Posted on 04/07/2005 5:32:55 AM PDT by Kokojmudd
Illegal entrant taped holding 'caught' T-shirt By Michael Marizco ARIZONA DAILY STAR
PALOMINAS - Cochise County officials said they are investigating two Minuteman volunteers after an illegal entrant complained Wednesday to authorities that he was held against his will.
One of the men paid the illegal entrant $20 and gave him a T-shirt to hold up while he filmed the encounter. The T-shirt read: "Bryan Barton Caught an Illegal Alien and all I got was this T-shirt," said Carol Capas, spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.
It's the first encounter where an illegal entrant has filed a complaint against Minuteman Project volunteers since the monthlong controversial protest started Friday. Volunteers have gathered in Southern Arizona to protest what they said is the federal government's inability to control the border.
Critics said the encounter is the first sign that the Minuteman Project is a "sham" meant to humiliate illegal entrants.
The incident started Wednesday afternoon when Barton, 24, and a second Minuteman volunteer encountered the illegal entrant on Arizona 92 near Palominas, Capas said.
Barton said he gave the man the T-shirt and $20 plus food and water. Then he filmed the man holding up the T-shirt.
The volunteers then called the Border Patrol, which sent agents to pick up the entrant. Once in custody, the entrant complained about being held by the volunteers.
"It was supposed to be funny," Barton said about the encounter.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever didn't think so.
"We have no time or patience for anyone attempting to turn this situation into a three-ring circus," he said.
The Cochise County Attorney's Office is also investigating the complaint.
Barton, who is running for Congress in San Diego on the Republican ticket, said he's not worried about charges being filed and that he never held the man against his will.
He said deputies seized the video for evidence. No arrests have been made in the incident.
"This shows what we've been saying all along," said Jennifer Allen, director of the Border Action Network.
"It was nothing but a media sham to mislead the public," she said. "Clearly they misrepresented the situation. They misrepresented themselves."
Minuteman Project organizers Chris Simcox and James Gilchrist could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
● Contact Michael Marizco at 573-4213 or mmarizco@azstarnet.com.
The officials should round up illegal aliens - they are the ones who pose a threat to our safety, not those who want to protect the borders.
I have recieved 3 mails from him.
Early in the thread I made sarcastic reply to him which he mistook for support. He mailed me thanking me for my support. In return mail I explained that I didn't support him to which he mailed me some mumbo-jumbo.
And later the stooge mail.
How predictable. One guy of the hundreds in the MMP does something stupid and the CAL here jumps in with the Lamestream media in tarring the entire MMP; siding with a media that is better than 90% liberal. It says much about the political leanings of these Illegal Alien supporters/apologists.
All this leaves me wondering, given the CAL's proclivity to smear the MMP based on the conduct of 1 individual, what their "spin" would be if a "certain" Republican member of the House is drummed out of office because of ethics violations? Does this certain individual's conduct represent the conduct of entire Republican Party? By their reasoning it would appear so.
But The Real Story lost in this contrived, trumped up media circus is that after more than a week of the media, ACLU, and other pro-illegal sympathizers turning the MMP inside out to find something embarrassing to report all they have is this pathetic story. If this is all the CAL/media can come up with after 8 days, it only demonstrates the superb job the organizers of the MMP have done in screening out the troublemakers, publicity hounds and other misfits.
Well, thank goodness no one put panties on the heads of any illegal aliens. Can you imagine what would have come of that!!? Oh my...
It's really just a minor incident. For goodness sakes, does this guy get the firing squad?
Intentionally "Confusing the Issue" is a time tested, age old propaganda tool of the Left, developed by Marxists to confuse and mislead the public. The Democrats have used this propaganda technique on Republicans to great effect for many years.
I find it rather interesting that some so-called republicans have readily taken to this old leftist ploy in their vain attempts to stifle debate on illegal immigration and border control. Then again, many of these so-called republicans are former democrats.
"Well, thank goodness no one put panties on the heads of any illegal aliens. Can you imagine what would have come of that!!? Oh my..."
ROFL!
"You guys are in trouble nooo....ooow." [Silly ACLU clown rubs his hands eagerly before stumbling into a cactus.]
I could tell from reading between the lines of your very first dispatches that you had serious doubts about this guy's character. It would seem that your intuition was dead-nuts on. Good call.
--Boot Hill
I just got off the phone with one of the organizers. Apparently, Barton was severely reprimended but not kicked out. I gave him the evidence that I'd uncovered by researching this guy on the web and he's going to go back in and recommend that the guy get sent hom. It is obvious by his actions here and his record (what is available on the Internet) that his purposes are not in line with those of the Minuteman Project and that he serves as a liability to the effort. I will report more later as I get more information.
And since we're still on that topic...
Immigrant wasn't detained by border volunteers, authorities say
By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSTUCSON - Authorities determined Thursday that three volunteers involved in a civilian project to watch the border and report illegal crossers didn't hold an illegal immigrant against his will.
The Mexican man had told sheriff's deputies that he was detained and forced to pose for a picture holding a T-shirt with a mocking slogan.
"The county attorney's office reviewed all available evidence, that indicates that there was no forcible detention, therefore the case is not substantiated, and no charges are pending," said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.
The sheriff's department, Mexican Consul Miguel Escobar from Douglas and the U.S. Border Patrol also agreed that the 26-year-old man from Obregon, Mexico, was not detained, Capas and Border Patrol spokeswoman Andrea Zortman said.
Escobar and County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer hadn't returned calls seeking comment by early Thursday afternoon.
The volunteers involved in Wednesday's incident identified themselves as members of the Minuteman Project _ a monthlong effort that has people from around the country spread out along a stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border to report undocumented migrants and smugglers.
Law enforcement officials have said they fear the project will lead to vigilante violence. Mexico's foreign relations department also pledged in the days leading up to the civilian operation to pursue all legal and diplomatic means to stop the volunteers and ensure that they do not violate the rights of Mexican citizens.
Wednesday's incident was the first reporting any possible detention, though volunteers earlier assisted an immigrant in distress.
It's actually EDT. Daylight savings began this week. :-)
Yea the war was won. Texas broke away and became an independent nation and then joined the U.S. Now we have a new war independent of what happened then. What you see is the result of Marxist/Leninist thought and action. Flow in slowly and destroy the enemy from within. Eventually new enemies do show themselves and work on any divisions that may be of use to them.
People were doing that sort of thing thousands of years before either of those guys came along.
I really do wish you guys would quit giving credit to the creepy commies.
Still, first things first. Democrats use every technique they can to commit vote fraud. You really do have to criticize them no matter what you think is going on around here.
And with your open border position, soon your culture may be history. In the absence of a secure border we are no more secure in preserving what is left of America than a Florida woman was of preserving her life. (open borders gone wild)
Some things are worth preserving. And, you'll find on this particular subject, there may be many who'd gladly dust off a musket to preserve this country and it's values rather than succumb to a third world existence.
America still remains a new concept in an historically ugly world of good vs. evil and as such, may still be capable of surprises yet unseen.
The difference between WalMart and America is: that WalMart has never advertised all merchandise as "Free". When they do, I guarantee this will be the last place you shop.
You can do this on a large scale, or a small scale, with even selected neighborhoods isolated from the others lest they reach out and throttle freedom and liberty.(/sarcasm)
By the way, I like "W"'s idea ~ turn the whole world into a big ol' America ~ let freedom ring from every mountain side.
Only a feg would suggest that, ie. put a rubber on and you're free to roam within certain limits. This is America, she doesn't have to put up with illegal entrants, she doesn't have to put up with non-suitors anymore than your wife or girlfriend should have to tolerate rape.
Take heart, there are still those who'll protect her.
This might/could happen, but I'm not convinced that it should happen on my dime. Sorta like handing a teenager a car vs. having them pay for it. The perception of 'value' may make it worth the wait for them to pay for it. Same with messed-up countries.
If we kick everyone's ass and allow those remaining liberty, they may develope less of an appreciation of it.
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