AZ Minutemen May Expand to other Border States

From the looks of it the Minutemen project appears to be going rather well and they now are considering expanding to other states.

Organizers of the monthlong project that uses civilian volunteers to watch for illegal immigrants and smugglers along the Arizona-Mexico border want to expand their efforts to other border states this fall.

Minuteman Project spokesmen said their patrols have resulted in 268 arrests of illegal immigrants since April 4.

The Border Patrol has acknowledged receiving 317 calls from Naco and Douglas, resulting in 846 arrests, but the agency will not say whether any of those calls came from project volunteers. Border agents have caught 2,373 people in the Naco area this month.

T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said the immigration situation won't change unless the federal government begins to take legal action against employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Source

Oh really? Whats wrong with this government ? Whats wrong with this picture?
More vigilantes is what we need while the gov sits back and counts and estimates that still at least 3/4 of the border crashers are getting in.

Is someone in government wringing his hands and saying, "good, they're still getting in" we still have that very needed backdrop of terror.

This is all incredible in a powerful country like this. Unreal.
disgusting, IMHO.

Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te
Pronunciation: "vi-j&-'lan-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans
Date: 1865
: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate); broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice
- vig·i·lan·tism /-'lan-"ti-z&m/ noun


Main Entry: min·ute·man
Pronunciation: 'mi-n&t-"man
Function: noun
Date: 1774
: a member of a group of armed men pledged to take the field at a minute's notice during and immediately before the American Revolution


These men are VIGILANTES.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Oh really? Whats wrong with this government ?

This is all incredible in a powerful country like this. Unreal.
disgusting, IMHO.

That is what the minutemen want to know, just what is wrong with our government, however they are doing a good job by bringing to the attention of the American people which is good.

Several senators and some congressmen have already traveled to AZ and discussed the issues with the minutemen and now plan to start legislation that may help end this problem.

Agreed. A 30 foot wall with 1 point of entrance should do it nicely.

Originally posted by dgtempe
Agreed. A 30 foot wall with 1 point of entrance should do it nicely.

With electrified barbed wire at the top, and a moat on both sides..

I think these guys are doing good, it is OUR country, if the gov, wont defend it then all the power to these guys for stepping up.

[edit on 16-4-2005 by C0le]

So you're saying that the Minutemen, with several times the number of the border patrol are responsible for 1/10th of their monthly capture rate? I think that this is even MORE proof that what is needed is not a bunch of vigilantes, but trained officers on permanent location.

The news story also glosses over (probably because of the source) a number of reports of trouble that the Minutemen have caused.

And did you notice that Fearless Leader is now saying what I've been saying all along?

Originally posted by shots
T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said the immigration situation won't change unless the federal government begins to take legal action against employers who hire illegal immigrants.

By the way -- while those folks were down there "protecting the Americans", I wonder how many crimes were committed in their own home towns -- crimes that could have been prevented by people working with the local police forces.

And I wonder how many businesses hiring illegals could have been shut down if they'd paid attention in their own home towns.

I have to say I am pleased the Minutemen group seems to have been able to keep the real nutcases out so far. There have been no shootings or anything like that, which has actually suprised me.

I have mixed feelings on the illegal immigration issue. I think that illegal immigration is hurting working-class Americans and depressing wages, on the other hand I find all the anti-Mexican ethnic hatred disgusting.

So far the Minutemen seem to have kept the racist elements from making trouble and abusing people, good for them.

They are not minutemen- they are vigilantes..check out my definition or seek your own.

Vigilantes fits the definition so much better. Lets not be blind.

I'm just using Minutemen as it's the formal name of the organization.

Though I do hesitate to call them vigilantes any more than I'd call a neighborhood watch type group vigilantes, as they appear to be working in concert with lawful authorities and not instigating acts of violence.

If that changes, so will my opinion of them.

Originally posted by dgtempe
They are not minutemen- they are vigilantes..check out my definition or seek your own.

Vigilantes fits the definition so much better. Lets not be blind.

Take your blinders off they are not vigilantes, they are acting just as neighborhood watch groups do. They are only reporting them nothing more nothing less.

Originally posted by Byrd
So you're saying that the Minutemen, with several times the number of the border patrol are responsible for 1/10th of their monthly capture rate? I think that this is even MORE proof that what is needed is not a bunch of vigilantes, but trained officers on permanent location.

Actually I thnk the figures are skewed to a point since even groups in Mexico are turning many back at the border before they cross it. 10 percent is better then zero percent don't you agree?

The main thing is they are not sitting on their butts doing nothing. Granted the dent is small but any reduction in the numbers getting in is a good thing rather then bad.

[edit on 4/16/2005 by shots]

I've gotta say, the minutemen seem to be doing a good job. I was pretty well set against them, but they've been controlling themselves nicely so far.

Whats the point when the government is just letting them go anyway

Authorities Free 1 Million Aliens Amid Proceedings
One million people facing immigration proceedings have been released into the general population, the government's chief of detention and removal told the Senate yesterday , prompting some Republicans to say the Bush administration is "not serious" about the problem.

"We have a million individuals who are in some phase of immigration proceedings released," said Victor X. Cerda, the acting director of detention and removal operations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

He said of those people, 465,000 are fugitive aliens who have been ordered deported. About 80,000 of those are criminal aliens who have committed an offense in addition to immigration violations, but he couldn't provide an exact number.

"The aliens that are being released include murderers, rapists and child molesters," Mr. Cohn said.

The Washington Times

The real issue on the border and around the world is becoming, and I paraphrase, if the Government won't do the job then it's time to replace the Government. This border situation has been allowed to continue through every administration for the last 100 years. It's time to enter, unannounced, the homes of all Government and elected officials and have the border patrol check the status of their personal employees, it's time to enter, unannounced, the businesses that these individuals are linked to and check for illegal immigrants. It's time to VOTE every one of them out of office for incompetance.

It's time to move the fine for employing illegal immigrants from $10,000.00 to $100,000.00 per offence and enforce the law.
It's time to add to that law a condition that repeat offenders will have their business seized and they will go to prison for 5 years and never be allowed to open or participate in running a business again.

Good. Our government, despite political affialiations, fail to protect our borders because they need the money.

Recall the militias, the time is near

BTW:

Of course we need more trained agents, but the whole reason the MinuteMen are THERE is BECAUSE the government won't supply those agents...

So, until that help comes, more power to the militias.

-wD

[edit on 16-4-2005 by WeBDeviL]

By Stephen Dinan
The Washington Times
4-16-5

One million people facing immigration proceedings have been released into the general population, the government's chief of detention and removal told the Senate yesterday , prompting some Republicans to say the Bush administration is "not serious" about the problem.

"We have a million individuals who are in some phase of immigration proceedings released," said Victor X. Cerda, the acting director of detention and removal operations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

He said of those people, 465,000 are fugitive aliens who have been ordered deported. About 80,000 of those are criminal aliens who have committed an offense in addition to immigration violations, but he couldn't provide an exact number.


WHY

These vigilantes may be trying but they are about as useful as tts on a bull.
Nice try.

[edit on 16-4-2005 by dgtempe]

Bunch of fat white men waving confederate flags and shotguns.

Urgh.

It sickens me.

I've heard from those in AZ that these "minutemen" are practically taking over border towns and driving in their SUV's to "patrol" the area.

Help, help, the latinos are walking my pretty little streets! Wait... you shot one... okay... now whose going to pick my strawberries for $2 an hour? #, now we're going to have to pay $6 an hour to Americans... now I'll have to double the price of my strawberries. I can't compete with WalMart and I'm bankrupt but at least my daughter is safe from Mexican rape.

All we gotta do is start on the blacks now mein fuh...Mr President!

I am inclined to believe that the whole story is not being told about border crossings from Mexico and this recent trend of having soldiers of fortune conducting round ups.

This topic has come up among many of my associates in the past few weeks and it is seems difficult to believe that there have been no reported shootings, fatalities, etc,...

What news agency is in the trenches with these activities? Where is the real story?

I know we do not want a bunch of crazy, armed, drunk guys driving around in the desert using spotlights to hunting border jumpers. I know we don't want a return to that tradition of the old west.

Someone is holding back the truth on this story. I refuse to believe that gravesights are not on the rise across the Arizona borders.

I'm in Arizona and i'm sick of hearing about these heroes. YES they want to do something about the problems. YES, they have the best intentions at heart- and like the old west, they enjoy an adventure on a hot summer day, and they enjoy vigilintiism.

Go home and let your PRESIDENT, THE ONE YOU PAY TO WATCH YOUR BUTT do his job and close those borders.

Instead they are freed. Who's the idiot here? I'm afraid its not the president.