Posted on 04/07/2005 1:04:16 PM PDT by SmithL
TUCSON, Ariz. - Authorities determined Thursday that three volunteers involved in a civilian project to watch the border and report illegal crossers did not 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 shirt read: "Bryan Barton caught an illegal alien and all I got was this T-shirt." Barton was one of the three volunteers.
"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 and the U.S. Border Patrol also agreed that the 26-year-old man was not detained, said Capas and Border Patrol spokeswoman Andrea Zortman.
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.
I'd just do an in forum search for spiff, he's been posting news from the front.
I just confirmed it. Bryan Barton was kicked out of the Minuteman Project today. Good riddance.
What will Gheen say? I thought he was your main squeeze? :)
Hey look, I have a cyber stalker! LOL
Of course he is not that good...Jackelope breeder is my main squeeze!
Do they actually take back his deputy dog badge?
Yes. They take back his deputy dog badge.
Did you get to meet him? Is he too kewl, or what?
Amazing people in Southern AZ. I am readly to cash out and move down there!
I did n't get a deputy dog badge!
:-) LOL
If you're serious, do it quickly. The housing market has just gone through the roof, much of it fueled by investors and speculation.
If Ft. Huachuca survives Base Realignment and Closure, we will pick up more soldiers and civilians, and property values across the board are expected to rise.
http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050407-095606-6430r.htm
There aren't many border-control success stories these days, but Arizona's Minuteman Project is quickly becoming one. For observers wondering how average Americans can contribute meaningfully to homeland security, the Minutemen are becoming something of a model. If a comparison to Britain's World War II civilian spotters seems far-fetched -- the spotters were private citizens, often over the age to serve in the military, who watched for Nazi planes and helped British forces score some considerable successes -- the difference is one of circumstance. That's something for President Bush and the open-borders crowd to think about.
In their first week, the binoculared and infrared-equipped Minutemen spotted dozens of suspected illegals and reported them to the Border Patrol. In one of their first encounters with illegals, as Jerry Seper of The Washington Times reported from Palominas, Ariz., volunteers rescued a dehydrated and emaciated illegal. "Everything has gone very nicely," American Civil Liberties Union spokesman Ray Ybarra told The Washington Times. A few weeks ago the ACLU was intoning gravely about possible abuses and violent confrontations. This week it says things are fine.
Only one even remotely troubling report has emerged. Three volunteers allegedly stopped a migrant and forced him to wear a T-shirt that read: "Bryan Barton caught an illegal alien and all I got was this T-shirt." If that's the worst to come from Project Minuteman, everyone should be pleased.
The Minuteman effect is being felt across the border. In Mexico, the Houston Chronicle reports, the town of Agua Prieta, a hub for illegals, is abuzz with anxiety. Grupo Beta, a government agency that aids illegals, has located the Minutemen and is telling illegals to go around. That, Minuteman organizer Chris Simcox says, is a victory. "We want to show that force of numbers secures the border," he told the Chronicle. Of course, he's only right if we have civilian patrols along the whole stretch of the border. Which we may soon have if Minuteman successes continue.
Publicly, Border Patrol executives have opposed the Minuteman Project and warned of violent confrontations. We are gratified no such violence has occurred. Privately, Minutemen are getting word from agents in the field that they appreciate their help. As Mr. Simcox told Fox News Thursday morning, agents are giving the "thumbs up" to the volunteers.
How ironic that the people who President Bush derided as "vigilantes" are acting as much-needed extra eyes and ears for law-enforcement officials. The Minutemen have all but sealed the U.S.-Mexico border in the 23-mile stretch they patrol. Their success suggests that, organized in larger scale with a cooperative federal government, groups like Project Minuteman could be a substantial contribution to border security. At the very least, the Minutemen are bringing some much-needed attention to the nation's woefully porous borders. We hope President Bush and others who prefer the status quo are watching.
Now, that deserves its own post...
I just did it.
A draw huh? As if you are some fair, objective person weighing, like an impartial judge, the veracity of each side of the argument. That's really quite hilarious coming from you.
"No offense" but you showed what side you are on with your below statement:
"You couldn't beat the Mexicans lead by brother Santa Anna at the Alamo - You're certainly not going to beat Mara Salvatrucha with a bunch of fat old ex-supply sergeants."
That’s quite a revealing statement. I don't know which part of this statement is worse. The first part, where you take the side of Mexico and Santa Anna against the brave, vastly outnumbered, Patriotic Americans that stood their ground and died at the Alamo or your siding with a murderous drug running criminal enterprise from Central America.
Anyway, Nice to Know where your true sentiments lie and where you are coming from.
"Dear Sweet God, it's worse than Abu Ghraib! Run for your lives! Holding a t-shirt??? The inhumanity!"
Indeed. He was treated inhumanely. Let's send all of the minutemen to a concentration camp. Worse yet, make them listen to a Hillary speech.
A pro-illegal caller told Rush yesterday, "We can't stop these immigrants. They are willing to die to enter the US."
Rush responded, "Actually, the exact opposite is true. This whole thing with the Minutemen prove they AREN'T willing to die."
Thanks for the info. CBG sounds like a real jerk. At least now we know what side of the issue he's on, and it's not on the same side of the majority of Americans. CBG seems to enjoy using the standard tactic of Liberals: If you don't have a good argument to defend your position, resort to name-calling. Absolutely despicable behavior.
Well, since you have absolutely nothing to back up your claim about Tancredo hiring illegal aliens besides that baseless article in the Denver Post in which the newspaper claims that their two main witnesses against Tancredo are a couple of lawbreakers who the newspaper is refusing to name, it isn't necessary for me to counter it because there's nothing to counter. It would be like saying to somebody "I have absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing against you. So what do you have to defend yourself against my lack of evidence of wrongdoing against you?"
Only a federal gun law which you Arnold Republicans seem to love.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.