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May 13, 2005
Border Patrol and the Minutemen
In today's Washington Times is a report that US Border Patrol agents in the Tuscon Arizona area have been instructed by their superiors to make sure that arrests do not increase after the Minutemen protesters/neighborhood watch leaves the area. The Minutemen, though often misdescribed by pro-illegal-immigrant advocates, simply watched the border for illegal entries, contacting the Border Patrol if they found encroachment. As a result, potential illegal immigrants reportedly waited until they left, or moved to other areas of the border to cross.
Now that the Minutemen have left their posts, attempted crossings are expected to increase. This would, normally, result in an increase in arrests. Apparently, any increase in arrests would show that the Minutemen were successful. More than a dozen agents who patrol this area told the Times that orders were relayed to them that arrests were "not to go up."
What I don't understand is why the Border Patrol has been so vehemently opposed to the Minutemen. In my opinion, they should be forming a Border Patrol Volunteer Reserve that would do exactly what the Minutemen have been doing. Build them a bunch of lifeguard towers along the border, and let them sit in the towers and report illegal entries to "the professionals" by cellphone.
It would work.
Undoubtedly, the Democratic Party would oppose it.
Posted by Lockjaw at May 13, 2005 7:18 AM
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Comments
There are so many things wrong with this, it's hard to know where to go. If the border patrol wants out, fine, tell them to get lost. Arizona should call up it's National Guard to guard their own border.
Posted by: Ogre at May 13, 2005 7:51 AM
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