Reality TV does the same all the time - tricking people in "Punk'd" and so on. And is anyone else here old enough to remember "Candid Camera"?
The Minutemen aren't gov't officials. They're just a huge neighborhood watch group. What these two guys did was nothing... (unless the illegal is able to sue for damages?)
Here's the thing that these idiots did wrong beyond violating the S.O.P. The food and water is OK because maybe the intruder looked like he needed. The T-Shirt is even OK because maybe the guy looks like he needed some clothing. However, the wording of the shirt says that he "caught" the illegal alien. That is NOT what he was supposed to do as a MMP volunteer. The $20 is a problem because it totally exposes what this Barton idiot is all about. By giving the intruder $20 he HIRED an illegal alien which is what the whole Minuteman Project is opposed too. That he did all of this BEFORE calling Border Patrol is also a problem.
But, compared to what the border intruders do and the ongoing invasion that is occuring over our southern border, this is a very minor incident. I'm sure that the media is trumping it up as much as possible to damage the MMP and that no charges will ever be filed because the video tape will help exonerate Barton. However, the damage will have been done to the Minuteman Project because of this idiot's stupid stunt.
Of course, the media may be making up a great deal of this story. Who knows? We know that the media is very hostile to the whole Minuteman Project and will do anything to damage it.