Ranchers Warned on Border Fence (Daily Dispatch, Douglas, July 7):
In a communiqué issued last week, the Minutemen announced they would begin constructing an Israeli-style security fence at an Arizona ranch in early July. The anti-illegal immigration group is currently overseeing the construction of a barbed-wire range fence on the border-front property of Jack and John Ladd in Palominas.
Speaking at the May 27 groundbreaking for the Ladd's fence, Minuteman leader Chris Simcox said his group was eyeing a property 4 1/2 miles east of Naco for its next effort.
2 1/2 miles of fence completed (KVOA News, July 5):
The Ladds made it clear before the project started that they wanted a barbed wire fence built to keep Mexican livestock off their pastures, not a stronger, more impregnable fence to keep people off the land, even though they oppose illegal immigration.
... Hair had no details on Israeli-style security fencing and trenches planned on another ranch farther east.
Resident helps Minuteman with huge fence donation (Fountain Hill Times, June 28):
After receiving permission from the last of three ranchers living along the Mexico border, Campbell’s donation was utilized to fund the purchase of 875 19-foot-tall posts to begin the building of a fence along the property line dividing those ranches from Mexico.
Minutemen hire contractor to finish fence (Daily Dispatch, Douglas, June 24):
A press release issued in advance of the Memorial Day event reported that the Minutemen had raised $225,000 for the effort ...
In an unrelated event, the Ladds filed a complaint Wednesday with the Cochise County Sherriff's Office after they discovered that vandals had slashed large sections of the new border fence. Jack Ladd said his son found at least 19 areas of fencing that had been destroyed sometime Tuesday night. And while he said there were no clues to indicate who was responsible, he expected the crime had involved illegal immigration.
"From our perspective, the whole idea of the fence is to keep Mexican livestock out - we know a barbed wire fence isn't going to keep people out," he said. "We want to make it clear that while we oppose illegal immigration, we weren't necessarily trying to keep Mexicans off the land."
Minutemen start fence along border with Mexico (May 28 AP article):
The Minuteman group plans to install fencing, including a combination of barbed wire, razor wire and in some spots steel rail barriers, along the bulk of the Ladds' property in the coming weeks. They hope it prompts the federal government to do the same along the entire Arizona border.
Let's see what gets built.
What a wonderful concept.
Meanwhile, folks better keep up the pressure on those whose job it actually is to secure our southern border: Our elected officials.