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Border Watch Volunteers Form Chapter in New Mexico
New Mexico now has its own chapter of volunteers who plan to patrol the state's border with Mexico as part of the Minuteman Project. The group announced in a news release Wednesday that Clifford Alford of Organ will serve as the chapter's leader.

The group drew international attention in April when volunteers showed up in Arizona to prove the border could be secured simply by putting more personnel there. Organizers say the group alerted the U.S. Border Patrol to suspicious behavior and helped catch 335 immigrants. New Mexico is the last of four states along the border to organize a Minuteman chapter. No dates for patrols have been set, said James Chase, who helped organize patrols in Arizona and founded what he calls the U.S. Border Patrol Auxiliary.

Critics, including U.S. Border Patrol officials, have said the Minutemen are little more than a nuisance and distraction that attracted attention from the media and from civil rights groups watching for possible rights violations.

The announcement of a New Mexico chapter has created unease among some Las Cruces residents. Chase emphasized that the organization isn't a militia and that racism and violence by any member will not be tolerated. "We're just a neighborhood watch that's on the border," he said.
Good analogy and one that they ought to push. Everyone understands a Neighborhood Watch program. We have one on my block.
Although the organization considers itself an auxiliary of the Border Patrol, agency spokesman Doug Mosier said there's no official connection between the two. "We have said all along that we appreciate the efforts of local citizens in reporting suspicious activities, but securing our borders is a tough job and should be the responsibility of highly trained law enforcement personnel, like the U.S. Border Patrol," he said.
You won't mind if the Neighborhood Watch calls a few things in for you, with video, right?
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said he opposes the formation of a Minuteman chapter in New Mexico. "What we need are an adequate number of highly trained Border Patrol agents securing the border, not untrained volunteers," Bingaman said.

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said he isn't sure about the benefits of having the Minutemen on New Mexico's border. "I don't know that a Minutemen organization is the best solution to the rampant illegal immigration problems on our border, but I can clearly understand the mounting frustration in the region," Domenici said.

The senators and Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., sent a letter Wednesday to Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner asking that security be increased along New Mexico's border. The letter said New Mexicans have growing concerns about their safety and the security of their property.
I'd be more impressed if the Congresscritter and two Senators put in an authorization bill.

Posted by: Pappy 2005-06-11
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=121382