[Sabertooth]

If they don't enforce the laws the people support, how can they be surprised if the people take the law into their own hands?

Vigilantism is an obvious and regrettable consequence of government malfeasance. Now, predictably, some in government focus on vigilantes as the problem; not themselves and not the Illegals.

Should the government turn on the people in favor of Illegals, what do you suppose is the next logical outcome?

[FITZ]

I've read that so far the "vigilante" groups are only protecting private property and are there by invite. How can the Mexican government demand that Americans NOT be allowed to remove trespassers from their own property? I can see the danger if citizen groups start trying to stop immigration in other ways ---but we have a right to protect our property.

[DoughtyOne]

Vigilantism is an obvious and regrettable consequence of government malfeasance.

You and I are on the same page on this.  I agree that the activity down there on the border could be classified as vigilantiism, but I think we are playing into the government and media's hands if we use that phrase to describe the activity down there.  Vigilanti is a very powerfull and negatively charged word.  We need to develop this debate around "patrols" and let the other side explain why folks can't protect their own land by utilizing them.  I think we should avoid using the term vigilanti.