San Diego, Dec 30 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The innovative faculty at the University of California, San Diego, are developing a GPS-enabled cell phone that tells dehydrated and thirsty migrants where to find water during their illegal journey. It tells them the information in the form of poetry from the phone speakers, which would also entertain them on their journey, also in the process.

The Transborder Immigrant Tool is collaboration between technology and art, so it is a part technology endeavor, part art project. It introduces a high-tech twist to an old debate about how far concerned people can go, to in order to help the dehydrated migrants to find water and also not break the law in the process. Immigration hardliners say that the activists are helping illegal entry to the United States through this device. Even the migrants and their sympathizers feel that this innovative device will make the treacherous illegal border crossing easier.

The people behind this innovative device are three visual artists on UCSD’s faculty in collaboration with an English professor at the University of Michigan. They are completely unfazed about the criticism as they are against the U.S. policy, which uses the illegal immigrants for cheap labor without bothering about their well being.

“It’s about giving water to somebody who’s dying in the desert of dehydration,” said Micha Cardenas, 32, a UCSD lecturer.

“There are many, many areas in which every American would say I don’t like the way my tax dollars are being spent. Our answer to that is an in your face, so what?” says UCSD lecturer Brett Stalbaum.