In Texas, Eddie Canales, a tireless advocate for immigrants’ rights and founder of the South Texas Human Rights Center, died this week at 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Canales was well known for setting up water stations around rural Brooks County for migrants traveling through the brutal border landscape, and for helping families who are searching for loved ones who have disappeared or died during the treacherous journey. Canales spoke about his work several times on Democracy Now!, including just last year.

Eddie Canales: “Migrant deaths will continue to happen until we have a policy that makes sense in terms of receiving workers that are coming through, essential workers that are coming through, to provide and contribute to this economy in this country, and then also, at the same time, deal with the lack of human rights from their home country.”