Border Patrol arrests man who gave aid to immigrants crossing the desert

An Arizona man was reportedly arrested last week on a federal harboring charge after Border Patrol agents surveilled a building near the Mexico border where food, water and clean clothes were provided to immigrants.

Scott Daniel Warren, an instructor at Arizona State University and a volunteer for immigrant aid group “No More Deaths,” was arrested just hours after the group released videos showing Border Patrol agents kicking over bottles of water that had been left for immigrants crossing the desert, according to The Associated Press.

Another volunteer for the group told the AP that it was “suspicious” for Warren to be charged so soon after the group released the videos.

A spokesperson for Arizona State University said that Warren, who teaches an online environmental studies course, was not acting in his capacity as an ASU employee at the time of the incident.

{mosads}“We have no reason to believe it will impact his ability to fulfill his current duty with the university,” the spokesperson said.

Border Patrol did not respond to the AP’s request for comment.

This arrest comes as discussions on immigration are heating up in Washington. A three-day government shutdown ended after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promised Democrats that if they approved a short-term funding bill, the Senate would take up legislation to protect certain young immigrants from deportation.

President Trump and congressional Republicans have maintained that a bill to protect “Dreamers” must include further protections against illegal immigration, including heightened border security and a border wall with Mexico.