Posted on 09/12/2006 1:11:30 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
LAREDO — The first batch of what organizers say will be 1,200 Minuteman Project volunteers began a border watch operation here Monday amid catcalls from hecklers and a cold shoulder from area mayors.
The 60-day "Operation Sovereignty" is about drawing attention to illegal immigration and border violence as much as it is about spotting undocumented immigrants and reporting them to authorities, Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist said.
"We're down here on the fifth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil in history to remind the American public that what happened on 9-11-01 happened strictly because we never enforced our immigration laws," Gilchrist said.
The group says it provides additional eyes and ears for the Border Patrol, but the agency has long kept its response to those efforts very scripted. Acting Laredo Sector Border Patrol chief Reynaldo Garza released a statement that his agents appreciate the help but securing the border is a dangerous job and "should be left to highly trained law enforcement personnel."
A kickoff rally held across the street from the Laredo Sector Border Patrol headquarters drew a few protesters, but that didn't keep tempers from flaring.
"Who picks your lettuce? Who builds your houses?" protestor Chano Aldrete of Laredo shouted as Gilchrist spoke to reporters.
"They talk about fear, to scare the community more with issues that aren't real," Aldrete said, holding a Mexican flag. "Their intentions are other than they portray, and is racist, I believe."
During another confrontation, a couple of Minutemen referred to activists as the "tan Klan."
"Well, they're calling us the Klan, so it kinda seems like, well, you're the tan Klan, then," said Minuteman volunteer Scott Lykens of Las Vegas.
Some of the volunteers were already on private ranches Monday, looking for illegal crossers in what turned out to be a rainy afternoon in Laredo, operation spokesman Tim Bueler said.
Many of the Minutemen in Laredo said they were here only for three or four days, taking days off from work to participate. Bueler said he expects more than 1,200 volunteers to be deployed as far west as El Paso.
"The story is that our country is being invaded with illegal immigration, and in order to secure our borders and save our country, we're going to have to stop this invasion," said Barney Carroll, a retiree from Anaheim, Calif.
The 68-year-old Carroll, who has participated in Minuteman watches in his home state, said what brought him to the Texas border are reports of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants from the Middle East.
Federal officials say that to date, no terrorists have been known to have entered the United States through the southern border, but for volunteers like Carroll, a Middle Eastern country of origin is enough.
Local leaders have made it clear that they don't welcome the extra help.
"We want to make sure that the people who are going to protect our border are people who are professional, that are skilled, that know how to do their jobs," Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said.
With the Minutemen in mind, the nearby city of El Cenizo passed an ordinance last year requiring anyone who wants to use the public park after 10 p.m. to apply for a $500 permit, said its mayor, Raul Reyes.
Gilchrist said a quarter of his volunteers are nonwhite and a majority are women, adding, "Without having a multiethnic volunteer base, it really wouldn't be that effective and wouldn't represent America."
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mcastillo@express-news.net
I'd love to see 20,000 Minutemen on the border.
"We want to make sure that the people who are going to protect our border are people who are professional, that are skilled, that know how to do their jobs," Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said.
Sure they are doing their jobs. We just get confused how all the illegals got here.
The only problem with that, is the Feds would have 60,000 federal employees watching their every move and would protect the illegals.
"I'd love to see 20,000 Minutemen on the border."
Wanna sign up?
"Who picks your lettuce? Who builds your houses?"
You might be surprised who would do this if there wasn't any cash welfare.
Why are there no black men in front of Home Depot?
Well, Mayor quite a few are retired military or LEO I have heard. Does professionalism have an experation date? STFU
Border Ping!
"Federal officials say that to date, no terrorists (THAT WE'LL ADMIT TO CATCHING BECUASE WE DON'T WANT THE ACLU TO KNOW ABOUT THEM) have been known to have entered the United States through the southern border"
Both the mayor and the BP chief are stating that the BP needs more staff to control the border, but they don't have it yet.
The professionals have failed. Otherwise the 12 million illegals we have here now, would still be in Mexico (or elsewhere). Time to give the amateurs a chance.
When we build the wall, and we will build that wall, let's just wall around these arseholes! Let them be part of Mexico.
LLS
Sounds like Reyes is a 5th columnist.
How can these guys be "racist"? Is Mexican a "race"? Nope!
The law unfairly discriminates against those who break it.
I guess Obrador would have won if most of his constitutants hadn't been in the US....
During another confrontation, a couple of Minutemen referred to activists as the "tan Klan."
The protesters are Mexican. Probably wet.
They wave their mexican flag in our faces, sneak across our borders, show disrespect for us and our laws, then call US racists?
Getting called the "Tan Klan" is very mild in comparison, IMO, and an apt description.
bump
"Wanna sign up?"
I'm in San Antonio. I'll spend an overnight helping out.
How do I sign up?
Go here. You can sign up.
http://www.minutemanproject.com/
ping
"The professionals have failed. Otherwise the 12 million illegals we have here now, would still be in Mexico (or elsewhere). Time to give the amateurs a chance."
That's what I told him...;)
Mayor's E-Mail
rgsalinas@ci.laredo.tx.us
Gilchrist must of seen "Path to 9-11". We definiately know how to roll out the Welcome mat.
Laredo is a Dimmocratic stronghold in Texas....
The Minutemen are doing the job our government is unwilling to do. Anyone who cares about this country should support them.
How many National Guardsmen are on the border today? Pres. Bush was going to send thousands, as I recall.
bttt
He should have grabbed a lighter and burned the Mexican flag. She would have retaliated and burned the American flag. Then watch the sparks fly!
That varies from state to state, and Border Patrol sector, to sector.
We have enough here that it has slowed the flow of illegals greatly. It is not really worth our time to go sit on the border since they got here, we still do occasionally to maintain a presence.
There are still a few holes in the coverage, it is going to take more recon to learn where we need to set up to plug the holes.
Make it 100,000!
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