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Hung Jury in Trial Against Aid Worker Facing 20 Years for Helping Migrants in Arizona Desert

It is unclear if the federal government will retry the case.

The trial against Scott Warren, a humanitarian volunteer facing up to 20 years in prison for harboring two migrants, has been indefinitely stalled after the jury was unable to reach a verdict on Tuesday. The jury, which deliberated for three days, was dismissed and a status conference has been scheduled for July 2. It is unclear if the federal government will retry the case. Warren is accused of conspiring to transport and harboring two undocumented immigrants. Prosecutors allege that the migrants were in good health and did not need medical care when they came in contact with Warren. They also alleged that the humanitarian aid was used as a “cover,” with Warren’s true intent being to further the duo’s illegal journey into the United States.

The defense argued that Warren had simply been trying to provide vital aid to the men. Warren said he followed the protocols of his organization, No More Deaths, to provide the migrants with a medical assessment, as well as food, water, shelter, and orientation in a harsh stretch of the Arizona desert.