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No More Deaths volunteers Dan Millis, Katie Resendic, Micah McCoy and Dave Andrew map a patrol through the Arizona desert in search of migrants in distress.

“The verdict is in,” said Laura Ilardo of No More Deaths in an e-mail, “and is more evidence that our system is broken.”

The Arizona Daily Star reported that Millis had been facing up to six months in jail and up to $5,000 in fines if found guilty. But he apparently will not be sentenced for his violation, nor will he have to pay the $175 fine that normally accompanies a littering citation at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. The punishment for the federal littering offense amounts to a $150 fine and a $25 processing fee, but Millis had refused to pay that fine, opting for a trial instead.

“When we criminalize human rights workers and reward CEO’s and corporations that bankrupt our country; when we punish someone for offering life-saving water and praise another for bringing fear, hate and terror into neighborhoods; when we criminalize the work of the ‘good Samaritan’ and legalize abuses by Border Patrol, ICE and DHS…our system is broken,” Ilardo said.

“Sometimes it feels like we’re fighting an uphill battle. Now more than ever, we need to work and fight for justice, despite the apparent odds,” she said. “Please get involved. Please continue to tell the story of the border, protest, call out for justice and demand an end to this hypocrisy.”

Visit the No More Deaths Web site for more information.

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