ACLU Concerned Over New Minutemen Campaign

Posted on April 4, 2006

The volunteer border-watchdog group Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has launched a new monthlong campaign one year after its operations along the U.S.-Mexico frontier began drawing national attention.

The new effort comes as Congress debates controversial immigration-reform legislation that has drawn massive protests from advocates of illegal aliens.

Along with Arizona, the Minutemen have planned exercises along the border in California, New Mexico and Texas, and along the northern frontier in Washington, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York state.

J. Glenn Sorensen, a retired school administrator living in Flagstaff, Ariz., told the Associated Press the group already has accomplished part of its purpose, “to draw national attention to an insecure border.”

“I don’t think anybody wants to close the border – I certainly don’t,” he said. “Basically, I think they need to be secure.”

Bob Wright, director of New Mexico’s Minutemen group, said patrollers had been on duty less than 30 minutes Saturday when they alerted Border Patrol to the first group of illegal aliens – seven people – trying to enter the U.S.

Don Goldwater, a Republican candidate for governor and nephew of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, was among the politicians and activists at a rally Saturday of at least 200 mostly older men and women at a remote southern Arizona ranch.

“Build us that wall – now!” Goldwater said, referring to a measure to add 700 miles of fences along the border.

Since Oct. 1, agents have caught more than 48,000 in the area patrolled now by the Minutemen, an increase of 48 percent over the same period last year.

The group’s national leader, Chris Simcox, said volunteers will keep an eye on four watering stations set up by the group Humane Borders.

And of course, the ACLU will be keeping tabs on them.

Critics accuse the Minuteman group of racism, but leaders say they reject any members of racist organizations who apply to volunteer.

A chief opponent, the American Civil Liberties Union said it was concerned over “the potential for taking actions and … attempting to enforce immigration laws.”

The Minutemen say, however, they only are reporters of illegal crossing to the Border Patrol.

Of course the race card is a favorite tactic to pull for those that oppose this National dilema that a vast majority of citizens are gravely concerned with. As our government fiddles around debating the issue, and doing what amounts to about nothing more than talk, the Minutemen have stepped up to do the job where our government is failing. The truth is that the ACLU’s opposition to fixing this problem has nothing to do with racism concerns, and much more to do with their radical and dangerous policy of open borders.

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» Filed Under ACLU, Border Control/Homeland Security, News

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Comments

2 Responses to “ACLU Concerned Over New Minutemen Campaign”

Gribbit on April 4th, 2006 11:12 am

I wonder if they are going to send any dope smoking “Legal Monitors” like they did last year. “Legal Monitors” who break the law.
John on April 4th, 2006 12:15 pm

I just wish I had time to volunteer. Maybe I’ll take some vacation next year and go help do the job my government should be doing.