Brisenia Flores would be 16 this year—my youngest brother’s age. Except seven years ago on May 30, as she slept with her puppy on the living room couch in her family’s mobile home in Arivaca—about 60 miles south of Tucson—armed robbers broke in, and shot and killed Brisenia and her father, Raul, 29.
The home invasion was led by Shawna Forde, a former member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, and founding member of the group Minutemen American Defense. Reports say she’d patrol the Arizona-México borderlands carrying weapons and protested against crime along the border, as well as the presence of undocumented immigrants in the country. Forde was reportedly kicked out of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps because she was “unstable.” (Describing both groups as white supremacists is not far fetched.)
Forde and her two accomplices claimed to be law enforcement, which is how they were able to enter the Flores’ home.
The day of the murder, as a CNN article from 2011 describes, Brisenia, Raul and mom Gina Gonzales went shopping for new shoes for Brisenia. She had just finished third grade and needed them for summer camp.
She fell asleep watching television as her parents slept in their bedroom. A few hours later, she opened her eyes to the sight of her father, lying on the opposite couch. He had been shot in the chest and was choking on his own blood. Her mother was bleeding on the floor, a gunshot wound to her leg. The little girl was startled and cried out to intruders in her home, “Why did you shoot my mom?”
Brisenia’s mom, Gina, cried and described the events in court back in 2011. She made it out alive seven years ago yesterday, after being shot in the leg. She called 911 and got a hold of her husband’s gun.
“[Brisenia] was really scared. Her voice was shacking,” Gina said in court, according to CNN. “I can hear her say, ‘Please don’t shoot me.'”
Forde and two accomplices, Jason Bush—at the time the national director of operations for the Minutemen American Defense—and Albert Gaxiola planned to raid the home to steal drugs, weapons and money to fund their anti-immigration group, according to CNN. Reportedly, they thought Raul was a drug dealer. No drugs were found.
On Feb. 22, 2011, a jury found Forde guilty of first-degree murder and gave her the death penalty.
(As this question will arise when debating whether their deaths matter: yes, Brisenia and Raul were U.S. citizens, and so is Gina. And if they weren’t, Brisenia’s and Raul’s murders still matter.)
CNN was the sole national TV media outlet that covered the murder, and a 2011 Huffington Post write-up says they did it mediocrely. MSNBC and Fox mostly ignored the case. There were a couple of articles here and there, including by the Arizona Daily Star and the LA Times.
The Huffington Post write-up by Raul A. Reyes compares Brisenia’s murder with the death of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was killed in Tucson’s Jan. 8, 2011 shooting—an attack against former congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
Christina was eulogized in President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address as her family sat with the First Lady.
All cases like Brisenia’s and Christina’s—two beautiful little girls who should of had decades more of laughter, birthday parties and family holidays—deserve unconditional attention, as well as local, national and international mourning. They were elementary school children murdered in cold blood.
No life is greater than the other, whether you come from a middle-class, white family or a Latino family getting by, living in a mobile home.
As Reyes writes,
Brisenia should matter because she died as a result of anti-illegal immigration extremism. Shawna Forde was not a lone nutcase; she was “well-placed in the border security movement,” according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Forde led protests and patrols on the border, and appeared on television as a spokesperson for the Federation For American Immigration Reform (FAIR). She was in email contact with Jim Gilchrist, cofounder of the Minuteman Project, until the day she was arrested. Unlike Jared Loughner, implicated in the Tucson tragedy, Forde was indeed motivated by political beliefs. She heard all the ugly rhetoric and decided to act on it.
I’m saddened by the indifferent response to Brisenia’s death. While Forde is a disturbed individual, she was part of a nativist movement that deserves further scrutiny. Her radicalism was Made in the USA. That’s the “big story” much of the media missed – as well as its deadly consequences.
Rest in peace, Brisenia. There are people who do care.
Editor’s note: According to the Huffington Post, a FAIR spokesperson contacted them after the 2011 blog was published, saying Shawna Forde misrepresented herself in her TV appearance, and has never had any association with FAIR.
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 1, 2016.
It should be mentioned that the trigger was pulled by Jason Bush (on death row right now) and that the FBI knew that this vigilante group was planning on invading the Flores home but failed to notify local law enforcement. A civil case filed by Mrs. Flores against the FBI was denied but I think it may appealed.
Just some additional info that I think should be included.
No mention of the 25% of Federal Prisoners, Prison Gangs, street crime, murders, rapes by illegal immigrants. These are also known to the authorities and sanctuary cities, like Tucson, and the Obama Administration and the open borders appeasers like the Writer, make no mention of them either!
Joe Bloom, Would you read an article about cooking fried chicken and complain afterwards that the author didn’t address the finer points of grilling fish? Because that is essentially what you are doing.
The two items are peripherally related, but only one is the subject at hand.
You, my friend, are the troll, and a very poor troll at that.
I remember the whole thing. There is no indication the murder was anything more than a murder by a crazy person and had nothing to do with politics.
If the point the author is so indelicately trying to make is that advocates of reducing immigration are extreme and bad because of the actions of this one crazy person then Obama must be a Communist because he hung out with one in college (another stupid argument I hear from those on the right).
I completely agree with the writer, thank you Maria for this article. Lest we not forget Brisena, and lets not forget that there is a great issue in our country of CLASS DISTINCTION. This tragedy is a prime example of how the media can make or break what is brought to the table for discussion.
Kate Steinle was murdered as a direct result of liberal open border advocates by one of their ‘chosen’ ones. But, she was white and American. Will this blogger remember her on July 1?
It’s totally disgusting how the blogger exploits the tragedy of this young girl to twist anti-illegal into anti-immigrant and with a broad brush try to paint those that believe in the rule of law as racists.
Clearly this blogger has a chip on her shoulder against white Americans but in this cesspool of white guilt called Tucson, she’ll be praised.
Tucson has always been an accepting city. There has always been an energy of love for nature, not over building and respecting others rights to their pursuit of happiness. I’d suggest you move to Phoenix. We do not condone self appointed “militia” groups and focused hate. I view this as a liking of peace. If this is liberal, peace you know, so be it.
I’m saddened that Luis Gutierrez said the murder of Kate Steinle by an oft-deported Illegal Aline protected by the Sanctuary City of San Francisco is “a little thing.” I’m saddened that Obama never consoled or apologized to her family nor even mentioned her murder.
Here’s what Law Enforcement really think of Obama’s “Priorities” of deporting Illegal Aliens Criminals:
http://www.sheriffs.org/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/GovAffairs/NSA%20CIR%202013%20FINAL.pdf
National Sheriffs’ Association Position Paper on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The National Sheriffs’ Association’s press release reaffirmed organization’s stance articulated in its 2013 position paper on immigration policy. (Id.)In the paper, the Association advocated for effective and efficient securing of the border, enforcement of the immigration laws currently on the books, requiring information sharing between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials, withholding federal reimbursement money from jurisdictions who refuse to cooperate with immigration officials, and strengthening employer verification requirements, among other things. (National Sheriff’s Association, Jun. 25, 2013) The paper concluded, “The National Sheriffs’ Association strongly opposes outright amnesty for those individuals currently here illegally. Amnesty does not work. When granted in 1986, it did little to stop the flow of illegal individuals from coming across the borders and, in fact, contributed to thousands of fraudulent applications for amnesty.”
http://c3.nrostatic.com/sites/default/files/SheriffsAgainstAmnesty.pdf
Bristol County, Massachusetts Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson
“No longer can we sit idle while the inaction of our Federal Government marginalizes our ability to preserve public safety, enforce our laws, and protect the Constitutional rights of all who legitimately reside and work in our communities.”
http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/sacramento-sheriff-criticizes-obama-on-immigration/29851418
Sacramento sheriff criticizes Obama on immigration
“Jones vowed to crusade against illegal immigration after the shooting rampage last month by a Mexican man with a long criminal history who was in the country illegally.”
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2015/07/03/breaking-pier-14-murder-suspect-had-been-deported-5-times-with-7-felonies/
BREAKING: Pier 14 Murder Suspect Had Been Deported 5 Times with 7 Felonies
“Five-time deportee and seven-time convicted felon Francisco Sanchez has been jailed on suspicion of shooting and killing 31-year-old Kathryn Steinle Wednesday evening while taking photos with her father at Pier 14 in San Francisco, California. Sanchez was freed after the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department refused to honor a request by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain him, following a policy adopted in 2014. He was arrested soon after the shooting.”
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2015/03/20/by-the-way-ice-just-released-thousands-more-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-onto-american-streets-n1973552?utm_source=TopBreakingNewsCarousel&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=BreakingNewsCarousel
By The Way, Ice Just Release 30,558 More Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Onto American Streets
http://cis.org/ICE-Document-Details-36000-Criminal-Aliens-Release-in-2013
ICE Document Details 36,000 Criminal Alien Releases in 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/22/immigration-detainees-released-criminal-records/17714925/
U.S. misinformed Congress, public on immigrant release
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/202142-dhs-document-68000-illegal-immigrants-with-criminal-convictions-released-in
DHS document: 68,000 illegal immigrants with criminal convictions released in 2013
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/17/thousands-of-illegal-immigrants-released-including-3000-with-felony-charges-or-convictions/
Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Released — Including 3,000 With Felony Charges or Convictions
Obama administration finally admits that Sanctuary Cities are a problem:
http://culberson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/doj_february_23_letter.pdf
But, within the above letter, doesn’t really address what the Obama administration will actually do about it to protect US Citizens:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/300504684/What-Did-DOJ-Really-Promise-on-Sanctuary-Cities
“ICE Director Saldaña Admits Dramatic Decline in Criminal Alien Deportations
Testifying last week before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on the Obama administration’s lax interior enforcement policies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Sarah Saldaña admitted a dramatic decline in criminal alien deportations. ….Sessions was not satisfied, noting that her agency’s budget for deportation was increased from $2.6 billion in 2011 to $3.4 billion this year, and that the government even returned part of that allotment. (Id.) Summing up the hearing, Sessions said the decline in removals “demonstrated the failure of our system, when the one area that we were promised was going to be aggressively pursued was criminal aliens, and that is plummeting also. So there’s nothing really working effectively.”
http://www.c-span.org/video/?401468-1/hearing-unaccompanied-immigrant-children-sponsor-background-checks
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obamas-budget-would-stop-reimbursing-prisons-for-holding-illegal-immigrants/2016/02/10/ce706b06-cf75-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html
Obama’s Budget Would Stop Reimbursing Prisons For Holding (Convicted) Illegal Immigrants
Thank you for removing the foul language comments above. A civilized society does not need to express themselves that way.
This blog post has nothing to do with illegal immigration. Every single person involved is a US Citizen.
Do you support the murder of American children?
Do you support vigilantes invading US citizens homes and killing people?
If you are not condemning these action, you are supporting them and that makes you no better than the men who pulled the trigger or the woman who organized and lead it.
This was an organized right wing/white supremacist militia that was actively planning to rob/steal/kill to support their organization. They attacked and killed a United State citizen who also happened to be a child. Only a white supremacist racist would try to change the subject or fail to condemn this.
Thanks for clearing that up, bean, anyone that doesn’t see it your way is a racist.
Would you clear up something else for me? If this post had nothing to do with illegal immigration, why is it in the headline twisted as “anti-immigrant”?
There’s a very good book available about this case:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/bullies…
Brisenia was a beautiful child who was killed during a planned home invasion. I know this had nothing to do with immigration and everything to do with greed. We should remember her with sorrow, but not turn it around to support any political sentiment.
Yes, except that the people who committed the home invasion were radical extremists who planned to use the money to finance their militia operation that scapegoated Latino border crossers and for whom immigration became an excuse to commit any kind of atrocity. And of course, the lives of Brisenia, Junior, and Gina were all disposable to this gang because they were Hispanic. A week later, the same gang committed a home invasion robbery of a white couple and simply left them tied up and alive.
Oh little Brisenia, you matter so, so much. And your father, Raul, and your mother, Gina, too. I would rather have a country filled with people like you and your family than the American born idiots that we let run amok.
Kate Steinle, to get to the point, is xenophobic cross burning white trash.
really all that needs to be said on such a pitiable human being with such a lack of empathy and decency.
Kate Steinle is what’s wrong with the country. Her vile heart thrives and feeds on hate and fear, as most, well all, Hatriot cowards.