-19 victims

From her workshop in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, Erendira Guerrero makes teddy bears for the family and friends of COVID-19 victims in order to console them. Using old clothes from loved ones, she stitches together the teddy bears to help people cope with losing loved ones during the pandemic.

From grief to comfort: Mexican seamstress fills in void left by COVID-19 victims

International diplomacy may be a balancing act, but the instalment of fluorescent pink seesaws on a section of the US Mexico border on Sunday showed it could be child's play. Children and adults from both sides of the divide played on the three seesaws, set up in Sunland Park in New Mexico. The seesaws were installed by Ronald Rael, a professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, with the support of Colectivo Chopeke in Ciudad Juarez, to connect both sides "as a recognition of the actions that happen in one side and have a direct impact on the other," Ronald wrote on his Instagram page.

Pink seesaws enable play across Mexico-US border

Ledy Perez clenched her hand, covering her face as she wept, an arm clutching her small 6-year-old son, who glared defiantly at the Mexican National Guard soldier blocking them from crossing into the United States. The plight of this mother and son who had traveled some 1,500 miles (2,410 km) from their home country of Guatemala to the border city of Ciudad Juarez, only to be stopped mere feet from the United States, was captured by Reuters photographer Jose Luis Gonzalez as twilight approached on Monday (July 22). One of several images Reuters published of the scene, it has thrown into the spotlight the role Mexico's militarized National Guard police force is playing in containing migration, mostly from Central America. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador created the National Guard to bring down record homicide rates, but almost a third of its members are now assigned to patrolling the border to placate President Donald Trump's demands of stemming the flow of U.S.-bound migrants. The soldier displayed no overt aggression during the nine-minute encounter with Perez and her son. Still, the power dynamics apparent in the image resonated with criticism of the treatment migrants are receiving during the clampdown by Mexico. Lopez Obrador's spokesman, Jesus Ramirez, said the image was an example of the National Guard doing its job of looking after public security. He said the soldier did not impede Perez from crossing but advised her of the dangers of doing so.

Tearful mother begs Mexican soldiers to let her enter U.S

Central American migrants in the border city of Ciudad Juarez on Monday were finding it more difficult to both enter the United States and to stay in Mexico as both countries have hardened immigration policy over recent months.

'They throw us in the streets' - migrants face hardened policies on both sides of US-Mexico border

The mayor of El Paso, Texas - Republican Dee Margo - said Monday that President Donald Trump made a mistake by linking building a frontier wall with a drop in crime in the border city.

"It's an incorrect reference," said Margo in an interview with EFE when asked about Trump's claim that before the building of a barrier along part of the US-Mexico border El Paso was one of the "most dangerous" cities in the country due to its "extremely high" rates of violence.

The Texas city, which has a population of about 700,000, has become the focus of national attention after Trump mentioned it in his prime time, nationally broadcast State of the Union address to Congress last week.

In contrast with its cross-border counterpart in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, El Paso never has been among the most dangerous cities in this country and before the wall was built in this area in 2008 it was - in fact - among the safest compared to other US urban areas of the same size.

"El Paso is one of the safest cities above 500,000 residents in the entire country," emphasized Margo a few hours before Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally there.

The mayor hailed the fact that the president was visiting her city, "even though it's a campaign event," because "if (Trump) wants to understand the border, he must come to El Paso."

Margo said that border security must be achieved using "advanced technology, more personnel and a physical barrier," although she added that the wall "cannot be continuous" due to geographical considerations.

"We're a sovereign country and we need to control and protect our border," the Republican mayor said.

Trump has made his campaign promise to build a border wall one of his priorities during the first two years of his term, and he has demanded that Congress provide funding to construct it, although originally he promised that Mexico would fully pay for it.

Democratic lawmakers, who now control the House of Representatives, have categorically refused to allocate budgetary funding to build the border barrier, and the inability of lawmakers to reach a compromise on the matter in Congress that Trump would accept resulted in the partial shutdown of the federal government for five weeks - from December 22 through January 25 - the longest such stretch in history.

The mayor of El Paso, Texas - Republican Dee Margo - said Monday that President Donald Trump made a mistake by linking building a frontier wall with a drop in crime in the border city.

The mayor of El Paso, Texas - Republican Dee Margo - said Monday that President Donald Trump made a mistake by linking building a frontier wall with a drop in crime in the border city. "It's an incorrect reference," said Margo in an interview with EFE when asked about Trump's claim that before the building of a barrier along part of the US-Mexico border El Paso was one of the "most dangerous" cities in the country due to its "extremely high" rates of violence. The Texas city, which has a population of about 700,000, has become the focus of national attention after Trump mentioned it in his prime time, nationally broadcast State of the Union address to Congress last week. In contrast with its cross-border counterpart in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, El Paso never has been among the most dangerous cities in this country and before the wall was built in this area in 2008 it was - in fact - among the safest compared to other US urban areas of the same size. "El Paso is one of the safest cities above 500,000 residents in the entire country," emphasized Margo a few hours before Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally there. The mayor hailed the fact that the president was visiting her city, "even though it's a campaign event," because "if (Trump) wants to understand the border, he must come to El Paso." Margo said that border security must be achieved using "advanced technology, more personnel and a physical barrier," although she added that the wall "cannot be continuous" due to geographical considerations. "We're a sovereign country and we need to control and protect our border," the Republican mayor said. Trump has made his campaign promise to build a border wall one of his priorities during the first two years of his term, and he has demanded that Congress provide funding to construct it, although originally he promised that Mexico would fully pay for it. Democratic lawmakers, who now control the House of Representatives, have categorically refused to allocate budgetary funding to build the border barrier, and the inability of lawmakers to reach a compromise on the matter in Congress that Trump would accept resulted in the partial shutdown of the federal government for five weeks - from December 22 through January 25 - the longest such stretch in history.

El Paso mayor criticises Trump for linking wall with drop in crime

Sergio Hernandez died at 15, shot dead by policeman Jesus Mesa. His would have been a story of American violence both tragic and banal if the victim had not been in Mexico and the shooter in the US.

The thorny legal question raised by the cross-border homicide heads to the US Supreme Court on Tuesday.

At issue is whether the teen&#39;s family has the constitutional right to sue Mesa, a Border Patrol agent, in US courts.

The Supreme Court takes up the case amid a deeply divisive national debate on President Donald Trump&#39;s vow to build a US wall on the border with Mexico to stem illegal immigration.

The shooting occurred June 7, 2010. Hernandez was playing around with three friends in the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande that separates the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez from its Texan neighbor El Paso.

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<h5>Mesa later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim</h5>
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The four friends were racing up the concrete embankment to touch the barbed-wire fence on the US side, and racing back down. The unmarked border line runs through the middle of the culvert.

Their game bothered Mesa, who was patrolling the area on bicycle. He shot Hernandez in the head, and the teen died just 60 feet (18 meters) from the border on Mexican soil.

The Border Patrol agent later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him.

Mesa left the scene without helping his victim, accompanied by colleagues who had come to give him back-up.

According to the family of the victim, the teen was shot while unarmed and presented no danger.

Angry Mexico 
The case sparked protests in Ciudad Juarez and a diplomatic mini-crisis between the neighboring countries, with Mexico&#39;s then-president Felipe Calderon demanding a &quot;profound and impartial&quot; investigation by the Obama administration.

The previous week, another Mexican teenager, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, had died after being beaten and shocked with a Taser by border police at the southwest crossing between Tijuana and the US city of San Diego.

It was in this context of repeated US official violence against Mexican nationals at the border that the parents of Hernandez decided to sue Mesa, accusing him of violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which bars unjustified deadly force.

Their lawsuit for unlawful use of lethal force also cites the Fifth Amendment, which among other provisions says that a life cannot be taken without the &quot;due process of law.&quot;

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ultimately upheld a decision to dismiss the case, stating that US courts had no jurisdiction since the victim was Mexican and died in Mexico.

&#39;Intolerable&#39; 
In the appeal, the New Orleans court decided that the complaint of unlawful use of lethal force could not be applied.

Rights group Amnesty International called the ruling &quot;intolerable&quot; and &quot;in violation of basic principles of international law.&quot;

According to Bob Hilliard, an attorney with Hilliard, Munoz, &amp; Gonzales, the firm representing the Hernandez family before the Supreme Court, US border patrols have fatally shot at least eight Mexicans between 2006 and 2016 in cross-border incidents.

&quot;Innocent Mexican nationals have been murdered with no ability to speak through the court system to the person who committed a crime,&quot; he said.

His partner, Jose Luis Munoz, pointed out the case has broad implications.

&quot;Beyond politics, this case is about humanity,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;Human worth is not determined by place of birth and justice is not determined by where a life ends -- especially a young life cut short when a US law enforcement agent, standing inside the US and governed by this country&#39;s constitutional constraints, pulls the trigger.&quot;

After lengthy hesitation, the Supreme Court decided last October to hear the case, which has gathered numerous arguments in support of the parties.

The US federal government is backing Mesa, warning that authorization of such lawsuits could &quot;significantly disrupt the ability of the political branches to respond to foreign situations involving&quot; US national interests.

The Mexican government has warned that blocking the case could damage US-Mexican relations.

&quot;Applying US law in this case would not interfere with operations of the Mexican government within Mexico,&quot; it said in a court brief.

&quot;On the contrary, providing an adequate and effective remedy would show appropriate respect for Mexico&#39;s sovereignty on its own territory and for the rights of its nationals.&quot;&#39;

(AFP)

Sergio Hernandez, 15, was playing around with friends on the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande which separates the two countries

Sergio Hernandez died at 15, shot dead by policeman Jesus Mesa. His would have been a story of American violence both tragic and banal if the victim had not been in Mexico and the shooter in the US. The thorny legal question raised by the cross-border homicide heads to the US Supreme Court on Tuesday. At issue is whether the teen's family has the constitutional right to sue Mesa, a Border Patrol agent, in US courts. The Supreme Court takes up the case amid a deeply divisive national debate on President Donald Trump's vow to build a US wall on the border with Mexico to stem illegal immigration. The shooting occurred June 7, 2010. Hernandez was playing around with three friends in the dry riverbed of the Rio Grande that separates the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez from its Texan neighbor El Paso. Mesa later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim × The four friends were racing up the concrete embankment to touch the barbed-wire fence on the US side, and racing back down. The unmarked border line runs through the middle of the culvert. Their game bothered Mesa, who was patrolling the area on bicycle. He shot Hernandez in the head, and the teen died just 60 feet (18 meters) from the border on Mexican soil. The Border Patrol agent later explained that Hernandez and his friends had refused to obey his order to stop the game and had thrown rocks at him. Mesa left the scene without helping his victim, accompanied by colleagues who had come to give him back-up. According to the family of the victim, the teen was shot while unarmed and presented no danger. Angry Mexico The case sparked protests in Ciudad Juarez and a diplomatic mini-crisis between the neighboring countries, with Mexico's then-president Felipe Calderon demanding a "profound and impartial" investigation by the Obama administration. The previous week, another Mexican teenager, Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, had died after being beaten and shocked with a Taser by border police at the southwest crossing between Tijuana and the US city of San Diego. It was in this context of repeated US official violence against Mexican nationals at the border that the parents of Hernandez decided to sue Mesa, accusing him of violating the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which bars unjustified deadly force. Their lawsuit for unlawful use of lethal force also cites the Fifth Amendment, which among other provisions says that a life cannot be taken without the "due process of law." The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ultimately upheld a decision to dismiss the case, stating that US courts had no jurisdiction since the victim was Mexican and died in Mexico. 'Intolerable' In the appeal, the New Orleans court decided that the complaint of unlawful use of lethal force could not be applied. Rights group Amnesty International called the ruling "intolerable" and "in violation of basic principles of international law." According to Bob Hilliard, an attorney with Hilliard, Munoz, & Gonzales, the firm representing the Hernandez family before the Supreme Court, US border patrols have fatally shot at least eight Mexicans between 2006 and 2016 in cross-border incidents. "Innocent Mexican nationals have been murdered with no ability to speak through the court system to the person who committed a crime," he said. His partner, Jose Luis Munoz, pointed out the case has broad implications. "Beyond politics, this case is about humanity," he told AFP. "Human worth is not determined by place of birth and justice is not determined by where a life ends -- especially a young life cut short when a US law enforcement agent, standing inside the US and governed by this country's constitutional constraints, pulls the trigger." After lengthy hesitation, the Supreme Court decided last October to hear the case, which has gathered numerous arguments in support of the parties. The US federal government is backing Mesa, warning that authorization of such lawsuits could "significantly disrupt the ability of the political branches to respond to foreign situations involving" US national interests. The Mexican government has warned that blocking the case could damage US-Mexican relations. "Applying US law in this case would not interfere with operations of the Mexican government within Mexico," it said in a court brief. "On the contrary, providing an adequate and effective remedy would show appropriate respect for Mexico's sovereignty on its own territory and for the rights of its nationals."' (AFP)

Teen playing on Mexico side of border shot by US cop, case now in Supreme Court

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