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Tancredo Rips Government’s Spying of Minutemen
tancredo.house.gov ^ | 05/09/2006 | Will Adams

Posted on 05/09/2006 12:40:29 PM PDT by NapkinUser

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Tom Tancredo (R-CO) decried a recently-disclosed U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) practice of tipping off the Mexican military to the location of Minutemen volunteers. According to a story in this morning’s Inland Daily Bulletin, CBP notifies the Mexican government of when and where the Minutemen are planning to monitor the border and if violence is used by the Minutemen against illegal aliens. There has not been one verified instance of Minutemen volunteers using violence against illegal aliens.

“The Mexican military doesn’t exactly have a ‘good government’ reputation. The Border Patrol has documented more than two hundred incursions into the U.S by the Mexican military, and Texas sheriffs even apprehended Mexican government vehicles that were used to ferry drug runners across the border. By tipping off Mexico’s military to the Minutemen’s location, the U.S. government is asking for trouble,” said Tancredo.

“Heavily-armed military officials stationed only yards from civilians are at least intimidating. I can only surmise that the Border Patrol bureaucrats’ spying is meant to have a chilling effect on the Minutemen’s recruitment of more volunteers,” said Tancredo.

“The Minutemen haven’t been accused of breaking the law. Quite the contrary—they have gone out of their way to aid law enforcement and ensure the safety of our border. The U.S. government has no grounds upon which to stifle the Minutemen’s constitutional right to organize,” Tancredo concluded. “I want to know the legal basis for CBP informing a foreign government of the activities of private citizens who are obeying the law.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Arizona; US: California; US: Colorado; US: New Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 109th; aliens; amnesty; border; borderlist; bordersecurity; bush; bushamnesty; illegalimmigration; illegals; immigration; invasionusa; loudobbs; minutemanproject; minutemen; mmp; openborders; saracarter; tancredo; tomtancredo; treason
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To: Dane

No, the point was that Congress was under control of the democrats who were under the control of the education unions. What that means is the Dept of Ed was not going to be dismantled in toto, it was not going away.

Therefore, the next best thing was for republican presidents to appoint officials that would ensure the department was cut maximally. Tancredo was part of the conservative force that assisted in downsizing the department.

That Tancredo accepted a check is irrelevant. He was hired to downsize a liberal department and he did what he was hired to do.

It's a safe bet he could have got a paycheck from any number of government positioms given his ability to lead as a conservative.

I think your response was correct with the first word but went downhill after that.


561 posted on 05/09/2006 9:57:48 PM PDT by Hostage
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To: JeffAtlanta

True but Tancredo is central to the fight against the open borders lobby. Any effort to discredit Tancredo as a conservative must be countered so that others reading and studying will not doubt his leadership nor be led to believe his track record is inconsistent.


562 posted on 05/09/2006 10:02:30 PM PDT by Hostage
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Comment #563 Removed by Moderator

To: Arizona Carolyn

I don't expect to see reports for 2006, after they've generated undesireable attention, assuming that this is not some sort of elaborate fabrication. I wouldn't be surprised to see the three reports from 2005 deleted, either, regardless of their accuracy or the lack of it.


564 posted on 05/09/2006 10:10:57 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Arizona Carolyn
BTW, on topic but they are trying to get an ordinance to make it illegal to rent to illegals in San Bernardino County -- some ballot measure and the council says if it makes it on the ballot they won't fight it.

I've been trying to keep up with this thread all day long. I live in SB County, and if you hear anything about the above, ping me please : )

565 posted on 05/09/2006 10:12:28 PM PDT by TheSpottedOwl (If you don't understand the word "Illegal", then the public school system has failed you.)
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Comment #566 Removed by Moderator

To: wolfcreek

That's my instinct as well but someone earlier raised a good point that IF the President was informed of this, he has not responded at all and that in itself is telling.

If the President ordered this, that's a whole another matter that is firghtening to say the least.

The only possibility left is that the President has not been informed. If this is the case, then it goes to the Administration's ineptness. But this possibility is remote given that Tancredo has the story in the press.

In all three cases, the President is seen as failing.

The only way forward for the President is to announce he was surprised to hear of this spying on law abiding citizens and that he has fired those found to be involved, suspended those that are suspected of involvement pending an internal investigation.

The evidence thus far is not good. The President has labeled the Minutemen as 'vigilantes'. Other indirect evidence has Karl Rove alledgedly telling Tancredo not to soil the President's reputation or words to that effect.


567 posted on 05/09/2006 10:13:52 PM PDT by Hostage
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To: Hostage
It could very honestly be a mid level bureaucrat making his own call. It could also be fake, and it could have come right from the president. I'm no fan of GWB, but lets not hang him before the facts come in.
568 posted on 05/09/2006 10:16:27 PM PDT by RHINO369
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Comment #569 Removed by Moderator

(05/09/2006)Statement Today’s report by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, “U.S. tipping Mexico to Minuteman patrols,” is inaccurate. Border Patrol does not report activity by civilian, non-law enforcement groups to the Government of Mexico. During a detention of a legal or illegal immigrant that produces an allegation of improper treatment, Border Patrol reports the allegation and allows the appropriate consulate to interview the individual in custody.

This is consistent with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 that provides consular access to foreign nationals being detained by a foreign government. This is the same agreement that protects United States citizens when they travel to foreign countries.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol continues to appreciate the efforts of civilians who contact law enforcement authorities regarding suspicious activity.

570 posted on 05/09/2006 10:16:35 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: Doctor Stochastic

But Interpol is an international police organization that can request information on known or suspected criminal elements. They cannot request information on law abiding citizens.

So what is your point?


571 posted on 05/09/2006 10:18:13 PM PDT by Hostage
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Comment #572 Removed by Moderator

To: Hostage

Try reading post 570 and perhaps it will clear up your misunderstanding.


573 posted on 05/09/2006 10:19:42 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: NapkinUser

So we have stories saying this happened and another on this website that said it was a lie.

Dear FR friends, has ANYONE figured out as this dust settled what is the truth of this issue?


574 posted on 05/09/2006 10:21:53 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: HappyFeet

LOL! I don't think so.


575 posted on 05/09/2006 10:22:13 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: eazdzit

they hi-jack threads and try to intimidate or provoke posters.



They do try, but they are not the only ones. If one is in control of ones emotions, you can debate them until they get too shrill. At that I usually leave because I can tell that they are just trying to get into a flame war. I only debate people anymore that are capable of doing so without all the vitriol. This does not include the two posters you mentioned or a couple others I could mention.


576 posted on 05/09/2006 10:26:45 PM PDT by trubluolyguy (I love coffee....I love it GOOD!)
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To: NapkinUser

Time will tell whether this story is true or false. However, what speaks volumes is that given the President's inaction on securing the border without a guest worker program a goodly number of us believe that his Border Patrol would do such a thing.


577 posted on 05/09/2006 10:28:36 PM PDT by Old_Mil (http://www.constitutionparty.org - Forging a Rebirth of Freedom.)
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To: A CA Guy

It will take a few days. Anyone calling the story the truth or a lie is a fool.

Though I lean towards it being true. The minuteman on the radio today said more is suppose to come out tomorrow (today if on eastern or central time.)


578 posted on 05/09/2006 10:33:02 PM PDT by NapkinUser (http://www.vasquezforidaho.org/)
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Comment #579 Removed by Moderator

To: HappyFeet
"I just heard it on the news here as a true and huge breaking story."

Oh yes, when the radio news tells you it's true and huge if must be. What station is that WKOOK?

580 posted on 05/09/2006 10:36:35 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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