Group fears escalating border tension: Calls self-proclaimed militia members 'domestic terrorists'

Group fears escalating border tension: Calls self-proclaimed militia members 'domestic terrorists'

BISBEE -- Saying the American Border Patrol and a self-proclaimed Tombstone militia group are wackos, Guadalupe Castillo said what is more frightening is that they are domestic terrorists.

Castillo, the co-chair of Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, said extreme right-wing groups want war with Mexico as a way to stop the flow of people coming into the United States whose only crime is to seek work.

"They (right-wing groups) are domestic terrorists. They are a bunch of McVeighs. They are wackos," she said to nearly 100 people who attended a meeting sponsored by Citizens for Border Solutions. Timothy McVeigh was a former soldier who was found guilty of and executed for blowing up a federal building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people.

Castillo and others spoke to nearly 100 people at an event sponsored by the Citizens for Border Solutions, a group dedicated to finding peaceful ways to end the problems along the international boundary.

Groups that are against immigration believe "Mexico is setting up sleeper cells to take back this portion of the United States," she said.

To them, Isabel Garcia, who is the other co-chair of the group Castillo belongs to, "is the queen terrorist of the reconquista," Castillo said. They have even accused Garcia of being a communist, she added.

There is no truth that the idea of Aztlan is to bring back parts of the Southwestern United States under Mexico, she said.

A historian, Castillo said groups such as the American Border Patrol and a militia organization in Tombstone "have no right to talk about the border issue."

Saturday, Glenn Spencer, who is the executive director of the American Border Patrol, said he disagrees.

He said he is stunned that Castillo said he had no right to talk about the border problems. "How can anyone utter such words in the United States of America?"

What is bothering Spencer is a brief that appeared in Saturday's Houston Chronicle.

The brief stated that Mexico's' foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda, said his country would begin a campaign to win U.S. support for a proposal to legalize 3.5 million Mexicans who illegally enter the United States.

Castaneda said Mexican officials will use the nation's consulates to rally unions, churches, universities and Mexican communities to support the idea.

"What's important is that American society sees a possible migratory agreement in a positive light," Castaneda said. "We are already giving instructions to our consulates that they begin propagating militant activities -- if you will -- in their communities," according to the brief in the Texas newspaper.

Spencer said if that is what the Mexican foreign minister is doing, "it is a declaration of war on the United States."

What needs to be done is not chastise groups such as the American Border Patrol, but for people to support it. The best thing for the United States is to have every illegal immigrant rounded up and deported, Spencer added.

It was not only Spencer who came in for a tongue lashing by some of the speakers.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was taken to task for failing to arrest people who have detained illegal immigrants before turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Pam Sutherland, the legal director of the Arizona American Civil Liberties Union, said the sheriff and the county prosecutor have filed to protect immigrants.

Saturday, Dever said during a telephone interview, "I'm sorry they feel that way."

Again he said all complaints are investigated and the results are provided to the county attorney and the U.S Attorney for Arizona.

None of the complaints have risen to having criminal charges made, the sheriff said.

Castillo and Sutherland said the American Border Patrol and the militia are probably wearing uniforms that can be mistaken for U.S. Border Patrol outfits and they should be charged for impersonating officers.

Spencer said it is true he was along the border Saturday, but "I wore a pair of Levi's and a plaid shirt, and I don't think the (U.S.) Border Patrol has such a uniform."

Dever said the only time a person can be arrested for impersonating a law officer is if they pretend they are a law officer and attempt to act as one.

"They can dress up in a Border Patrol-like uniform for Halloween. While the Border Patrol may not be happy, unless they are pretending to be an actual agent they are doing nothing illegal," the sheriff said.

Cecile Lumer, who moderated the event for the Citizens for Border Solutions, said the group believes there is a need to change the federal government's activities when it comes to the border.

"I've seen fences replaced by walls and walls replaced by higher walls," she said.

Sutherland said the ACLU is looking for test cases to be used to make the U.S. government stop what they are doing along the border, which she said is a detriment to the well-being of immigrants.

Once a person is in the United States, that individual has the same Constitutional rights as an American citizen, she said.

One was filed with the Organization of American States' Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the other with the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Both filings stated the U.S. government's actions are harmful to immigrants, including those who illegally cross the border, causing deaths.

As for people who claim they have private property rights, Sutherland said while that is true, those rights cannot be used if it harms migrants.

What has to be recognized is that the real case is the United States is actually letting people enter the country to fill jobs and they fall under the category of invitees, she said.

Dr. Julie Schourup, a public health officer, said much has been made about the drain of illegal immigrants on medical facilities.

However, she said, "I believe the immigrant community is being used as a scapegoat."

Information from Cochise County medical facilities do not indicate what is not being reimbursed for the emergency treatment of immigrants, she said.

Castillo said what has to be accepted by American citizens is that for hundreds of years the United States has allowed immigrants from Mexico to do jobs that had to be done for the economic well-being of the country.

"This is not a recent manifestation," she said. "There is a need in the United States for laborers."

The unrecognized reality is "the U.S. economy cannot float without this labor," Castillo said.

Equally unknown is that the economy of cities such as Tucson depend on Mexican shoppers, she said.

"People from Sonora and Sinaloa do more than $950 million of shopping in Tucson each year," Castillo said. "That is why they (businesses) fly the Mexican flag. They love the peso."

Arizona legislator Bobby Lugo said the United States cannot have it both ways -- good economy and treating immigrants improperly.

Too many have died crossing the border illegally and that is socially unacceptable.

Cochise County Supervisor Paul Newman said the turmoil in rural Arizona, especially in the county, is caused by the lack of good policy by the federal government.

He is concerned that the government will do even more militarizing of the border instead of changing policies that are not working.

"We know what is going on in this neck of the woods," Newman said of the people who live along the border.

Instead of armed vigilantes, as he called them, taking measures into their own hands, what is needed is a Civilian Border Corps to work with all federal, state and local agencies on both sides of the international boundary.

The speakers and many in the audience called for Congress to change current border polices, with Castillo saying a real congressional committee meeting needs to be held in Cochise County and not back in Washington, D.C.

She also called for local governments to step up to the plate and address the issue, demanding an end to vigilantism.

Unfortunately, she said, "Vigilantism is as American as apple pie in this part of the world."

After the meeting ended, Shayna Redwine, a Bisbee High School senior, said there has to be better solutions to the border problem than continuing with failed procedures.

While she does not think illegal immigrants should be allowed into the country, Redwine said she is more concerned that the federal government is causing the deaths of those who cross the border. It is estimated that 2,000 border crossers died along the entire border the United States shares with Mexico during the last year.

She, like many in the audience, is a member of the Youth Advocates, a group of students who seek peaceful solutions to the border woes.

Redwine is opposed to armed civilian groups taking matters into their own hands and does not want to see the border have more armed federal officials on it, either.

The best thing to do is to take some of the billions of dollars being used along the border and send it to Mexico to build up their economy, the student said.

One of the solutions discussed by the group was the creation of a Marshall Plan, like the one that rebuilt nation's after World War II. Some believe the United States needs to be involved in nation building in Mexico and other Central and South American nations.

But the main concern for Redwine is the country directly south of the United States.

The solution to illegal aliens is to deport them, plain and simple!

I've been doing a lot of thinking about illegal aliens and the politicians whining about not having enough money, they're wanting to raise our taxes as a solution to the budget problems.

This just might be a solution. See if you like it.

Educate a couple of hundred young energetic people who feel American Patriotism is a finer character asset than Diversity is, to an idea like this one. Then these people would need to go face to face with the residents of a small populated rural county and explain how it would work and benefit their them, their kids, and their grandkids.

Get the county population educated to the idea of electing a Sheriff who will go face to face with the Federal government. He is going to need legal advice on how to do all of this. Ideally we would want local attorneys or judges to provide this advice. Hey, before you run off...they have kids and grandkids too.

Getting the Sheriff and County officials to go along with it is another subject. Just maybe you might be able to find someone who thinks as I do, that illegal aliens are parasites in America, and they could spread the idea amongst the citizens of the County. Then the citizens could write a petition to force the Council and Sheriff to follow their instructions. If we could get the Sheriff and local County officials of a lesser populated County with a budget deficit and normal high taxes to declare that all illegal aliens from every nation will be arrested and removed from the County in 30 or 60 days.

All assets not removed from the County must be assigned by the illegal alien to be sold with registered agents or they will be seized by the Sheriff and sold. These funds will be divided between the Sheriffs Office and the County budget officials for expenses.

All people employing illegal aliens will also be arrested and fined. Perhaps $5000 per employee. This would prompt employers to demand that their employees bring in birth certificates, etc. This keeps the government out of our personal records any more than necessary.

The hiring of non citizens that have entered the US legally with the assistance of Immigration and Naturalization Services will of course be encouraged. Only the hiring of illegal aliens will be reason for arrest and stiff fines.

Perhaps ads could be placed in the newspapers of the surrounding counties to obtain legal workers for the farm, ranch, gas station local K-Mart to replace the ones who are leaving. A local 800 number could be updated daily with jobs available in the County.

All people giving aid or care to illegal aliens will also be arrested and fined. This would include illegal aliens who are family members.

This will result in no or very few illegal aliens going to the local hospitals for medical attention. The hospital will start making money instead of heading into bankruptcy.

This will bring welfare for illegal aliens to a screeching halt. This alone will do much for the local budget.

School districts would require much less money because the new residents in the county would certainly be more able to speak English.

Imagine what that would do to surrounding Counties with a similar budget deficit. Do you think it might prompt them to do a similar actions? Do you think it might convince the State officials when enough Counties have adopted these measures that we citizens are serious in our desire to protect our communities from being over run by illegal aliens?

I think half a dozen community residents that are involved in the legal system and the business community could work out what to do to make an idea similar to this work in their community.

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For the legal minded folks I have included a statement from one of the cases that made it through the Supreme Court. Unless there are State laws forbidding such actions as I have suggested, I think everything legally is above the table. A local judge could give the Sheriff advice on how to handle the little tweak of the laws.

The federal Gov't may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command State' officers, or those of their political subdivisions, to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program. It matters not whether policy making is involved, and no case by case weighing of the burdens or benefits is necessary; such commands are fundamentally incompatible with our constitutional system of dual sovereignty.

Justice Antonin Scalia, Mack vs US., June 27, 1997

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The way I see it is that given the opportunity and enough notice to move their families safely, the illegal aliens would pack up and leave rather than fight a Sheriff who is broadcasting that just because the Feds aren't going to enforce the immigration laws doesn't mean he isn't.

Employers would rather make a company policy that all employees must prove that they are American citizens or in the United States legally than be fined $5000 for supporting open border policy. Give employers a chance to advertise for critical employees who are currently illegal aliens so their businesses don't suffer a drastic skill shortage.

Just as an add on, I imagine that the local crime rates would be continually dropping until it reached an acceptable level.

Surrounding rural counties would surely catch on quickly to the benefits and start similar programs. All it would take is one newspaper article about the city council needing money for some public service. There is much more rural county land in the US than cities in county land.

I imagine that it wouldn't take too long before cities would simply not be able to afford to support all the illegals who are on taxpayer paid benefits. Consequently, like it or not they would have to fall in line.

I have no idea how fast an idea such as this would spread and actually take firm hold causing neighboring state legislators to look at the idea BEFORE their state was swamped with illegal aliens and the taxpayers rose up demanding immediate solutions. The crime rate amongst illegals is very high as it is. A plan such a this could send it through the ceiling.

This would be dangerous because it would foster hate and anger. Too much of that would result in radicals bringing out their guns chasing the illegals out of their neighborhoods. We have seen gang wars and the resulting violence, this would be worse. So, it would have to be a slow, calm, well organized plan in each county! Our intention is to bring the population of our neighborhoods into patriotic, law abiding folks not to be ravaged by foreigners who have nowhere to go. So eventually, I can see where states would have to cough up the funds and or transportation for the people to get back to Norway, Brazil, Australia, Japan and China.

If we tried to let the Feds handle it, they would fiddle fart around like they been doing and the problem would never be solved. So, the way I see this, the STATES are going to have to stand up after too many years on our knees to the self determined big shots in the Federal Legislative and the Federal Agencies. We need to show them that we'll fix the problem ourselves.

The first States to do this emigration plan will encounter the least expenses. Of course I would expect it to happen, if it ever does, in Western States.

Notice the direction of travel in this definition.

emigration

\Em`i*gra"tion\, n. [L. emigratio: cf. F. ['e]migration.] 1. The act of emigrating; removal from one country or state to another, for the purpose of residence, as from Europe to America, or, in America, from the Atlantic States to the Western.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=emigration&db=*

Lets change the worlds idea of where to emigrate from and to! We have given education and work experience to millions of illegal aliens. Now lets give them a chance to see if they can do it for themselves back home!!!

If you think this might work......ping some FR friends to see what they think of it.

Why not email friends with this idea and see if we can't get it started. Of course there will surely need to be modifications to initialize it and perhaps different ideas to promote it. Each County is slightly different and we don't want extreme radicals promoting it or else it will surely sink into oblivion.

My letter to the Editor of the Sierra Vista Herald:

24 November 2002

Bill Hess - Editor
Sierra Vista Herald
102 Fab Avenue
Sierra Vista AZ 85635

Mr. Hess,

I read with disgust the Sunday, November 24th Sierra Vista Herald article which included the comments of Guadalupe Castillo, co-chair of the subversive reconquista group called Coalicion de Derechos Humanos. Her slanderous comments about groups opposing the ongoing invasion of the Southwest went beyond the pale. Your unquestioning coverage of her comments only served to aid the anti-American reconquistas in spreading their propaganda messages of hate and subversion.

Castillo says "The American Border Patrol and a self-proclaimed Tombstone militia group are wackos, what is more frightening is that they are domestic terrorists." Despite all the inaccuracies about them that you and others have published, the ABP is simply a group that monitors the border, collects information through high tech equipment, compiles it in a database, and disseminates it over the Internet. The small militia group from Tombstone has even yet to form. Neither group, can by any measure of truth or reason, be considered "domestic terrorists." I believe that Castillo has openly slandered these good people and for that she should be held liable. I hope they sue.

Castillo went on to say "Extreme right-wing groups want war with Mexico as a way to stop the flow of people coming into the United States whose only crime is to seek work." The literature put out by those in the reconquista movement, of which Castillo is a leader, clearly shows a plan to establish a nation called Aztlan in what is now the southwestern states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The movement proposes to take this area through mass invasion and possibly force. It is THEY who desire war with the United States, not the other way around. No one is talking of war with Mexico - Castillo is clearly lying. And when Castillo says that the only crime of the border intruders "is to seek work" she is clearly ignorant of the federal immigration laws being broken as well as state laws against trespassing. In fact, the first act of these people is to break our nation's laws - clearly demonstrating their undesirable nature.

Castillo continues her shrill slander when she says "They (right-wing groups) are domestic terrorists. They are a bunch of McVeighs. They are wackos." To compare with a murderer such as McVeigh the law-abiding Americans (if Castillo would even bother looking at Arizona Statutes) who are either protecting their own property, protecting property upon which they were invited and asked to protect, or simply monitoring the border with high tech equipment clearly demonstrates the lying, propagandistic nature of the shrill speeches and hysterical writings of the reconquista movement's leaders.

What was not reported are the words yesterday (23 November) of Mexico's foreign minister, Jorge Castaneda. He said that Mexico would begin a "bottom-up campaign" to gain U.S. support for a proposal to legalize 3.5 million illegal aliens in the United States. Castaneda went on to say, "We are already giving instructions to our consulates that they begin propagating militant activities -- if you will -- in their communities."

I ask you and your readers: Who are the wacko, militant, potential domestic terrorists in this current border crisis?

It is said that a picture says a thousand words. I'm including, and I hope that you can publish in some form, several pictures from a march held on October 12th in Nogales which was sponsored by the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos.

The pictures show that the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos believes that the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas should be part of a Mexican nation of Aztlan. It is actually part of the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos logo! The pictures also show the red banners and flags (Where have we seen those before?) of this subversive movement. Some of the red banners display an Aztlan warrior - a hooded figure sheltering a dark-haired girl and brandishing a rifle. Another picture shows several masked youth with fists in the air - very reminiscient of the Palestinian terrorists in Israel. Another picture shows a banner bearing the image of a Mexican woman breaking chains around her wrists with a DEAD white woman lying on the ground behind her. One of the images shows an Anarchist symbol (a circled A) on a protestor's sign. All the pictures are disturbing.

Clearly, the reconquista movement exists, Castillo is one of its leaders, the movement is militant in nature, and it has Arizona in its crosshairs. They have openly demonstrated their goals and the dishonest means that they will use to achieve them. Slandering those who wish to expose and fight them is their Modus Operandi as they spread their hateful, divisive propaganda - as I'm sure that this letter will have me branded as a racist. Despite how I may now be unfairly demonized by these groups, I think that it is important that you and your readers be informed about Castillo's subversive group as well other similar groups as Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), La Voz de Aztlan, La Raza, Raza Unida Party, and others. Because of these subversive agitators and the useful idiots who have fallen under their spell there is a potential that our quiet little town could find itself on the front line of a conflict similar to the Israeli/Palestinian mess. And it won't be Glenn Spencer and his high tech sensors sending armed Aztlan warriors and suicide bombers our way.

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