An anti-immigrant group was asked to leave a Washington Township diner

   HIGHTSTOWN — A group known for fighting against illegal immigrants was asked to leave a Washington Township diner while a Hispanic civil rights conference took place in the borough on Sunday, Washington police said.

   The New Jersey Division of Civil Rights and the Mercer County Hispanic Association sponsored a civil rights conference for Hispanics on Sunday at St. Anthony of Padua Church. The meeting came in the wake of a series of raids for illegal immigrants in the area by the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

   Hightstown Mayor Robert Patten said he found out about the meeting of the United Patriots of America through a friend in Freehold on Sunday. He then notified the Hightstown Police Department because he saw it as his duty to inform them about any potential problems, he said.

   "I didn't really know anything at all (about the Patriots), other than they were doing some protest about immigration," the mayor said.
   Chief James Eufemia said he had received information from the Freehold Police Department that the group was planning to meet at a neighboring diner. He then notified the Washington police.

   "We had no other information," he said. Chief Eufemia was unavailable for further comment.
   Ron Bass, president of the United Patriots of America, said his group initially wanted to meet in Freehold to discuss projects related to guarding the border between the United States and Mexico as well as the formation of a New Jersey immigration group. But the owner of the hall in Freehold asked them not to meet there when picketers threatened to protest the event.

   The group then rescheduled for the USA Country Diner on Route 130 in Washington Township, but Mr. Bass speculated that the protesters found out about the event through the Internet.

   "When we arranged the space with the gentleman, I had told them there could be some problems," Mr. Bass said. "I didn't want the man to be surprised."

   He said he does not remember if he told the man the purpose of his group — the organization's Web site describes its purpose as fighting to preserve American values and the Constitution through fighting illegal immigration.
   At 3:07 p.m. four Washington police officers arrived at the scene to find picketers holding signs such as "Immigrants are allowed here," said Detective Vince Estelle of the Washington police. The police asked both the picketers and the United Patriots, who were described by Detective Estelle as a group that does not want to allow immigrants into the country, to leave, he said.

   Both groups complied.

   Mr. Bass said the only sign he saw said, "Human Beings are not Illegal."

   "Human beings can't be illegal, but they can do illegal things and break the law," he said.

   Mr. Bass said there were "two handfuls" of Patriots attempting to gather. Police could not say how many protestors were assembled outside the diner.

   The Minuteman project, which puts members on patrol throughout the border between the United States and Mexico to report undocumented migrants and smugglers, has seen some recent controversy. According to published reports, three Minutemen now are under investigation for reportedly restraining a 26-year-old Mexican man on the border.

   The Minutemen, however, said all they did was wave over the man and offer him food and water.
   Although Mr. Bass said he sympathized with diner's decision to ask the group to leave, he said there was no reason to do so.

   "I guess it would matter if we said we were the American Communist Party," he said. "They may not be comfortable with communists, but I don't know why anyone would be uncomfortable with patriots."

   The general manager of the USA Country Diner, who did not give his name, said the whole event was a "misunderstanding."

   "If people want to have their meetings, they don't have their meeting there," he said Wednesday at the USA Diner Restaurant in East Windsor. He then walked away and refused to comment further.
   Torry Watkins, a resident of Hightstown, said he was concerned that borough officials had violated the United Patriots' civil rights by becoming involved.

   "Even vigilantes have First Amendment rights," said Torry Watkins, a Hightstown resident, at Monday's Borough Council meeting.

   But Mr. Watkins relented in his argument after Mayor Patten assured him that that had not been the case.

   "I appreciate your confidence in me that I will fight for everybody's rights," he said.

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Chief James Eufemia said he had received information from the Freehold Police Department that the group was planning to meet at a neighboring diner. He then notified the Washington police.
   "We had no other information," he said. Chief Eufemia was unavailable for further comment.
   Ron Bass, president of the United Patriots of America, said his group initially wanted to meet in Freehold to discuss projects related to guarding the border between the United States and Mexico as well as the formation of a New Jersey immigration group. But the owner of the hall in Freehold asked them not to meet there when picketers threatened to protest the event.
   The group then rescheduled for the USA Country Diner on Route 130 in Washington Township, but Mr. Bass speculated that the protesters found out about the event through the Internet.
   "When we arranged the space with the gentleman, I had told them there could be some problems," Mr. Bass said. "I didn't want the man to be surprised."
   He said he does not remember if he told the man the purpose of his group — the organization's Web site describes its purpose as fighting to preserve American values and the Constitution through fighting illegal immigration.
   At 3:07 p.m. four Washington police officers arrived at the scene to find picketers holding signs such as "Immigrants are allowed here," said Detective Vince Estelle of the Washington police. The police asked both the picketers and the United Patriots, who were described by Detective Estelle as a group that does not want to allow immigrants into the country, to leave, he said.
   Both groups complied.
   Mr. Bass said the only sign he saw said, "Human Beings are not Illegal."
   "Human beings can't be illegal, but they can do illegal things and break the law," he said.
   Mr. Bass said there were "two handfuls" of Patriots attempting to gather. Police could not say how many protestors were assembled outside the diner.
   The Minuteman project, which puts members on patrol throughout the border between the United States and Mexico to report undocumented migrants and smugglers, has seen some recent controversy. According to published reports, three Minutemen now are under investigation for reportedly restraining a 26-year-old Mexican man on the border.
   The Minutemen, however, said all they did was wave over the man and offer him food and water.
   Although Mr. Bass said he sympathized with diner's decision to ask the group to leave, he said there was no reason to do so.
   "I guess it would matter if we said we were the American Communist Party," he said. "They may not be comfortable with communists, but I don't know why anyone would be uncomfortable with patriots."
   The general manager of the USA Country Diner, who did not give his name, said the whole event was a "misunderstanding."
   "If people want to have their meetings, they don't have their meeting there," he said Wednesday at the USA Diner Restaurant in East Windsor. He then walked away and refused to comment further.
   Torry Watkins, a resident of Hightstown, said he was concerned that borough officials had violated the United Patriots' civil rights by becoming involved.
   "Even vigilantes have First Amendment rights," said Torry Watkins, a Hightstown resident, at Monday's Borough Council meeting.
   But Mr. Watkins relented in his argument after Mayor Patten assured him that that had not been the case.
   "I appreciate your confidence in me that I will fight for everybody's rights," he said.

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