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Arizona Border Activist Scott Warren Acquitted of Harboring Migrants

Scott Warren, part of the group No More Deaths, said he was only interested in saving the lives of those crossing the desert.

An Arizona activist who was accused of illegally harboring two Central American migrants who crossed the border last year was acquitted Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. Scott Warren's first trial ended in a mistrial last year after the jury was deadlocked, but the second trial's jury was able to come to a verdict in just hours. The 37-year-old activist, who works with a group who tries to prevent migrant deaths in the desert, reportedly looked stoic when the verdict was read. His supporters cried after hearing the decision.

Warren denied helping migrants hide from immigration authorities, or giving them instructions on how to avoid law enforcement. He was initially arrested in January 2018 by U.S. authorities who had been monitoring a humanitarian aid station in Arizona. The two Central American migrants allegedly stayed at the camp for several days, and prosecutors said they didn't need any medical attention and were being given a place to hide in the camp. Warren claimed the protocol of his group, No More Deaths, specifically prohibits advising migrants on how to avoid authorities and said he only wanted to save lives.