Immigrant-rights group intensifies fight against civilian patrols on border

Associated Press via the Arizona Daily Star ^ | 8/12/03

[Tancredo Fan]

Updated 5:54 pm Aug 12, 2003

Immigrant-rights group intensifies fight against civilian patrols on border

The Associated Press

PHOENIX - An advocacy group wants to file a lawsuit on behalf of migrants who say they were victimized by armed civilian groups patrolling the border, and is seeking victims willing to serve as plaintiffs.

The Border Action Network claims the groups operate outside the law and violate the rights of immigrants. They hope to pressure authorities to intervene.

The self-appointed border patrol groups deny they are breaking the law, and said they pass along to authorities information that volunteers collect about illegal border-crossers.

Volunteers for the Border Action Network are stretching their search for alleged victims along the entire border and as far south as the Mexican state of Chiapas. The advocates began asking victims to come forward earlier this year through ads and radio spots in Sonora, Mexico.

Once alleged victims come forward, attorneys plan to sue the people or groups accused of assaulting, robbing, intimidating or illegally detaining border-crossers.

"The purpose of the suit is to get at their pocketbook," said Jesus Romo, a civil rights attorney in Tucson. "Our purpose is to bankrupt these individuals so that they stop their actions."

No lawsuits have been filed thus far.

Border Action Network plans to continue using radio spots and newspaper ads to find plaintiffs, particularly focusing in areas where migrants originate.

Finding plaintiffs for civil lawsuits also could make it easier for prosecutors and other officials to open investigations into the activities of civilian patrol groups, said Zoe Hammer-Tomizuka, a Border Action Network volunteer.

Glenn Spencer, president of American Border Patrol, an organization based in Sierra Vista that monitors illegal border-crossers, says his group operates lawfully and does not interfere with migrants.

Still, he said he's concerned about groups that plan to file lawsuits. "Things are getting a little hairy," he said. "They're heightening feelings on both sides of the border. They are trying to rabble-rouse."

Another group that has patrolled the Arizona-Mexico border was sued in Texas over two incidents of alleged abuse against detained migrants.

A lawsuit filed in May accuses Ranch Rescue and others of assaulting, falsely imprisoning and robbing six people during two incidents in March in rural south Texas.

The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Los Angeles joined in filing the lawsuit. The Southern Poverty Law Center monitors the political movements of groups from white supremacist groups to eco-terrorists.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Tell you what, we can cut out the NEA, because Mexicans would hate to hear about Corpus Christi and the jar of urine with a crucifix in it. We take that $900,000,000, and fund 'free beer' stations along the Mexican border. Only people who speak Spanish get any free beer. Then, we open up Yellowstone for Mexicans to stake claims. We completely deregulate housing regulations in Yellowstone County.

We encourage illegal alians to register to vote, since all you need to register in CA is a driver's license anyway. Then, we give them clemency anyway. We mention that rats support abortion, and whalla! We bought their vote! Otherwise, they'll vote democrat. And since we don't have the guts to secure our border and truly punish illegal alians, we might as well buy them off.

The only ones who lose are the Mexican immigrants who respect US law. We don't need that kind here. We need law breakers. They have a special something that we respect. People who obey the laws? Nah... We want more mob activity, more drug running, and more prostitution. The last thing we want is people who respect the law.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"17) Border Violators seeking emergency medical treatment shall provide pictures, fingerprints and DNA samples along with country of origin, and shall be treated, then incarcerated until information provided can be verified. Originating country shall bear the costs of medical treatment and confinement."

Interesting idea! Presidente Fox would moon us. Then we have special forces raid a bank and confiscate three times the amount we had demanded.

[lentulusgracchus]

Which part of ILLEGAL don't you understand?

Good question. Why don't you answer it, troller?

As in, "illegal immigrant".

[taxed2death]

Nice title. Since when does a person have a "right" to become a criminal by crossing an international border illegally?

[ought-six]

Actually, the activist groups WANT a violent confrontation, as it plays into their maxim that the "Anglos" are evil and therefore must feel guilt, at which point they will legalize all illegals and open the borders completely in order to assuage that "guilt." The various La Raza groups have been quite candid about this strategy.

[usurper]

After all, the federal officials are supposed to work for us. We pay their salaries to do a specific job. If they fail to do so, then just as Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, we need to fire the people in Congress and their drones in the border patrol who fail to enforce the law.

That’s good, blame the patrol officers. Look these guys and gals go out into the dark every night and risk their lives defending this nation. It is the most dangerous job in federal law enforcement and 88 agents have made the ultimate sacrifice doing the job often without the support of the communities they work in or often the support of the American public.

They apprehend nearly a million illegal aliens every year 1.5 million in 1999. They put thousands of criminal aliens, alien smugglers and drug smugglers in federal prison each year. They are constantly under attack by Mexican versions of Palestinian rock throwing cholos, civil rights pimps and well financed activist organizations.

They go out every night knowing they are going to get their butts kicked trying to enforce the law all the while knowing that their efforts are being undermined. States' shield and protect the aliens and offer incentives, unscrupulous employers offer them employment and politicians of every ilk pander to their interests.

This is a political and economic problem not a military one and until the American public says enough and starts electing legislators willing to enforce the law and defend the nation the situation will remain unchanged.

Sigh, if 9/11 was not enough to get peoples attention as to the dangers of open borders I fear nothing will. Just don’t blame the agents in the Border Patrol, they want secure borders and to prove it they stand watch at great personal risk knowing the futility of their efforts to protect us.

They need our support.

[ought-six]

"I know the rats would say the same as ours. But is there a judicial precedence that defines their 'rights'?"

Yes, there is. The 14th Amendment defines citizens as "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof...(and) No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the priveleges or immunities of citizens of the United States;...nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The words "subject to the jurisdiction" requires "direct and immediate allegiance" to the United States, not just physical presence (Elk v. Wilkins, 112 U.S. 94 - [1884]). Thus, the words "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" meant a person who had a reciprocal relationship of allegiance and protection eith the United States, and it was understodd NOT TO apply to persons whose presence in the United States was transitory or illegal. Citizens of foreign countries who are in the U.S. are owed the protection sof international law and those treaties the U.S. has agreed to, but they are not protected by our Constitution.

[ought-six]

"Kalifornistan is gone (only a million illegals in LA), and now the rats are looking to take over Arizona, New Mexico and Texas."

It is estimated that Chicago has at least a half million illegal Mexicans.

[Mamzelle]

re: These left wing crackpots are getting desperate. )))

Hah. Show me right wing pols who'll take a stand for enforcing our very generous immigration laws. Tancredo is the only one that comes to mind.

It'd be a natural issue for McVain, but he's on the side of the scofflaws.

What we need is a spot-on analysis of WHY we can't get action out of our politics--who's bribing whom?

[ought-six]

We are surrenderin gour sovereignty to Mexico. For some peculiar reason that I have never understood, the Unites States has chosen Mexico as its preferred conqueror. And without a shot being fired, we are becoming Mexico.

[ought-six]

"One question I've never seen anyone answer is why illegal aliens should be treated better than legal immigration applicants?"

I want to know why illegal aliens are treated BETTER than native-born American citizens! If I go to an out-of-state school, I have to pay high out-of-state tuition, but an illegal alien gets to pay the much lower, in-state tuition rate, and in most instances doesn't even have to pay that, because the government pays the tuition for them!

[ought-six]

I agree with you.

[ought-six]

"The federal policy of winking and ignoring the present Mexican invasion would have been incomprehensible to prior generations of American leadership. Based on present trends and the ideology of those championing said trends, I predict America will be forced to cede or fight to retain the Southwest by 2050."

Nope. It will happen in about 2020, at the latest.

[FITZ]

Still, he said he's concerned about groups that plan to file lawsuits. "Things are getting a little hairy," he said. "They're heightening feelings on both sides of the border. They are trying to rabble-rouse."

How much is the Mexican government behind all this? That corrupt government would shoot Americans standing in the way of it's goals.

[Cultural Jihad]

That corrupt government would shoot Americans standing in the way of it's goals.

Are we supposed to be aghast at your statement when right above it are posts calling for the lynching of Mexicans and their families for committing misdemeanor entry into our country to search for jobs?

[wjcsux]

bump

[Cultural Jihad]

I see that PRND21, Free Republic's resident illegal immigration cheerleader, has showed up once again on an illegal immigration thread to badmouth those who dare speak out in favor of securing our border with Mexico.

Badmouth people? Or their loony, violent ideas of committing murders for misdemeanors? Or their anti-American and anti-Constitution goals of becoming judgeandjuryandexecutioner?

[wjcsux]

Troll alert!

[jimt]

How do we FORCE the US attny general to prosecute these organized traitors under the Rico Act statutes since the openly admit to aiding and assisting in an organized group or groups with the express purpose of breaking federal law? Or is there no controlling legal authority in this case?

He's busy busting porno peddlers in an incredible display of severely misplaced priorities.