Posted on 08/31/2002 2:20:36 PM PDT by Marine Inspector
SHERMAN OAKS Glen Spencer of the American Patrol here envisions a day when his border watchdog organization staffs satellite offices all along the U.S.-Mexico border to coordinate and support the activities of "Hawkeyes."
The soon-to-be-formed group of private citizens will be made up of people who want to report illegal immigrants to the U.S. Border Patrol and document their findings in an online database, according to Spencer, a retired computer consultant from Sherman Oaks and the founder of the American Patrol.
The American Patrol plans to start accepting applications from people who want to be his "Hawkeyes" Sept. 1.
Imperial Valley residents who are part of American Patrol's database will be privately notified of the procedure for signing up. Those who do will be screened in order to "qualify sources of information," Spencer said.
After the "quiet rollout" for existing members of his database, the masses will be allowed to log onto an as-yet-unveiled Web site and fill out an online application form, he said.
Spencer was asked to estimate the number of Imperial Valley-ites already in his database. Talking on a cell phone while driving, he said he couldn't provide an exact total because he didn't have his computer in front of him. He did say Imperial County has its share.
Asked if he plans to open an Imperial County office anytime soon to recruit even more, he said, "Not yet ... one of these days."
Spencer's group has two bases, his office in Sherman Oaks and an office in Sierra Vista, Ariz., a small border town south of Tuscon with an airfield that's ideal for the patrol's "air force," Sherman said.
The airfield allows patrol members to fly west along the border to San Diego and over Imperial County while looking for illegal immigrants or east toward El Paso and Brownsville, Texas. Pretty soon the patrol's flotilla might include a helicopter.
"One guy said he is selling his yacht to buy one," Spencer said.
Once a Patrol member spots a suspected group of illegal immigrants he or she reports the information to the U.S. Border Patrol.
Once the online journals from "Hawkeyes" are up and running, the American Patrol will have illegal immigration data and a record of U.S. Border Patrol activity or inactivity.
Spencer was asked if the U.S. Border Patrol supports his plan when "Hawkeyes" might find and document negligence that could give the already embattled agency a black eye. He said some Border Patrol agents have privately supported his plan.
As for those agents who think he should leave the patrolling to them, Spencer stressed his group is not critical of agents but is of supervisors and administration.
The U.S. Border Patrol has not released an official statement on Spencer or his group.
With his expected reams of data and anecdotal journal entries, Spencer hopes to improve the efficiency of the U.S. Border Patrol, helping the agency allocate its resources better.
Spencer thinks the agency needs help because its aim of securing the border is growing more important every day.
According to Spencer, the border dividing the U.S. and Mexico could soon become a battleground in a reprise of 1848's Mexican-American war as Mexicans attempt to physically take back the land the U.S. took control of following Mexico's defeat at the hands of U.S. forces and the hastily brokered Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo more than a century ago.
To stave off the possibility of such a conflict, Spencer advocates a practically impenetrable border and an end to services for illegal immigrants already here. Some have called Spencer's organization a "hate group," intent on provoking conflict.
Spencer said his group has been deliberately smeared as a militant group of vigilantes by a number of immigrant rights groups.
Those are accusations, "which, of course, are not true," he said, although Spencer declined to be interviewed by a reporter this week from a Spanish-language newspaper. Asked if his "Hawkeyes" would get baseball caps or badges they could put on their coats if they signed up, Spencer said the American Patrol will issue identification cards but no caps or badges.
>> Staff Writer Aaron Claverie can be reached at 337-3419 or aclaverie@aol.com
American Border Patrol
Ranch Rescue
These guys are actually out in the bush risking their lives. I'm joining both orgs poste haste.
I support both groups, but due to my job, I can only send donations.
Self help can get out of hand though. I hope something else is done first so people don't start going in on their own.
I think the government should do certain things the attract the worst illegals, welfare programs should be completely off limits to all immigrants including all legal immigrants as well as illegal. The pandering politicians know they're making things worse everytime they mention amnesty, I feel sorry for the agents out there who risk their lives when the politicians are working completely counter to what they're trying to do.
The agents out there need to be supported in their efforts much more by our government officials.
It is worse than that they are selling American and getting fat on the transaction
How are they getting those jobs?Are they being paid legal wages? What kind of selfish,greedy,racist, law-breaking POS US citizen/employer hires them? Are these employers just "helping" someone out, for kindness sake?I seriously doubt that, and no thoughtfull person would agree that encouraging criminality helps this society. Think about that aspect for a few minutes.
The creation and maintenance of an underground class of third-rate citizenry in the USA is fertile ground for increasing crime and poverty rates.Why not just legalise slavery? It is the same system anyway.Preying on the misery of another human being to benefit yourself.
Get the illegals out and toss their "employers" in jail.These laws exist.Enforce them.
There should be many changes, cleaning out the SS number databases, fining employers of illegals, ending all welfare benefits and free health care etc besides just shooting people trying to make their way over. Most important would be demanding the Mexican government reform itself ASAP.
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