Free Republic

Graf Receives Wide Support from National GOP (Tucson, AZ) Randy Graf, the Republican nominee to replace retiring US Congressman Jim Kolbe, was pleased to announce that the national Republican Party and its leaders have come together to support his campaign. After winning the Republican Primary for the Eighth Congressional District of Arizona on September 12, 2006, Randy flew out to Washington, D.C. the following day to meet with national party leaders who have pledged their support and promised to help Randy’s campaign collect the needed resources in order to win the general election on November 7, 2006. Among those who...

BISBEE — A plan by the Minuteman Project to build an Israeli-style border fence on the property of a local rancher over Memorial Day weekend is raising concern with county officials — as well as with the rancher himself. The leader of the civilian border watch group, Chris Simcox, announced the barrier-building effort in April as a response to the government’s failure to secure the nation’s porous southern border. He said the Minutemen had chosen a design based on Israeli fences in Gaza and the West Bank that have proven effective in curtailing terrorist attacks. On Monday, the group’s national...

Border Patrol captures more than 70 after chase May 17, 2006 11:57 AM PDT More than 70 illegal immigrants were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Sierra Vista Wednesday morning after the box truck they were riding in crashed in a neighborhood park. Border Patrol officials said they were trying to get the driver to pull over when the truck made too quick a turn and crashed about 4:30 a.m. About a dozen immigrants managed to run away, but agents caught about 70 people, said Agent Sean King, a Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. There were no reported injuries....

Kolbe watching BP checkpoints in area By Jonathan Clark Herald/Review BISBEE — Congressman Jim Kolbe said he would be “closely watching” the Border Patrol’s management of traffic revision points in the area after the officer in charge of the agency’s Naco station said that a permanent checkpoint on Highway 90 would be reinstated. Kolbe has long opposed permanent Border Patrol revision points, which he says are predictable and ineffective. Instead, he advocates roving checkpoints and has inserted a provision into Border Patrol appropriations bills requiring the agency’s Tucson Sector to relocate checkpoints on a regular basis. “The law allows checkpoints,...

PUBLISHED ON JUNE 2, 2005: Catastrophe in Care Hospitals are being crippled by the costs of treating migrants--and that could be just the start of an immigrant-related health crisis By LEO W. BANKS One of the many signs on the Naco Highway. If you drive along Southern Arizona's border with Mexico long enough, you might see a lone illegal wandering the desert. Or maybe he's hunched at the roadside sipping water from his milk jug. What's he doing there, and where are his compatriots, the people he broke into the country with? The uninformed might ask those questions, but those...

Mark Stine KOLD News 13 Reporter Posted: 5-15-05 "We're two and a half miles from the border everything you see down there is Mexico." Joe Scelso owns the Rockin JP Ranch in Cochise County. He's been dealing with illegal immigrants for nearly a decade. "I've picked up probably, in the last 8 years, a couple hundred backpacks." Scelso says the Minutemen Project in April must have left an ongoing effect on the border, because it's still pretty quiet around his ranch. "It wasn't until they did show up down here that we finally got the relief we've been hoping for,...

ACLU plans to follow Minuteman Project BY BILL HESS Wednesday, March 9, 2005 11:31 AM MST Sierra Vista Herald/Review BISBEE, Arizona - The Minutemen are coming to Cochise County next month, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is, too. At least two ACLU observers will tag along wherever Minuteman Project volunteers go, said, Ray Ybarra, an Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellow, a title given him by the national ACLU headquarters. Hopefully, he said, there will be no confrontation with "the vigilantes." "If they go hiking through the desert, we'll be there with them. If they sit in lawn...

Wow! You can find out a lot of things using Google in the middle of the night. Now, I wonder how the Congressman will distract from this issue. According to online campaign finance reports, Kolbe has raised more than $800,000 for his current campaign. According to www.opensecrets.org, most of Kolbe's money came from OUTSIDE of his district. At least a hundred thousand dollars came from PACs in Washington, DC. In fact, on September 16, 2003 he had a $1,000 a person fundraiser (scroll down to 16 September - yes they misspelled his last name) hosted for him in Washington, D.C....

Is Rep. Jim Kolbe On the Outs with the Bush/Cheney Campaign? By Todd Evans - President, South East Arizona Republican Club Along with the rest of the Arizona Republican Congressional Delegation, Jim Kolbe may serve as a Co-Chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 Arizona Leadership Team. However, he was not anywhere to be found at the jam-packed Dick Cheney rally held in Tucson on July 31st. He wasn't on the stage and he certainly did not speak despite the fact that the rally was held in Tucson which includes most of Rep. Jim Kolbe's constituents. Rep. J.D. Hayworth spoke despite the...

Randy Graf “stymies” 10 term incumbent! Jim Kolbe visibly shaken after duo debate. (Sierra Vista) The Graf for Congress campaign is wondering if they may be on the verge of the “upset of the year” for a Republican Primary. They have every reason to be confident after Randy Graf left little doubt he is ready and prepared to unseat Congressional (strongman), Jim Kolbe in Arizona’s 8th District. Kolbe and Graf squared off for their first debate last night, held in the Sierra Vista High School. Graf stated; “…the differences between Jim Kolbe and I, are vast. We differ on...

Along with the rest of the Arizona Republican Congressional Delegation, Jim Kolbe may serve as a Co-Chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 Arizona Leadership Team. However, he was not anywhere to be found at the jam-packed Dick Cheney rally held in Tucson on July 31st. He wasn't on the stage and he certainly did not speak despite the fact that the rally was held in Tucson which includes most of Jim Kolbe's constituents. J.D. Hayworth spoke despite the fact that Hayworth's district is all the way up in Maricopa County. When Vice President Cheney spoke he did mention the Arizona delegation....

Jim Kolbe: Leading our Families into Oblivion Paul Rollins SEAR Club Columnist Jul. 26, 2004 12:00AM Today, as I was eating dinner, my wife handed me a postcard from my friendly Congressman, Jim Kolbe. It appears he finally got around to scheduling Town Hall meetings in Cochise County. The post card announced three Town Hall meetings in August however the post card said it was paid for by Kolbe 2004. I found that fact particularly interesting because Town Hall meetings provide a forum in which the public can interact with their representative. They are visits of official business, so, it...

Graf rips Kolbe at candidate forum BY BILL HESS Friday, July 9, 2004 12:46 PM MDT Sierra Vista Herald/Review SIERRA VISTA, AZ -The issues facing Congressional District 8 have changed, and U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe is no longer the man to represent the critical area that includes much of Arizona's border with Mexico, said Randy Graf. As Kolbe's Republican primary opponent, Graf, currently an Arizona legislator and leader in the state House of Representatives, said although Kolbe has served the district for 20 years he is out of touch with his constituents and issues. Critically, the congressman hasn't even recognized...

<p>PALOMINAS, Ariz. -- Wearing a camouflage jacket that cloaks the semi-automatic handgun at his waist, Chris Simcox aims his binoculars less than a mile away toward the seven strands of barbed wire that divide this remote desert town from Mexico.</p>

Illegal immigration a revolving door in Agua Prieta Ignacio Ibarra Updated 5:07 pm Mar 15, 2004 © 2004 Arizona Daily Star AGUA PRIETA, Sonora — Groups of newly deported migrants traveling in groups of as few as four people and as many as 30 come to the border in frequent, if irregular intervals. They more than fill the tables at Cafe Viva Mexico, keep the cluster of pay phones and the liquor store just south of the border busy as well as the drug store, where they stock up on diet pills and snack food to energize them for another...

No joke, this is an actual Howard Dean sign and its location photographed in Cochise County, Arizona. It was sent out by the Cochise County Republican Party and I just about died laughing when I saw it. Note the torn Confederate flag behind the trailer - a perfect touch for the subject of this photo and sign.

Colo. Rep. Tancredo flexes political muscle at fund raiser By Nate Searing Sierra Vista Herald/Review 19 January 2004 SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA - Amid a flurry of chants, including "Tancredo for President," and "Stop rewarding illegal activity," U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo stumped in Sierra Vista Saturday night as part of a fund-raiser for the Cochise County Republican Committee. Tancredo, R-Colo., an avid proponent of immigration reform and closing the U.S.-Mexico border has established a dedicated following in Cochise County among residents opposed to guest-worker programs proposed by President Bush and Arizona legislators Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff...

Protecting property from illegal invasionAuthor talks to head of group deterring human flow from Mexico Posted: January 17, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern Editor's note: In "Illegals: The Imminent Threat Posed by Our Unsecured U.S.-Mexico Border," veteran journalist Jon E. Dougherty documents a truth that both major political parties have missed – namely, that sustained high immigration levels from south of the border will continue to pose economic, labor, security and criminal threats to the United States, unless American and Mexican leaders find ways to limit it. In researching the book, Dougherty interviewed leaders of citizen border groups that are doing their...

Kolbe/Bush Amnesty Proposals Protested! Rep. Kolbe, whose amnesty/guest worker legislation was closely mirrored by President George W. Bush's amnesty proposal last week, held a town hall meeting in Sierra Vista last night. Awaiting his arrival were a dozen protestors who disagree with Kolbe and Bush's proposals which would provide amnesty for illegal aliens. Among the protestors' signs were some that read, "No Amnesty! No Rewards!", "Terrorists Love Open Borders", and "Deport Kolbe". Protestors brought along several bags of trash gathered from a campsite in a wash near 2 of the protestor's homes. The trash was laid out on both sides...

No Amnesty! No Rewards! Protest Bush's and Kolbe's Amnesty Proposals 1/12/04 For the last couple of years, Rep. Jim Kolbe's townhalls in his home district have become increasingly hostile. The primary issue with which Kolbe is bludgeoned is his support for amnesty for illegal aliens and his proposed guest worker scam. Especially in the Sierra Vista area, Kolbe is unwelcome. Kolbe is in his home district right now holding several town halls. Coincidentally, just prior to Kolbe coming home, President Bush announced his (actually Karl Rove's) amnesty/rewards for illegal aliens proposals. The media is now out to gauge reaction...

Checkpoints return to tighten security; Order for using checkpoints given Sunday in response to threat level BY BILL HESS Sierra Vista Herald/Review COCHISE COUNTY -- U.S. Border Patrol highway checkpoints are back in the area with a new emphasis of slowing traffic to look for terrorists and see if drivers and passengers in vehicles are legally in the United States. The checkpoints are part of a nationwide program for the southern and northern border areas that was ordered by the Department of Homeland Security because of the increase in the threat level to orange, U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector spokesman...

Planned Parenthood out of Sierra Vista, for now BY DANA COLE Sierra Vista Herald/Review SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA -- The Planned Parenthood health center of Sierra Vista will be closing its doors on Jan. 27. After providing services at the 1658 E. Fry Blvd. location for 20 years, the agency will not be receiving a lease renewal from its Tucson-based landlord, Can USA Management Services. Planned Parenthood, a not-for-profit organization, offers a range of reproductive health care services, including counseling, contraceptive options, reproductive information and screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases. Through its years in Cochise County, the agency helped...

ABP Sensors Prove Worth on BorderTen Suspected Border Intruders Caught on Night Camera Ten suspected border intruders (SBIs), probably Brazilians, are caught on ABP's infrared camera. Moments later the group spotted the camera crew and ran into the woods. Team Uses Sensor Data to Catch Border Crossers In the ActCochise County, Arizona (ABP) -- Using a report from a ground sensor, an American Border Patrol surveillance team was able to get close-up video of ten suspected border intruders last Friday night. The sensor reported that ten people were on a trail northbound from the border. The ABP surveillance crew...

Resolution to Reaffirm Traditional Republican ValuesWhereas, a Republican majority exists in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and that a Republican President is seated in the White House and therefore it should be apparent that those Republicans, at this time, are significantly responsible for the legislation that is passed and signed into law. Whereas, the Republican Party is traditionally the party of limited government, for reducing the size of government, and for fiscal responsibility. Whereas, the Republican Party platform espouses these ideals of limited government and specifically states the special calling of the Republican Party, namely “to...

Border crossers' trash piled at Kolbe's door ARIZONA DAILY STAR A pile of garbage left behind by illegal border crossers was stacked at the front door of Congressman Jim Kolbe's Sierra Vista office on the weekend. The intended message appeared to be that Kolbe and the U.S. government are not doing enough to stop illegal border crossers trekking across Cochise County. The garbage was cleaned up early Monday. The protesters are dumping on the wrong man, said Neena Moorjani, a spokeswoman for Kolbe. She said Kolbe has secured $2 million to help clean up illegal entrants' garbage in Co-chise County....

Kolbe explains bill, but doesn't find support at SV town hall Congressman Jim Kolbe addresses veterans healthcare, Medicare, prescription drugs and his proposed guest-worker program at Wednesday's town hall meeting. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) John Harrington of Elgin voices concern in regards to Congressman Jim Kolbe's proposed guest-worker program during Wednesday's town hall meeting in the council chambers of the Sierra Vista City Hall. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) BY BILL HESS14 August 2003 Sierra Vista Herald/ReviewSIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA -- U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe said he needs support for a new guest-worker program to end the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States,...

See the problem, then deal with itHe says our seaports are tighter, making America safer.He says our borders are more secure following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, making America safer.But Robert C. Bonner, commissioner of customs and border protection, admits that the border area between Mexico and Arizona is "the Wild West" and is still is vulnerable to terrorists.Mr. Bonner, we want you to change that. We hope that you realize that we've heard statements from politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., and that not much has been done, so far.We're glad you recognize our nation's vulnerability, but it's...

300 Invade Sensitive U.S. Army Installation63 OTMs Caught, Rest Flee at Home of Army Intelligence Sierra Vista, Arizona -- American Patrol has received information about an incident on Fort Huachuca (Arizona) last night in which MPs encountered about 300 suspected illegal aliens on the base. Of the 300, 63 were rounded up and detained, while the remaining suspects escaped. All those captured turned out to be OTMs (other than Mexicans). The Border Patrol is prohibited from going on base unless they are invited.

Kolbe promotes guest-worker bill: Congressman says it will ensure security; reaction from town hall audience is mixedBY BILL HESS 31 July 2003 Sierra Vista Herald/ReviewTUCSON, AZ -- The United States will depend on more foreign workers as American workers reach retirement age, and Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe said a bill he and two other Arizona Republicans introduced in Congress will ensure that people coming from other countries to work in the U.S. will do so legally.Unfortunately, only those congressional representatives with constituents along the border with Mexico understand the importance of a new guest-worker bill that will ensure...

<p>Congressman Jim Kolbe talks with Lori Dicaire, 34, at the Town Hall meeting at the Radisson Hotel concerning the guest-worker program. State Rep. Manny Alvarez (middle) listens.</p> <p>People from all sides of the immigration debate - and some with no ties to it at all - piled into an Arizona congressman's first public presentation of a proposal to legalize immigrants working in the United States and facilitate a legal means for more workers to come.</p>

Thursday, July 31, 2003 Kolbe visa plan a hard sell Even his fellow Republicans are leery at forumBy C.J. Karamargin ARIZONA DAILY STAR Winning over fellow Republicans will be Rep. Jim Kolbe's first task. The Tucson lawmaker held the first of a series of forums Wednesday on a proposal to grant temporary visas to foreign workers. Some of the deepest skepticism came from members of Kolbe's own party. Like Jim Coniglio and Tracie Bunker-Metz. The two Tucson Republicans listened as Kolbe explained his plan to a "town hall" co-sponsored by the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Neither likes it. And...

Thursday, July 31, 2003 Cochise County to get water stations By Michael Marizco ARIZONA DAILY STAR A federal land manager has agreed to allow a border-watch group to place water stations on its land in Cochise County. The Bureau of Land Management will meet with Humane Borders to establish where in the county the humanitarian group wants to place its blue barrels topped with 30-foot flags. Nearly half of 50 known illegal entrant deaths in Arizona in July occurred in Cochise County. The effectiveness of the Border Patrol on some parts of the border, such as the Tohono O'odham Indian...

Thursday, July 31, 2003 Border question: Helping or smuggling? Photos by Aaron J. Latham / Staff Laura Elly, a member of the Samaritan Patrol, finds a campsite deserted by entrants. The group, formed by the Rev. John Fife, is carefully watching the upcoming trial of the founder of Border Watch, who is accused of people-smuggling. The Samaritans group travels the border, providing food, water and medical care to illegal border crossers in need of aid. By Michael Marizco ARIZONA DAILY STAR People offering humanitarian aid to illegal immigrants say their work may be hampered by the decision to bring border...

Wednesday, July 30, 2003 Uproar expected over work visas If you go * Guest-worker legislation will be discussed today at a town hall meeting co-sponsored by the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. * Rep. Jim Kolbe will discuss the bill he recently introduced at the forum, which begins at 4 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel City Center, 181 W. Broadway. It is scheduled to last one hour. Kolbe bill would allow millions of foreigners in U.S.By C.J. Karamargin ARIZONA DAILY STAR U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe predicts fierce opposition to a recently unveiled plan to allow millions of foreigners to live...

Kolbe introduces foreign worker billBILL HESS -- Herald/Review - 7/27/03WASHINGTON -- In what will be a long process, three Arizona Republicans introduced bills Friday in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to open borders to people seeking jobs in the United States as long as companies say they have shortages of workers.House Bill 2899, Border Security and Immigration Improvement Act, was jointly introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake with a companion bill presented to the Senate by Sen. John McCain.The bill is designed to reduce the increasing number of illegal immigrants entering...

Consulate is cog between families, lost loved onesBY BILL HESSSierra Vista Herald/ReviewTuesday, 29 July 2003 Mexican Consulate Miguel Escobar Valdez talks about the rash of dead illegal immigrants found in Douglas and Cochise County. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) DOUGLAS, ARIZONA -- For Mexican Consul Miguel Escobar Valdez, the tough time comes when a call to Mexico has to be made, informing a family that a loved one has died while illegally crossing the border into the United States.Those times have come often, especially this month, when nearly two dozen bodies have been found in Cochise County, Escobar said late last week...

HEREFORD, AZ - Nearly 100 illegal immigratns were found Wednesday [16 July] by U.S. Border Patrol agents east of the San Pedro River and north of Highway 92 near Hereford Road, and agency spokesman said Friday. Four of those rounded up from five different groups were ill and two of them fainted as they were being taken from the ruggen terrain, Tucson Sector spokesman Frank amarillas said. "They (the 100 people) absolutely had no water, no food," Amarillas said. The coyotes, those who smuggle people into the United States, left them to their own devices, directing the illegal immigrants to...

Nation & World 7/28/03 Between Two Lands America's border still beckons to thousands of Mexicans, but today it's a life-and-death trip By Bay Fang U.S. News & World Report IN THE SONORAN DESERT--It's a typical summer night in the Arizona desert, but it feels like the end of the world. Bolts of lightning flash here and there, illuminating the sky for seconds, then fading to black. Thunder crashes in surround sound. Craig Howard, a heavyset 57-year-old, packs two guns and sports a baseball cap. Sitting in a lawn chair behind a bush, he is stock-still as he listens for...

Graf: Initiative pushing citizenship for voting, benefits will prevail: Representative explains reason behind proposal BY BILL HESS Sierra Vista Herald/Review Arizona state Rep. Randy Graf has a discussion with Sierra Vista resident Cliff Costello prior to Thursday's South East Arizona Republican Club meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Sierra Vista. Graf talked to the group about an initiative that would change a state statute regarding voter registration and require state employees to report illegal immigrants. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA -- Even without the support of the Arizona Republican Party leadership and the state's GOP congressional delegation,...

ABP 'Nighthawk' Cam Helps Catch 25Group of Suspected Border Intruders Spotted Near Military Base Infrared RoundupFt. Huachuca, Arizona (ABP) July 17 -- Using a high-tech infrared camera, at 12:45 am Thursday morning a pair of American Border Patrol Hawkeyes spotted a group of suspected border intruders hiding out near the Ft. Huachuca Military Base in Southeastern Arizona. After some delay due to overloaded personnel, the Border Patrol dispatched a helicopter that then steered ground resources to the group. The Hawkeyes worked all night to make the bust.

Federal money targets clean up: Youth Corps part of effort to pick up immigrant wasteBY BILL HESSHerald/Review Chris Hartman, conservation associate for the Bureau of Land Management's student conservation association, walks around an area near the San Pedro River, picking up trash left behind by illegal immigrants. The area, called the culvert colony, is temporary shelter for illegal immigrants waiting to be picked up and taken further into the United States. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review) SIERRA VISTA -- The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has received $720,000 to use to clean up trash left behind by illegal immigrants, and some of...

A brief follow-up on the fire….. I attended the operations meeting this evening at Valley View school in Palominas and have some more information that may be of interest to you. While the fire is still burning – it is being contained. None of the people in charge of the effort wanted to comment on exactly how ‘contained’ it is, though. The estimate is that a little over 1000 acres have been burned. The fire has not gone over the crest of the mountain because of strong winds from the southwest coming up the back of the mountain. These winds...

(Note -- short-lived link.) Border Patrol agents at the Naco station have seen a rise in apprehensions while their counterparts in Douglas have seen a decline. For the first two weeks in April 2003, that is, up to the 14th, agents in Naco have apprehended 4,610 undocumented migrants. For the same month and date in 2002 agents there apprehended 3,649, said Frank Amarillas, spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson sector. For fiscal year 2003 the agents in Naco detained 36,766 undocumented migrants. In fiscal year 2002, the figures were 29,256, Amarillas said. Amarillas said smugglers might think crossing through Naco...

<p>A surge in the number of illegal immigrants apprehended at Fort Huachuca appears to have been addressed - for now - in a meeting between military officials and the U.S. Border Patrol.</p> <p>The fort's spokeswoman, Tanja Linton, said 608 undocumented immigrants have been picked up on the post this year.</p>

Colonel says higher number of illegals is taxing resourcesBY BILL HESSHerald/Review FORT HUACHUCA -- The increasing number of illegal immigrants found on the post is interfering with the fort's regular law enforcement operations, Garrison Commander Col. Lawrence Portouw said Monday. Frank Amarillas, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, said there has been an increase in the number of illegal immigrants apprehended and drugs confiscated in Cochise County when compared to a year ago. This past weekend, 94 illegal immigrants were apprehended on the fort and turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, Portouw said. The number of...

The Cochise County View of the Border  Testimony of Ben L. Anderson Jr., Col US Army Retired, submitted to U.S. Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, Representative Mark Souder, Chairman.   March 10, 2003   Sirs:   My name is Ben L. Anderson Jr.; I am a retired U.S. Army Infantry Colonel.  I am a resident of Cochise County, Arizona.  I served my country for almost 3 decades as a soldier and officer in the U.S. Army.  A significant portion of my career was spent planning for defense of and defending other nation’s borders.  We did quite...

Park Ranger Cites Militia Leader, Seizes His Gun By Tim Steller© 2003 Arizona Daily Star A National Park Service ranger cited militia leader Chris Simcox Sunday for carrying a loaded weapon and operating without a permit at Coronado National Memorial in southeastern Arizona. The chief ranger at the park south of Sierra Vista, Thane Weigand, said it appeared Simcox and William Dore were conducting a patrol of the border. "They were doing a special activity inside the park that's not sanctioned by the park," Weigand said. Simcox, founder of the Tombstone group Civil Homeland Defense, has been conducting citizen patrols...

Do States Have The Authority To Use Militias To Protect Their Borders from Intrusions By Illegal Aliens? By Robert Greenslade Published 12. 11. 02 at 0:11 Sierra Time A recent editorial by Chris Simcox, owner and editor of a weekly paper in Tombstone Arizona called the Tombstone Tumbleweed, has ignited a national debate. Simcox's editorial calls for armed citizen militias patrolling the border in an attempt to detour illegal aliens from crossing into the country. Irrespective of whether you agree with Simcox, his proposal raises an interesting question. Do the States have the authority to use militias to protect their...

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever met recently with officials from the U.S. Attorney General's Office and once again asked for help at the border. "Funding is the big question for all of us," Dever said. "What is currently being done? The answer is there is something being done but not enough." In Cochise County, undocumented aliens cost the county criminal justice system about $3 million in fiscal year 1999-2000, the most recent year for which figures are available, Dever said. The federal push for a Department of Homeland Security may - or may not - help areas like Cochise...

PUERTO PEÑASCO, Sonora - Concerned about the growing number of armed civilians in southern Arizona patrolling the Arizona-Sonora border on their own, the leaders of both states and a powerful cross-border lobbying group called Friday for investigations to see if any of the patrols are breaking the law. The Arizona-Mexico Commission took up the issue during its semi-annual conference this week in Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, recommending that Arizona officials "address the vigilante situation in Cochise County." The commission is a public-private organization with offices in Arizona and Sonora, chaired by each state's governor and which...