Posted on 08/17/2005 12:24:34 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Laredo may be leading the way for other border cities who are looking to stop self- help groups from taking immigration laws into their own hands.
The Laredo City Council Monday night passed a resolution that says they do not approve of individuals or groups who visit the city and want to assist the federal government in enforcing immigration laws.
The resolution also encourages landowners within Webb County or the city to refuse helping groups who ask for their assistance in patrolling the border.
The Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, a national organized group of people aiming to stop illegal immigration, is planning to visit the city in October and also in April.
The council did not comment on the resolution Monday.
Roger Roach, State Director for Texas LULAC, said LULAC districts across the state have been waiting to see what Laredo does as far as passing laws or resolutions to deter groups such as the Minutemen.
"With the leadership shown by our city council in passing this resolution, LULAC is taking this to other cities across the state so they can adopt something equal to the City of Laredo," Rocha said. "Other cities are very concerned with the Minutemen and the negativity that they bring to respective cities."
Councilman Jose Valdez Jr., who had placed the item on the agenda to ask city staff what could be done about preventing groups such as the Minutemen from coming into the city, said he hopes the resolution sets an example.
"They are not welcomed. It's not like they have free reign to come in and do whatever they want. They still have to follow the law like everybody else," Valdez said. "Texas has always been a very unique state. Our attitude in Texas is we need to do what we have to do. I think the council has always taken that stance. I think what we did at council will set the tone for other cities to follow."
Shannon McGauley, co-founder of the Texas Minutemen Corp., which has branched off of the Minutemen Project, said people are misinterpreting what the group's intentions are.
"We don't have anything to do with hate groups and we work hard to promote non-racist philosophies," McGauley said. "We are not going to be stopping people on the streets asking them if they are illegal or not. That's not what we are about. We're going to catch the real threat, human smuggling and whatever looks suspicious."
McGauley said he has been following the border violence in Nuevo Laredo and has recently become concerned for some of the volunteers that participate in his group.
At least 112 homicides have occurred throughout the year in the Sister City.
"We're stopping illegal immigration and everything that is illegal on the border. When law enforcement officers leave their area, there are people that are their watching," McGauley said, noting that's what hundreds of Minutemen plan to do.
McGauley said his group will come regardless of any resolution that is passed.
"The time has come that this is going to stop," he said. "Landowners are tired of having their stuff destroyed."
(Erica Cordova can be reached at (956) 728-2557 or at erica@lmtonline.com.)
Cut of all state and federal dollars to the City of Laredo!
"McGauley said his group will come regardless of any resolution that is passed."
Good. As far as I know there have been no amendments to the constitution that can stop them.
Wow. A resolution.
Means nothing and carries no force of law.
As with other cities, a few councilmen trying to deny the wishes of an entire city.
It doesn't ban the minutemen and they said it won't stop them. What' the city councils point? They think people care what they say?
I love articles like this which PRAISE people for not doing something themselves, but for sitting around and waiting for the government to do something for them. That's the good ol' American spirit!
It's pretty likely that the same writer will attack the police FOR doing something that they praise the people for not doing.
As far as I know, a city council cannot stop the minutemen's right to assemble as long as that pesky first amendment is still in the U.S. constitution. I hope this makes the minutemen come to this town first, and stay longer.
ping
Check out the names of the council members:
Mayor
Elizabeth G. Flores
District I
Alfredo Agredano
District II
Hector "Tito" Garcia
District III
John C. Galo
District IV
Johnny Amaya
District V
Johnny Rendon
District VI
Gene Belmares
District VII
Mayor Pro Tempore
Jose Alberto Valdez, Jr.
District VIII
Juan Ramirez
Anything stand out here?
Agreed. As effective as a UN resolution.
Citizens should be "very concerned" with politicians who do nothing to reduce the number of illegal aliens in their city. Language, Culture, Borders.
It's hard to assist a government who REFUSES to enforce immigration laws, but it's a dirty job and someone has to do it.
The press consists almost solely of sob sisters nowadays.
Great Scot, man! Don't you realize you have [gasp & choke] strayed from the PC-approved path here?
I hope you're not suggesting these Latinos/Hispanics/Whatevers may possibly be predisposed to favor the illegal aliens flooding across our border?
Please - please tell me you're not suggesting that.
Does this carry the same weight as a resolution from the UN?
I don't think they can launch bombers with a Laredo resolution ;)
The resolution also encourages landowners within Webb County or the city to refuse helping groups who ask for their assistance in patrolling the border.
That so? Well, here's my resolution:
I resolve to encourage my fellow American citizens to do all they lawfully can to assist the enforcement of immigration laws, such as visiting towns like Laredo, Texas with local governments that encourage scofflaw employers and illegal immigrants.
I also resolve to encourage landowners within Laredo or Webb Count to wholeheartedly and unstintingly assist those brave American patriot volunteers patrolling the border to ebb the flow of an invasion that traitors like LULAC and its sock puppet Laredo City Council want to aid and abet.
Lastly, I resolve to encourage the voting American citizens of Laredo and Webb County to remember to campaign against and vote out the traitors in their local governments the very next Election Day.
"They still have to follow the law like everybody else," Valdez said.
They are and do moreso than those such as he who aids and emboldens illegal aliens.
Since we KNOW that organized crime owns Nuevo Laredo it would be no surprise to find out that Laredo is also owned by the same drug cartels. It's one of their MAJOR pipelines into the U.S.
Owned or intimidated or both.
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.