It... could... WORK!
Posted on 03/09/2005 1:15:10 PM PST by Spiff
ACLU plans to follow Minuteman Project
BY BILL HESS
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 11:31 AM MST
Sierra Vista Herald/Review
BISBEE, Arizona - The Minutemen are coming to Cochise County next month, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is, too.
At least two ACLU observers will tag along wherever Minuteman Project volunteers go, said, Ray Ybarra, an Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellow, a title given him by the national ACLU headquarters.
Hopefully, he said, there will be no confrontation with "the vigilantes."
"If they go hiking through the desert, we'll be there with them. If they sit in lawn chairs, we'll sit in lawn chairs next to them," he said.
The object is to watch the volunteers' actions.
By following the volunteers, the ACLU of Arizona is putting those involved in the Minuteman Project on notice that the violation of the civil rights of "migrants" will not be accepted, Ybarra said.
Chris Simcox, co-organizer of the Minuteman Project and longtime advocate of helping patrol the border using citizens, said the ACLU is not a detriment to the proposed operations planned in April. He said ACLU members have patrolled with the Civil Homeland Defense, a Tombstone-based group he formed.
Simcox said the ACLU observers can walk along with the volunteers and sit with them.
The more presence there is, the bigger the message will be to illegal immigrants, Simcox said.
"It will create more of a deterrent," he said.
On previous operations, ACLU members could not find that anything wrong had been done, he added.
Ybarra, a native of Arizona who was born in Douglas and now works out of that community as part of the fellowship program, said groups who come into the county with the intention of enforcing federal immigration laws at the minimum have to be monitored.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever has been remiss in stopping the assault on illegal immigrants, Ybarra said Tuesday.
"The activities of the current vigilantes and those new volunteers constitutes unlawful imprisonment, but unfortunately the Cochise County sheriff attended a meeting of the Minuteman Project as a sign of support.
"To this date, he (Dever) has yet to arrest any private citizens for unlawfully detaining or abusing migrants despite a vast amount of evidence hat these incidents have occurred," he said.
Ybarra sent Dever a letter Monday calling on the sheriff to do his duty as the county's top law enforcement officer. Ybarra's letter urged the sheriff to uphold Arizona laws. He said the Minuteman Project has the potential to violate a number of state statutes, including false imprisonment and unauthorized detention.
Dever said Ybarra's idea that he is not upholding the law is based on innuendo and false assumptions.
The sheriff reiterated that every complaint about illegal immigrants being denied any of their rights and allegations of being assaulted or harmed in any way are investigated and reports submitted to the Cochise County attorney and the federal government for decisions if charges are to be made.
As for Ybarra's assertion that he met with those putting on the monthlong border campaign and patted them on the back, Dever said nothing is further from the truth.
The sheriff met with Jim Gilchrist, a co-organizer of the Minuteman Project, and other volunteers in Tombstone in January. Dever said that meeting was to inform Gilchrist of Arizona's laws and the sheriff's view of the laws.
Dever said no criminal activities will be condoned by anyone, those involved in the Minuteman Project, groups or individuals supporting them or organizations and individuals against them. The application of the law will "be swift," he said.
"I'm not going to let anything get out of hand," he said.
There are reports a violent gang called MS-13, made up of criminals with ties to Central American nations, may attempt to disrupt the Minuteman Project, the sheriff said. Although intelligence on MS-13's intentions are not clear, other reports also include the potential that pro and counter groups may show up, Dever said.
"It's a powder keg just waiting for someone to light the fuse," the sheriff said.
By having additional people along the border, such as the proposed legal observers of the ACLU of Arizona, the situation could deteriorate, the sheriff said.
According to a Feb. 28 update on the Minuteman Project Web site, 863 people from all 50 states, including two from Canada, have signed up to come to Cochise County.
Many people who want the border closed say the United States is being invaded by illegal immigrants to the detriment of the nation's economic well being and security.
"The migration by our southern neighbors is not an invasion," Ybarra counted.
He said immigration has always been part of U.S. history, and immigrants make the nation stronger.
ACLU of Arizona will be training individuals as legal observers with workshops in Douglas, Tucson and Phoenix. Ybarra said people in northern California have expressed interest in assisting ACLU of Arizona with its planned project.
"Legal observers will be following these private citizens as they attempt to illegally enforce federal immigration laws," he said.
The observers will report any violations to lawyers, who will be available to file actions against the Minuteman Project people, Ybarra said.
To Ybarra, the Minuteman Project volunteers are dangerous.
"The vigilantes are symbolic of the fear and misunderstanding that exists in our society," he said.
HERALD/REVIEW senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
I heard part of that yesterday...did he comment again today?
In other words, the ACLU now has a problem with people who see something illegal going on calling the authorities.
I wonder if they will be alerting the people in the rest of the country that they'd better think twice about calling the police if they observe a crime happening ala Kitty Genovese...or gay bashing...or rape. Don't call when you see something illegal--THINK FIRST! The ACLU will be inspecting you!
As the man in the article points out, the more people there, the bigger a bunch the illegals will see; the more false (or even true) charges the ACLU makes, the more TV time this issue gets. And frankly it isn't a BAD thing to keep possibly edgy people from going off on some illegal, either.
A win-win situation.
A guy I know was Elk hunting up by Jackson Hole Wyoming.
Some anti-hunters started following them, so he and his son went back to their pickup and got their backpacks. They then walked into the forest until it started to get dark.
They then got out their sleeping bags and tents and prepared to spend the night. The anti-hunters didn't have any supplies so he took them some plastic sheets to use as a tent. They then got into their tents and went to sleep.
About 3:00 in the morning he checked and saw that the anti-hunters were asleep. He and his son packed up their stuff and left the area. They went about their hunting and returned to their pickup.
It took the Forest Service two days to find the anti-hunters. They were cold and hungry when they were found.
Funny, I thought that they should be watching out for AMERICAN civil liberties. They should change their name to illegal alien civil liberties union.
Good! I hope there are "counter-protesters" there too. The more the more publicity.
I've been listening on and off (on tape delay). He hasn't mentioned it so far today.
Earlier thread on the subject here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1358754/posts
Exactly.
The ACLU is against the MMP, and Rush Limbaugh (and many other high-profile conservatives) is FOR the MMP.
Gee, I wonder who's on the right side?
The folks who've been desperately attempting to tie the MMP with neo-Nazi types are looking pretty foolish right about now.
Thanks!
Apparently Ybarra doesn't think that the participants in the Minuteman project have rights either, such as freedom of association.
I guess Neighborhood Watch groups should come under ACLU scrutiny as well.
The ACLU no longer represents anything but liberal political interests.
I am sure they will be very Welcome when the ACLU communists identify themselves.
Love at least one feel-good story per day, and that one certainly suffices.
Now, now, what makes you think that property rights are a concern of the ACLU? It's not like property rights are in the Bill of Rights!
Oh, dang, they are. Well, then, they aren't in the parts of the Bill of Rights that MATTERS!
Don't forget the evil high-powered assault binoculars...
Anyone wanting to join the fun can get further information at http://www.minutemanproject.com/
It... could... WORK!
You know, I may actually do this to make the point about the ACLU vigilantes. Need a fake group name and a website and I'm set. Wait, I'm the President of a club and we have a website and I've sent dozens of press releases out in the past. This could be FUN!
>>"The migration by our southern neighbors is not an invasion," Ybarra counted.<<
Ybarra seems intent that everything must be done under the legal standards. Why not call him and tell him where the closest legal Points of Entry are so that he can pass it on to the illegal migrants who refuse to use these Points.
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