Posted on 04/15/2005 11:24:38 AM PDT by Hunterb
TUCSON, Ariz. – Organizers of a project using civilian volunteers to watch for illegal immigrants and smugglers along the Arizona border want to expand to other border states this fall.
Patrols would be concentrated in high-traffic smuggling areas similar to the stretch in southeastern Arizona where volunteers with the Minuteman Project are patrolling through April 30, said Chris Simcox, a project organizer.
Simcox, who said the project "ignited a national wave of support," also noted supporters want to conduct a national fundraiser to help pay for gas and equipment for volunteers.
Critics, including those fearing that racist-inspired violence might erupt, said they doubt there's widespread public support but acknowledge the project appears to be accomplishing a primary objective: drawing national attention.
"This has been probably one of the more successful efforts by these types of groups to draw media attention," said Joe Roy, chief intelligence analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center's intelligence center in Montgomery, Ala.
The Minuteman Project volunteers, some of whom are armed, began spreading out earlier this month along a 23-mile stretch of desert between the border communities of Naco and Douglas.
Organizers say they want the patrols to call attention to what they say is the federal government's failure to secure the border against illegal immigrants, smugglers and potential terrorists.
Arizona is considered the most vulnerable stretch of the 2,000-mile southern border. Of the 1.1 million illegal immigrants caught by the Border Patrol last year, more than half crossed the border through Arizona.
Law enforcement officials have said they fear the project will lead to vigilante violence, an accidental confrontation between armed volunteers and authorities, or a dangerous encounter with the violent smugglers who use the area.
Minuteman Project spokesmen said that the sightings they have reported between April 4 and Wednesday resulted in the apprehending of 268 illegal immigrants by the Border Patrol, whose agents have caught 2,373 people in the Naco area this month.
This is great news...
Can I volunteer for the Hawai'i duty? After all, think about it, they ONLY have international borders. :-)
MMP VOLUNTEER ON RUSH LIMBAUGH NOW!
FYI
I can't get RUSH here in the office (don't know a URL to listen) so keep us up to date on what is said.
LOL!!! It's kindof ok here because it is a long swim to the mainland.
That's exactly why you need some volunteers. There is SO MUCH undefended territory. LOL!
Rush just finished with the MMP dude now, and the program is in commercial break.
He was a Ham operator and was discussing some of the technical details, such as the pilots involved in the project.
A minuteman who is a ham radio operator for the group just called into Rush Limbaugh's program. Said they had an air wing too. Rush said if they patrol in Texas they could put a couple of canoes in the Rio Grande and call it their Navy. Rush congratulated them on being so effective. The caller said the locals are thanking them big time, bringing cookies, giving hugs, grateful for finally being able to get a full night's sleep because their dogs aren't barking every hour at the illegals tromping through their yards.(parapharse).
I wouldn't mind parking my butt in a lawn chair on a cliff overlooking lake Superior.
bush and the republicans need to get out in front of this fast...
uncle Vincente is very sad...
Let me know when they hit CA, I'll join them!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
PS and I'll bring a few former and retired Marines with me! :-]
Rush says, "Listen to Jim Gilchrist...he's right."
Here's a link to listen live
http://www.kfi640.com
Looks like the MMP may be more mainstream than it at first appeared.
The GOP had better wake up and smell the coffee, or get used to being out of office again.
Side note: Went to my local GOP club meeting last night -- these are folks who manned the phones, walked the precincts, and collected the recall petitions in Cali. the last two years. Mainstream, solid citizens. Not a radical in the bunch. BUT, the Terri Shiavo case, the weak response in the senate to the "constitutional option" and yes, the MMP have created a perfect storm among the base. People are hot under the collar, and the "leadership" is asleep at the switch.
We've already got ourselves a DP, but I'll ping anyway.
This is a duplicate post...I'm going to see if the rest of the story has been put online yet, and reping it if it has.
"uncle Vincente is very sad..."
That's Vincente Arafat to you and me.
Here's the link to the original post today...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384278/posts
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.