Group joins Goliad watch (Texas Minutemen)

Corpus Christi Caller-Times ^ | June 16, 2005 | Mike Baird

[SwinneySwitch]

Ranchers: immigrants are causing problems

Goliad County area ranchers say their children can't ride their bikes on county roads because of vehicles zooming past, bulging with undocumented immigrants. Many complain about large numbers of illegal immigrants roosting on and around their lands.

"Parts of my land look like a city dump," said Bill Parmley, 49, a petroleum geologist and landowner. "It takes hundreds of these people to litter this much."

Parmley is one organizer of the Sarco Concerned Citizens group, which is forming the first Texas affiliate of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, which will work with local law enforcement, Border Patrol agents, and landowners from four counties.

The Minuteman Project is an organization spawned in Arizona that monitors illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It's like a big neighborhood border watch group," said Simcox, a newspaperman from Arizona who founded the Minuteman organization. "We're basically reinventing the civil defense movement," he said, adding that citizens are trained to observe and report immigrant activity to authorities, but not intervene.

The city of Goliad has no police department, leaving the county sheriff's deputies to respond to calls. Goliad County Sheriff's Department has impounded more than 50 vehicles, seized for transporting undocumented immigrants, in the last few weeks.

"On a local level, it's not an immigration problem that justifies our involvement," said Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza. "It's Homeland Security and to protect our citizens."

DeLaGarza said his office is researching the Minutemen, and he plans to attend the Monday meeting, but he doesn't yet sanction the organization.

"If they're just extra eyes, that's great," he said. "But the people in Sarco have already been doing a great job with that."

Corpus Christi's Border Patrol office has 13 officers to cover 13 counties, including Goliad County. Agent Felix Cantu has been meeting with the Sarco group and quickly responds to immigrant issues, the sheriff said.

Cantu wouldn't comment about the Monday meeting, deferring to Border Patrol's McAllen Sector. Roy Cervantes, with that sector, declined to comment, as did Assistant Director Mario Villarreal at the national headquarters.

The Minuteman Project went national in April, with 1,300 people already trained and participating within the law, Simcox said.

"We are now processing over 20,000 volunteer requests from as far as Michigan," he said.

Volunteers must undergo a background check, and a telephone interview. Simcox will sanction the new Texas chapter as long as they adhere to the established rules, he said.

"It's not rocket science. Anyone with binoculars, the ability to communicate, and time to observe is welcome," Simcox said.

The Minutemen operate with a strict no-contact policy, but have made some rescues, giving water to people in desperate need, Simcox said.

"We're not taking the law into our own hands, and our insurance policy is the video camera," he said. "We document every step to make sure no one claims we violated anyone's rights."_

[SwinneySwitch]

Meeting

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Where: Goliad County Fairground auditorium, Goliad

Guest Speaker: Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Project

[NJ_gent]

"bulging with undocumented immigrants"

They are not 'undocumented immigrants'. They are criminals.

[SwinneySwitch]

Goliad Minutemen Ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.

[Paleo Conservative]

Remember Goliad!

[brushcop]

THERE YOU GO!! Isn't it funny how relevant the old battle cries become?

[SwinneySwitch]

Remember Agua Dulce Creek!

[Paleo Conservative]

Remember Agua Dulce Creek!

That's was in my county.

AGUA DULCE CREEK, BATTLE OF. The battle of Agua Dulce Creek, an engagement of the Texas Revolution and an aftermath of the controversial Matamoros expedition of 1835-36, occurred twenty-six miles below San Patricio on March 2, 1836. Dr. James Grant and his party of twenty-three Americans and three Mexicans were surprised and defeated by a Mexican force under José de Urrea. Six of the volunteers escaped, five of whom joined James W. Fannin, Jr., at Goliad and were killed in the Goliad Massacre on March 27; six were captured and taken to Matamoros as prisoners; all others were killed in the engagement.

[manic4organic]

Greg Knapp, a wonderful conservative host on KLIF-AM in Dallas, is organizing a trip to the border with busloads of watchers (with Minutemen approval) in early October. I'd love to go.

http://www.klif.com