U.S., Mexican legislators discuss border vigilantes - States may stop groups targeting illegals

Associated Press ^ | November 24, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

U.S., Mexican legislators discuss border vigilantes

States may take action against groups that target migrants

11/24/2002

Associated Press

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico - U.S. and Mexican lawmakers expressed concern Saturday about a growing number of American vigilante groups that capture and sometimes hurt or kill Mexican migrants who cross into the United States illegally.

The fringe groups have sprung up in several border towns in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, where residents frustrated by U.S. border agents' inability to stop illegal migration have taken matters into their own hands, said Arizona state Rep. Robert Cannell.

Mr. Cannell said Arizona legislators will likely take up the issue of vigilante groups during the state's next legislative session. The Democrat said he was "strongly opposed" to the groups.

Mr. Cannell was one of eight U.S. state legislators - three from New Mexico, two from California, two from Arizona, and one from Texas - who joined 38 lawmakers from the six Mexican border states at the third annual legislative border forum in Nuevo Laredo.

In separate Binational Commission meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Mexico City, high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, will hold talks with their Mexican counterparts on what to do about the estimated 3 million Mexicans working illegally in the United States.

New Mexico state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia said vigilante groups appeal to undereducated young men who feel that state and federal governments haven't done enough to protect towns along the border. The Democrat said the issue also needed urgent attention in the New Mexico legislature.

Also on Saturday, Chihuahua state lawmaker Cesar Castro Lopez called on investigators from the FBI and Britain's Scotland Yard to help solve the brutal slayings of women in Ciudad Juarez.

More than 75 women have been raped and killed since 1993 in Ciudad Juarez, the border's largest city. Dozens of suspects have been arrested, but bodies have continued to turn up in the desert.

Mr. Castro Lopez said that Mexican state and federal commissions assigned to investigate the crimes have failed to produce any concrete leads.

"It has become a financial issue of vital importance for those who do business on the border," he said, adding that violence in Juarez has begun to affect U.S. commercial interests, thus ensuring that the killings fall under U.S. jurisdiction.

The killings have "ruined the reputation of Ciudad Juarez in the eyes of the world," Mr. Castro Lopez said.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/tsw/stories/112402dntexvigilantes.b2a17.html

[Ron H.]

Well stated here DoughtyOne. You expressed what I was thinking as I was scrolling down to your response here in response to the above piece of 'hit-piece propaganda'. I would only add that as long as we (voters) keep voting for those politicos who support the invasion of our country by the hordes of lawbreakers flooding across our borders from all points then nothing will ever be done to stop or stem the tide of these illegal immigrants.

Voters keep sending the same (kind of) politicians back to office year after year because they are either afraid of being labeled a single-issue voter or are bamboozled and dazzled by all the pre-election glitter that they are either unaware or permissive of this most serious issue or just don't care. Too many elected office holders give only lip service to upholding the laws and Constitution of this great country.

[11B3]

As an Army vet, I salute you for the job that you do for our nation. It must be quite frustrating at times. Don't take any of the negative comments about the Border Patrol in here personally - they are all directed at your bureaucrats in DC and not at the actual agents. We also know that there is another agenda that they are operating on at the top levels - and defending our nation isn't one of them.

[Gunrunner2]

Second.

[Deep_6]

It would be a ton easier and make a whole lot more sense to do what
Bush and others have suggested long ago.... Open the borders and
allow easy entry and exit. Promote NAFTA. Let the migrants work
legally, pay taxes and help keep American industry here in the United States.

 

 

[madfly]

Since when have facts stopped a politician from lying?

I stand corrected, duh.

[TomGuy]

New Mexico state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia said vigilante groups appeal to undereducated young men

Well, Senator, those undereducated young men have sense enough to know what and where the problem is. Too bad you don't seem to know. Now, who's undereducated, Senator? What, if anything, Senator, have you done to stop the problem--the problem of illegals infiltrating across the Mexico border into your state?

Senator, review your Old West history. Many of the communities in the Old West were liberated from outlaws and lawlesness by vigilante groups. Why? Because politicians, like you, Senator, did little or nothing to to rid the communities of the outlaw elements. And yes, Senator, illegals crossing the border are no better than outlaws. They are illegally here--thus lawbreakers; ergo, outlaws. It took vigilantes to settle many of the Old West communities. It appears it will take vigilantes to stop the flood of illegals trampling down the National border. Otherwise, Senator, what are you doing to stop the outlaws?

[Eternal_Bear]

Why don't we just give every Mexican a million bucks who agrees to move here? Seriously, it's getting that screwey. Our State Department trawls the World for every kind of Third World refugee. These are not immigrants of old who came here on their own. These refugees are given money to come here and then more money after they settle down. When is this madness going to stop?

[RKV]

If you change the citizenship laws so that birth here by non-citizens does not convey citizenship you might get some takers to such a plan. Add the ability to deny publically funded services to non-citzens and you would get some more. End welfare and you might even get my vote. Of course, you know the reason why Bush and co. don't deal with illegal immigration is they WANT the cheap labor. Immigration hurts Americans by cutting the price of labor at the margin. Substitution effects will prevent some of those jobs from leaving the country if the price returns to market levels, otherwise they would be better done where costs are less, not here.

[TomGuy]

President Bush needs to stop all this

Trouble is, President Bush is one of the gung ho cheerleaders for 245(i) Amnesty for Illegals.

245(i) did NOT pass in the last Congress (Fall, 2001) because of one Senator Byrd. (Bless him). He stopped it and the remaining politicians (Democrats and Republicans and the President) decided to "put it on hold" until after the 2002 election. [That's where we are now; and less than a month following the 2002 elections, 245(i) -- or a similar version thereof -- is already on the menu again.]

[Copernicus]

Could there be a better example to starkly illustrate the notion that Sovereign Citizenship in a Constitutional Representative Republic is not just an abstract concept?

Confronted with literal Rape, Pillage, Looting and Murder elected officials somberly play a game of "Wag the Dog" and (falsely) believe it is their job to control and rule over the people who pay their salaries and give them their jobs.

I've long held we live in an Age of Converging Inanities and this example certainly demonstrates it clearly.

Best regards,

[Copernicus]

For educational and entertainment purposes see how many errors of ommission and commission can be counted in this AP Story:

Click Here For a Guideline

Best regards,

[Sabertooth]

If American politicians and bureaucrats truly want to discourage vigilantism, they should cease and desist their own ongoing and bipartisan malfeasance with regard to Illegal Aliens.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

They will simply legislate our rights away. That is how they will do it. There is simply too much at stake i.e. votes, money, power,prestige, women, boys, the best foods, drinks and drugs. Right and wrong has nothing to do with it.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yeah, but the 'RATS are drooling for more 'RAT votes. This is one way to get them.

I'm a GOOD 'RAT !

[RWG]

vigilante groups appeal to undereducated young men who feel that state and federal governments haven't done enough to protect towns along the border...boy things are getting tough, I'm undereducated with a graduate degree. Maybe there is a federal subsidy that can get me the education I need. Until then where do I send money to the groups patrolling the border on this side?

[FITZ]

Read on, "More than 75 women have been raped and killed since 1993 in Ciudad Juarez, the border's largest city. Dozens of suspects have been arrested, but bodies have continued to turn up in the desert."

The other BIG lie in this is that it's well over 300 raped and killed women and girls. More like 375 by now and over 500 are missing, most likely killed. Some American women in those numbers too. NO ONE in Mexico suspects this is our border patrol or white Americans involved. No white guy could be in the neighborhoods where these murders took place. Many Mexicans suspect Mexican drug lords and traffickers and suspect major coverups by the Mexican police and government officials.

[aeronca]

"Sen. Mary Jane Garcia said vigilante groups appeal to undereducated young men--"

What a biased and ignorant statement.

[HennepinPrisoner]

separate Binational Commission meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Mexico City, high-ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, will hold talks with their Mexican counterparts on what to do about the estimated 3 million Mexicans working illegally in the United States

Follow the Constitution and round them up and send them home.

We can replace them with foreigners that have not broken our immigration laws and who have waited patiently to legally immigrate.

[lavaroise]

Too bad we are not addressing the Mexican vigilantes who rape, pillage and kill the migrants in that inhumane trade of theirs. Man, the world is upside down, the insane are telling us how we should keep our shops.

[Travis McGee]

It's getting rather obvius that our so-called leaders WANT the flood of crimanal invaders to continue.