And you can start by building one of these, Mr. President.
Posted on 08/12/2005 8:42:12 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON — A controversial proposal to create civilian militias to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border was greeted with criticism Thursday by immigrant rights groups that said the amateur force of volunteers could lead to vigilantism.
Republican lawmakers in the House, led by Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, filed a bill last month that would use $6.8 billion in homeland security funds to train the militias, which would serve under the command of border state governors.
Militia members would operate as sworn peace officers and be allowed to carry arms, make arrests and "use any means and any force authorized by state law to prevent individuals from unlawfully entering" the country.
"I think this is borne of a frustration that the federal government is unable or unwilling to secure the borders," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, one of 47 lawmakers who co-sponsored the Border Protection Corps Act.
Smith said the militias would "supplement the efforts that are already in existence, but to do so in a way that is official."
The proposal was criticized by border state Democrats, who said they're concerned the volunteer forces actually would hamper border enforcement.
Immigration and Hispanic rights groups complained the measure could exacerbate lawlessness on an already volatile and violent border.
"It creates and legitimizes vigilantes who want to take the law into their own hands," said Michele Waslin, director of immigration policy research for the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino rights group.
The organization and other minority rights groups are particularly concerned U.S. citizens also could be targeted.
"It puts a bull's-eye on anybody who looks or sounds foreign, or has an Asian or Hispanic surname," Waslin said.
Recent reports and studies estimate 11 million immigrants are in this country illegally.
In the first eight months of this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2004, more than 800,000 Mexicans and 98,000 people from other countries have been caught trying to enter this country without documentation along the U.S.-Mexico, according to David Aguilar, U.S. Border Patrol chief.
President Bush has asked Congress to take up immigration reform when it returns from its August recess.
His top priorities include improving border enforcement and creating a guest-worker program that offers legal channels for those seeking work in the United States.
While there is strong opposition in the House to guest-worker proposals, two bills filed in the Senate would create such plans.
A bill by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass, which has bipartisan support in the Senate and among immigrant rights groups, would allow undocumented workers in this country to enroll in a guest-worker program after paying fines and penalties for entering the country illegally.
Other legislation by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would create a guest-worker program, but it would not provide a path for undocumented immigrants to attain legal status. It also has a strong border enforcement component.
A recent CBS poll showed 63 percent of Americans are opposed to granting work permits to immigrants. That opposition spans party and ideological differences, the poll showed.
However, a poll earlier this year by an immigration advocacy group found strong support for immigration reform that includes tougher enforcement and a guest-worker plan.
"Our polling has shown that 75 percent of Americans favor a program that would turn the illegal flow into a legal flow to regain control of our borders," said Christina DeConcini, director of policy at the National Immigration Forum.
"The frustration behind it is very legitimate and very real, but this is not the solution to it," DeConcini said of the Culberson bill.
"This is a federal law enforcement responsibility, and that is where it belongs. This kind of plan is inviting civilians to take the law into their own hands and vigilantism," she said.
Culberson said his bill provides the means to do what federal authorities cannot: stem the "flood of illegal immigrants pouring across our southern border."
He said criminal gangs and drug smugglers also are crossing the border "in growing numbers, and lawlessness in the area around Nuevo Laredo has grown so severe, their chief of police was shot dead."
Unspent federal funds in the Homeland Security Department's budget for first responders would be used to equip and train the volunteers, who would be screened for criminal background and convictions.
The bill has the backing of San Antonio's two Republican congressmen, Smith and Rep. Henry Bonilla, whose congressional district sweeps from Laredo to El Paso.
"It's a legitimate way for citizens to help secure the borders," said Smith, a member of the House judiciary panel's subcommittee on immigration.
"Rights" groups are strangely silent about ethnic based gangs and their killing sprees. I know the script for the left is to "hate whitey"/"hate America" but you would think they could at least place some distance between themselves and the likes of MS-13 and its clones.
"the amateur force of volunteers could lead to vigilantism."
I sure hope so.
Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te
Pronunciation: "vi-j&-'lan-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans
: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate)
Why are they so ready and willing to call civilian border patrols "vigilantes" yet refuse to call the invaders of our country "illegal?"
Sound the alarm!
A controversial proposal to create neighborhood watch programs to patrol the streets and to notify law enforcement of problems was greeted with criticism Thursday by criminal rights groups that said the amateur force of volunteers could lead to more crime prevention and act as a deterrent to potential criminal activity.
"It creates and legitimizes vigilantes who want to take the law into their own hands," said Michele Waslin, director of immigration policy research for the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino rights group."
La Raza = "The Race"
Interesting, a racist group calling someone else racist. D**n hypocrites!
"Lawlessness" like ILLEGALS crossing the border?! I guess we are supposed to "understand" when they BREAK THE LAW. But, when LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS try to protect their families and property from ILLEGAL immigrants they are "lawless".
However, if they're putting $6.8 Billion into it, I can see lots of trainers, trainers to train the trainers, consultants to advise on training the trainers, bureaucrats to oversee the consultants, outsourcing the bureaucrats to Mexico...well, you get the general idea.
You beat me to the quote - who cares what the RADICAL La Razas think - this is the group that thinks California and Arizona should be ceded back to Mexico - this is the group that thinks American taxpayers should support hospitals and day care centers for illegal aliens - this group can kiss my @ss and go to hell - we need some good vigilante action on the border - here's hoping!!!
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
For Latino immigrants, obtaining U.S. citizenship is a critical step toward full integration into the American political arena and is an increasingly important step toward securing integration into American society in general due to immigrant restrictions on social services and public benefits.
Michele Waslin, Ph.D., is the Director of Immigration Policy Research at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest, national, constituency-based Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States
DAMN STRAIGHT..........BOUT TIME SOMEBODY WHO PURPOSELY BREAKS OUR LAWS FINDS THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING TO FEAR.........AND IT AIN'T THE PC GOVERNMENT CROWD.
Why the h**l hasn't La Raza and MECHA been branded as terrorist orgs? They promote the violent overthrow of the US and seizing of land.
ping
Agreed, I would love to see a thousand of those across our borders!
The Border Patrol "catches and releases" only 15% of those whom they estimate do cross successfully on their first try. They are driven back to the border after a rest and a meal to try tomorrow. The success rate on one try is 85%, on two tries in 96%, on three tries in 99%.
IOW, the USBP only delays the invaders at best.
Of the OTMs, all of those who were "detained" were allowed into the country with an "Order to Disappear."
The entire world know knows that Uncle Sam is a sap. 
By Michele Waslin, Ph.D.
“ANTITERRORIST” POLICIES THAT HARM LATINOS
The government’s counterterrrorism efforts have had the most negative effects on American Muslims and Arab Americans. However, as discussed below, many of the newly-enacted policies have had a detrimental effect on Latinos as well, which will continue to be felt for many years.
snip
In June 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft declared that state and local police have the authority to enforce civil and criminal immigration violations of immigration law. In the months since that announcement, state and local police have been called upon to catch violators of the new registration and change of address requirements. In April 2002, several months prior to Ashcroft’s announcement, the press reported that the DOJ was poised to issue a new legal opinion. This new, unreleased Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion purportedly declares that state and local police have the “inherent authority” to enforce civil and criminal immigration violations of immigration law. While the legal opinion has never been made public, this announcement indicates that the DOJ has reinterpreted the law and overturned decades of legal precedent, sending an immediate chill through Latino communities. Ashcroft’s June 2002 announcement appears to be based on this unreleased legal opinion.
The mere suggestion that local police may have the authority to enforce immigration law has resulted in fear in Latino and immigrant communities resulting in increased unwillingness to cooperate with law enforcement, to report crimes, and to come forward as witnesses. Millions will be affected by this rule as law enforcement officers, who are untrained in immigration law, stop and question Latinos and other Americans who “look” or “sound” like they might be foreign. Unlike federal immigration officials, police departments do not have training in or understanding of the complexities of immigration law. As a result of these problems, police departments lose the trust of the communities they aim to protect, communication between the police and large segments of the community is lost, and all Americans are less safe. Many police departments across the country have stated that they will not involve themselves in immigration enforcement because they recognize the detrimental effects that the loss of community trust can have.
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