Posted on 09/03/2006 6:48:44 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Minuteman Project protesters composed of members of LULAC District 14 and others stood by Gen. Ignacio Zaragozas bronze statue a symbol of Mexican liberation on Saturday at San Agustin Plaza and held a forum on keeping immigration enforcement in the hands of the U.S. Border Patrol and not those of "vigilantes."Protesters said they opposed the coming of the Minutemen, a nationally organized group whose goal is to stop illegal immigration at the U.S. borders. The group is expected to set up shop in Laredo and Webb County from Sept. 11 to Nov. 7.
"We think it is wrong to allow unqualified people to survey the border area," said Frank Gonzalez Jr., first vice president of LULAC Council No. 12. "We have adequate manpower with Border Patrol and the military as it is. … We dont need any John Waynes down here."
Gonzalez said he was suspicious of the outsiders because they are so determined to come despite the fact that they are not welcome here.
"We dont know if they have other intentions," Gonzalez said. "Who knows who infiltrates their unit."
He said LULAC members fear the nationally organized group will bring with them racist views and will harass non-Americans: "Not all Mexicans are here illegally and we have a lot of legal immigrants that work down here."
Fernanda Perez, a Mexican citizen with a legal work visa, was among the estimated 15 people who gathered at San Agustin Plaza to hear the protest and quietly rallied in support.
"These strangers dont want us here," Perez said in her native Spanish. "They dont want Mexicans. They are not going to stop and check whether we are here legally."
Perez added that she feared harassment and what the strangers might do.
Meanwhile, LULAC members continued to rally against the Minutemen and distributed flyers in support of immigration.
LULAC Council No. 624 members called the current immigration system "broken" and said it needs to be changed.
"Our current immigration system is outdated and does not serve our economic interests, nor does it serve the interests of families who want to reunite because of narrowly defined eligibility categories," read one LULAC flyer.
"The three year, ten year and permanent bars to admission make most undocumented immigrants ineligible to get permanent immigration visas," the document said, quoting a passage from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
LULAC members also sent out flyers addressing allegations that America is being overrun by immigrants.
"The annual rate of legal immigration is low by historical measures," they said, also quoting the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "The number of immigrants living in the United States remains relatively small as a percentage of the total population."
Protesters went on to say that their opposing stance against the Minutemen does not make them militant or radical, but rather concerned with the idea of unqualified groups taking the law into their own hands.
"Homeland Security is best left in the hands of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, and (LULAC District 14) supports the law enforcement agencies who are doing this job," they said in a written statement distributed Saturday.
Vicente Hernandez, another Mexican citizen with a legal work visa, quietly watched the rally from afar and said he had mixed feelings about Saturdays event.
"People who want us out make us feel like animals," he said. "We are not here to take anybodys job or to commit crimes. We are just here to make a living. This is our only escape from a country that is drug-ridden, lawless, poor and 100 percent corrupt."
Hernandez said that though he disapproves of strangers invading the area to kick Mexicans out, he nonetheless feels that something must be done to stop those people that come here illegally with bad intentions.
(Celina Alvarado may be reached at (956) 728-2566 or by e-mail at celina@lmtonline.com)
unqualified people
Ohhh, you mean CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTRY???!!!!!
LULULAC Ping!
My, my, my. The Minutemen sure to have the wetbacks' knickers in a knot, don't they.
What are the Knights of Columbus or the Rotarians doing this week? Who knows? They are always just helping people. But let cindy sheehan or these #14's assemble ten people and we have to hear their baseless whining.
Why did they have to 'estimate' 15 people, can't they count that high??
What the heck is LULAC? What are their intentions? Who infiltrates their unit?
In default of government citizens will act! It should be the Army arriving down there. However, as the Good Book says our birthright is being sold for a mess of potage. Citizen intervention is now necessary.
"They are not going to stop and check whether we are here legally."
You're right, they call your friends the Border Patrol!
Just seeing where you cross the border is enough. They do not "stop and check" you. Just keep on lying about the MM to make it sound like what it is not.
No al llevar zapatos. (Not while wearing shoes.)
Too funny. Trying to make 15 sound like a lot.
I suspect that Mr. Hernandez is being deliberately targeted and confused by LULAC and a laundry list of open borders orginizations.
And WE protest the coming of zillion ILLEGAL, Criminals! Hey lulac, TO BAD SO SAD!!
Says who?
And, by the way, Frankie, what makes you think you are welcome here?
("Shut up and go home, where you belong"!!!)
For all you Gringos (acually, I don't Habla Espanol, I just picked this up somewhere)
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