October 11, 2002

President George W Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001

Dear President Bush:

We are writing to express our deep concerns and outrage regarding the current and proposed policies of the U.S. Government in regards to the U.S. - Mexico border. The communities along the border are under tremendous pressure environmentally, economically and militarily. These pressures have intensified in the past year. We understand your administration's concerns regarding national security in light of the events of September 11th, 2001. However, we strongly believe that an open border with a friendly neighbor provides for greater national security. We strongly oppose current tendencies towards sealing the border militarily! This will lead to greater repression of communities on both sides.

The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice is a coalition of over 50 multi-racial, multi-issue people of color organizations in the environmental and economic justice movement in the West and Southwest United States and in northern Mexico. This regional and bi-national network exists to help the affiliated grassroots people of color organizations to collectively impact local, state, regional, national and global environmental and economic justice policies and practices.

The militarization of the border and trade policies over the past several decades have created an environment of terror, hostility, and death in the region. Millions of Mexican people have become landless as a result of the failed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), forcing them to seek employment in the border region or the United States.

Many have been brutally murdered crossing the border at the hands of the U.S. Border Patrol or vigilantes. Many others have died from the harsh environment.

Trade agreements such as NAFTA, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) provide for the free movement of capital across national borders. Workers should have the same rights of freedom and access.

As we have proved with NAFTA, the FTAA will also likely result in further displacement of people from their lands throughout Latin America creating even more migration throughout the hemisphere. Furthermore, the institutions established through side agreements to NAFTA have proven to be failures after seven years of existence. By all measurements, including equity between countries and within countries; relative wage disparities; spread of hunger, and environmental degradation, economic globalization has failed dismally to live up to its advertising. These institutions, in particular the North American Development Bank (NADBank) and the Border Environmental Commission (BEC), have failed miserably. We call on you to exercise your leadership to reform these bodies, incorporating broad-based public input so that they meet their mandates.

FTAA is modeled after the failed trade model of NAFTA and we strongly demand you to reject this agreement and require that new agreements guarantee human rights, worker rights, indigenous sovereignty and a healthy, sustainable environment and economy. We strongly demand you to reject Fast Track authority as a process for Congressional decision-making on trade agreements.

Many people are waiting anxiously anticipating the conclusions of the dialogue that was begun between you and Mexican President Vicente Fox prior to September 11th , 2001. We ask that the dialogue be renewed and that you revisit the question of status for Mexican immigrants as well as our other concerns described above.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Richard Moore, Executive Director

Susana Almanza, Co-Chair Coordinating Council Austin, Texas

Ché López, Co-Chair Coordinating Council San Antonio, Texas

Teresa Leal, Co- Chair Coordinating Council Representative Nogales, Arizona

Geri Almanza Coordinating Council Representative San Francisco, California

Robin Cannon, Coordinating Council Representative Los Angeles, California

María I. Catalán Coordinating Council Representaticve Hollister, California

Sandra Mejia Soto, Coordinating Council Representative Matamoros, Coahuila, Mexico

Jesús Emiliano Garcia Coordinating Council Representative Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico

Martha Rocha, Coordinating Council Representative Baja, California, Mexico

Carletta Garcia, Native American Representative Acoma, New Mexico

José Matus, Native American Representative Tucson, Arizona

Liliana Gonzales, Coordinating Council Youth Representative San Francisco, California

Cipriana Jurado, Campaign Chair Border/Worker Justice Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Petra Mata Campaign Chair Border/Worker Justice San Antonio, Texas