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| Minutemen investigated in Arizona for being mean |
| 2005-04-07 |
| TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Three volunteers patrolling the border for illegal immigrants were being investigated after a man told authorities he was held against his will and forced to pose for a picture holding a T-shirt with a mocking slogan. The volunteers said they were members of the Minuteman Project - a monthlong effort that has people from around the country fanned out along the border to report Border Patrol agents called in deputies from the Cochise County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday afternoon to report that an ILLEGAL immigrant was detained by three men who identified themselves as project volunteers. Carol Capas, a sheriff's office spokeswoman, said the 26-year-old Mexican man told agents he was physically restrained and forced to hold a shirt while his picture was taken and he was videotaped. The shirt read: ``Bryan Barton caught an illegal alien and all I got was this T-shirt.'' I LOVE IT! Barton is one of the three volunteers. He told agents that they waved the man over to them, offered him food and water, and gave him the T-shirt and money before the Border Patrol arrived. ``All they did was provide water and wait for the Border Patrol,'' Minuteman spokesman Grey Deacon said. ``What's the big deal?'' Deacon said project organizers were told by sheriff's officials that the incident wasn't a problem. (Smart politcial move)But Capas said the investigation was continuing and authorities were reviewing a videotape that Barton provided to deputies. ``We do not have the time nor the patience for anyone attempting to turn this situation into a three ring circus,'' Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said in a statement. Meanwhile, Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal immigrants have dropped notably in the Naco area since civilian volunteers began gathering there. Agency spokesmen an increased presence by Mexican authorities south of the border and say it's too soon to tell whether the volunteers are having an impact. Gee it's working! The volunteers, many of whom were recruited over the Internet, plan to watch the border throughout April and report any illegal activity to federal agents. Except for Wednesday's incident, Border Patrol officials said the volunteers have remained peaceful. However, they have continued to unwittingly trip sensors that alert the agency to possible intruders, forcing agents to respond to false alarms. Authorities said volunteers' footprints have also made if difficult for agents to track illegal immigrants. Yeah sure, like they were 'tracking' them before. Francisco Garcia, a volunteer for a shelter in Altar, Mexico, some 60 miles south of the Mexico-Arizona border, has said the migrants he has encountered have dismissed the Minutemen simply as ``crazy people'' - but for migrants' rights activists the situation is worrisome. ``For us, it's clear to see things could get out of control because those in the migration business are not easily intimidated,'' Garcia said. ``We're afraid an aggression could escalate into an international incident.'' IMHO the first Minuteman to die by a Coyote or ILLEGAL Immigrant will be the trip wire that brings the Feds down on the border but hard. After that the Government will have no choice but to stop an armed insurgency. |
| Posted by:Cyber Sarge |
| #9 "`All they did was provide water..." Oh, Good Lord! Not Dihydrogen Monoxide? Do you know how deadly that stuff is? |
| Posted by: jackal 2005-04-07 11:10:16 PM |
| #8 For the next photo, lace panties would be more appropriate. |
| Posted by: john 2005-04-07 9:35:28 PM |
| #7 The poor guy is an alien. How do we know water is ok to give him? |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2005-04-07 7:49:29 PM |
| #6 ``All they did was provide water and wait for the Border Patrol,’’ Sounds like the epitomy of ewvil, yup provide H2O... A BAD Dude... So mean he provides water. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-04-07 7:17:39 PM |
| #5 This situation will slow down considerably with hot weather, then pick up again in the fall. But unless a handle is gotten on it now, it *could* turn into real vigilantism. However, that can mean many things. First of all, the vigilantes could start by posting "Keep Out" signs, warning of all that the vigilantes *might* do. And what the vigilantes *might* do is almost unlimited. It would amount turning the border area into a "danger zone", trying to make it just hazardous enough so that illegals wouldn't risk it--or sharply reducing the numbers willing to try. Just off the top of my head I can think of at least a dozen inexpensive and effective things that would keep people away--make them too frightened. A combination of real threats and psyops. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-04-07 6:01:58 PM |
| #4 I agree with Shellback /still a polywog |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2005-04-07 5:40:53 PM |
| #3 Shellback, I don't think that the States could look at it that way and would demand Federal action. It's funny that the Illegal thought that he had some rights trampled on by the Minuteman. I bet by next week some t-shirt shop in Arizona has them all outfitted with extra t-shirts for Illegals. |
| Posted by: Joe Wilson 2005-04-07 4:00:00 PM |
| #2 if any Minutemen are killed, the government is not going to "send Feds down on the border but hard". The incident will be handled as that Minuteman being blamed for being there in the first place. Our current government is not going to engage in any international incident with Mexico. Illegal immigrants will be a problem for those who feel passionately about it. It's obvious our government doesn't. |
| Posted by: shellback 2005-04-07 2:41:40 PM |
| #1 IMHO the first Minuteman to die by a Coyote or ILLEGAL Immigrant will be the trip wire that brings the Feds down on the border but hard. True but only to protect the kind & innocent migrants from the evil 'Mericans. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2005-04-07 1:15:32 PM |