Humanitarian Award to No More Deaths Duo

This is great news, especially for those of us who seek to bring the human rights aspect of immigration reform to the forefront of the debate.

Two young humanitarian volunteers cleared of human-smuggling charges have won a human rights award for their work aiding distressed migrants along the Arizona-Mexico border.

Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss, along with the humanitarian group No More Deaths, will receive the Oscar Romero Award for Human Rights at a ceremony in Houston on April 22.

Sellz, 24, and Strauss, 25, were arrested July 9, 2005, while driving three illegal immigrants from the desert near Arivaca to a temporary health clinic at a church in Tucson. If convicted, the two could have faced a 15-year sentence and $500,000 fine.

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The award is being given by the Rothko Chapel out of Houston, Texas which has this to say about their mission:

For the last 32 years, the Chapel has provided diverse programs to engage audiences intellectually, artistically, and spiritually. This institution has distinguished itself by addressing issues and concerns before they were generally recognized and popularized. The Chapel has stressed the importance of human rights by issuing awards to exceptional individuals or groups of people not generally well known, who have distinguished themselves by their courage and integrity.

Congratulations to Shanti and Daniel, as well as the entire No More Deaths organization, for this opportunity to promote your mission of human rights. Through the telling of the stories, the humanity and desperation of immigrant economic refugees is not lost in the din of today's political discourse.