Legal Observers to Keep Eye on Minute Man Project : AZ IMC

Ray Ybarra, former spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union, spent years monitoring the vigilante groups in Cochise Country. Now he’s leading a grassroots effort to keep an eye on the Minuteman Project – a campaign led by southern Arizona vigilantes.

Ybarra hopes that the legal observation project will achieve three goals: serve as a deterrent for any migrant abuse, document any abuse that does occur for civil and criminal cases and to highlight the real tragedies that occur along the border. The legal observers will also monitor any counter demonstrations to the Minutemen Project.

According to the website, the Minuteman Project is “a grassroots effort to bring Americans to the defense of their homeland,” in an effort to put a stop to the “mobs of illegal aliens who endlessly stream across U.S. borders.” Supporters of the Minuteman Project feel that the state and federal governments have failed to secure the borders, allowing an “invasion” of Latinos and making the nation vulnerable to terrorist attack.

The Minuteman Project claims to have recruited individuals from all over the country to come to Cochise County, Arizona to “bring national awareness to the decades-long careless disregard of effective U.S. immigration law enforcement.” Their website says that more than 1,000 people have signed up to come to Arizona for their campaign, which is scheduled for the month of April. However, these claims have not been confirmed.

While the Minuteman Project advocates its volunteers remain “peaceful” and obey all Arizona laws, Ybarra and other border activists worry about the safety of the migrants who may encounter a Minuteman during their journey through the desert.

Vigilante groups in Arizona and Texas have been accused of abusing migrants through direct violence, intimidation, and illegal detention.

About 2,000 migrants have lost their lives while crossing the U.S./ México border since 1998. As usual for border-related vigilante groups, the Minuteman Project is only a near-sighted reaction to a larger problem with roots deep in economics, trade policy, neoliberalism and human rights abuses.

“Through my eyes, the problem is that what occurs on the U.S.-México border is one of the grossest human rights violations in the history of the United States. Here in our backyard, human beings have to face death and hatred in their pursuit of work that this country offers,” Ybarra said in a letter to Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever earlier in March.

Chris Simcox and Jim Gilchrist, long-time vigilante leaders and organizers of the Minuteman Project, say that observation stations will be set up at 200-yard intervals along a 20-mile stretch of border between Douglas and the San Pedro River. The Minuteman’s web site gives only a vague job description; simply saying the volunteers will be responsible for “field observations and reporting activities.”

Armed with cameras, Ybarra hopes to set up legal observers directly behind each Minuteman Project observation station, an uncomfortable action for the ACLU. Until recently, the civil rights organization was in full support of Ibarra’s plan until it became the target of hateful and threatening messages and phone calls three weeks ago. The idea of sending people out in the middle of the Sonoran Desert with potentially armed, racist individuals seemed too risky.

“This is extremely dangerous. I am not going to pull the hood over anyone’s face,” Ybarra said. Due to the ACLU’s recent withdrawal of support for the plan, Ibarra sent in his letter of resignation from the organization.

“If the ACLU cannot support me for what needs to go on, then I’ll have to continue with out them,” he said.

The ACLU hasn’t yet accepted Ibarra’s resignation. Eleanor Eisenberg, the executive director of Arizona ACLU, says the organization wants to redesign the project so it doesn’t potentially put volunteers at risk.

If you are interested in participating in the legal observation team throughout April to monitor the Minuteman Project or making donations, you can contact Beth Sanders with the American Friends Service Committee, at bsanders@afsc.org.

Upcoming legal observer trainings:
TUCSON: March 29, 5:30-6:30pm. The Quaker Meeting House, 931 N. 5th Avenue.
DOUGLAS: March 28, 5:30-6:30pm. Douglas Public Library, 560 10th Street.
PHOENIX: March 26, 1-2pm. Location TBA. Check the Arizona Indymedia Calendar ( http://arizona.indymedia.org/calendar ) or contact Beth.

Items Needed to help Legal Observers:
- Cameras (Digital are best, but all will be accepted)
- Video cameras (Digital are best, but all will be accepted)
- Notepads, pens, clipboards
- Binoculars
- Food/water
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- Money

Perhaps Sr. Ibarra could "monitor" the illegals crossing into our country rather than harassing people who are trying to keep this invasion under control. There is no "human rights" violation here. These people choose to cross; no one forces them. And don't whine to me about their economic plight. Send your concern to Fox. I'm tired of Mexico dumping it's poor on us and then calling us 'racist' when we don't like it.

to say that the illegals are not wanted in the USA is pure BS. they are welcomed to the USA by 10,000's of people who gladly pay them money to do work for them.

if these illegals were not wanted they would sneak into the USA, look for a job and give up after not being able to find work and then go back to mexico rejected.

but that aint the case. they come to the USA by the 1,000's. they find work, and they do the well enough that their employeers keep them around. and last and best of all they have a better life in the USA then they have south of the border.

the only problem is with the government. the government has made it illegal for these people to come into the USA. thats despite the fact that 10,000's of americans want to hire them. the idiots in the government have caused the problem.

the real solution to the problem is to make it legal for these people to come into the USA.

if the government makes it legal for these people to come here all of the problems caused by them sneaking across the border and traveling over private peoples land will disappear. they will be able to legally take a greyhound bus from the border to tucson or phoenix and wont have to sneak around causing problems.

Allowing people from south of the border the same access to the U.S. that we allow people from north of the border would reduce illegal crossing of the border to the extent that it could be managed by law enforcement.

No matter what we do on the border, we have to make certain that immigrants and visitors are receiving wages that are fair by U.S. standards. This would protect not only the immigrants and visitors, but also U.S. citizens from the unfair or at least unreasonable competition that we now have.

However as long as the current ruling faction in the U.S. believes in unregulated competition nationally and internationally, U.S. workers will have to compete for jobs with people who have much lower standards, whether they are in the U.S. illegally, visiting legally, or producing goods and services on the other side of the border.

The free trade policies likely to rage under the proposed neo-con leadership of the World Bank offer no hope for any resolution in the foreseeable future.

We must understand the 500-year-old basis for self-purpetuating inequitable distribution of wealth in Latin American countries, the effects of free trade agreements, and the difficult social, political, and economic decisions that must be made in those nations to solve their economic problems. We better understand because we're now moving toward adopting those same problems in the U.S.

If a minority of the people in a nation hold all of the property and wealth creating poverty and a profound lack of opportunity among the majority, how do we expect that nation to solve the problem, and would we allow the solution?

So this article:

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050328-125306-7868r.htm

got my attention. It seems that a violent gang called MS-13 is oppossing the minuteman project. Seems like we can just sit back and watch the violent thugs kill each other off.

Mexico is only interested in an open border to the north. If your are an Illegal Ailen from Guatemalla or El Salvador crossing the souther border you are arrested or worse.

Dave's comments are typical US racist BS.

Of course history is so poorly taught in these parts, that Dave may not be aware that Arizona was a part of Mexico until "liberated" by what General Ulysses S. Grant called "US aggression, pure and simple."

Working people have a right to better themselves and their families by any means necessary. US policies under the pro-business NAFTA favor the wealthy both here and in Mexico even more than was previously the case.

The thugs who are rallying to the so-called "defense of the homeland" are mainly ex-military. In other words, a gang of paid killers itching to get back into the action. Peaceful, my ass.

Working people also have a right to defend themselves by any means required. Perhaps the vigilante wannabes will get a dose of their own medicine.

The problems of Latin American viz. the inequitable distribution of wealth did not just start in the last 500 years, they were just as bad if not worse under the Incas and mexicans (aka "aztecs"), if there was any wealth to speak of in those days anyway. Bringing up these last 500 years is just a way of slamming Whites and Anlgos.
You want to address the issues that plague the Latin American narco-state of mexico (which is THE main contributor to the problem of the illegal alien invasion), rather than stop the invasion into our homeland? All right, here's addressing the issue: mexico and her ilk need REGIME CHANGE, but that's for her people to address, not the USA. If you insist we suffer the illegal alien invasion in lieu of "addressing" the real issue, then allow us to address the issue--mexico needs REGIME CHANGE, so let's bring our army home from Iraq, and invade mexico. That being unacceptable, let's put our troops on our borders instead. Then the rest of you Pinko-Stinko Watermelon Quakers can move South of the Border and help with the revolution "down there".
Or course, we need regime change here in the USA, but the Left wants to bring that about via the illegal alien invasion.

If the check-pants Republicas did right thing and upheld the Constitution, we would have the borders secure from the illegals.

Now for what you liberals should support. It is true that busienss likes having this source of cheap labor. Now if this was cut-off, would they not have to pay legit workers at a higher wage? We might even get all the able-bodied welfare bums to leave the cities and pick fruit for their living. Sure, they would have to wake before 1PM but thats life.

I truly believe that it is awesome that that legal observers are going to try to be directly behind each Minuteman Project. I truly dont understand how these ignorant people can have so much hatred towards immigrants, i understand that they are doing it illegally but honestly everyone came to the US as an immigrant. The white man is who invaded this land because it belonged to native americans. They have treated the native americans in a cruel way, african americans, and mexicans. They attempt to try and dominate this land by continuing to claim that it is theres. They need to get it in their heads that it is not just their land. Do they not get the point that soon enough the US will be a real melting pot. :) It will soon be everyones land. :) ~Pink~

"I truly believe that it is awesome that that legal observers are going to try

to be directly behind each Minuteman Project."

I can just see aq bunch of NYU lawyers out there in the desert with the ice-

chests of seltzer-water. All jokes aside, its a good idea to have these legal

observers.

"I truly dont understand how these ignorant people can have so much hatred

towards immigrants, i understand that they are doing it illegally but honestly

everyone came to the US as an immigrant."

You miss the point of the MM. It is not anti-immirant at all. Its anti-ILLEGAL

immigrant. No one who opposes the MM can tell me why it is anti-immigrant from

all nations to oppose illegals.

"The white man is who invaded this land because it belonged to native americans

."

Native Americans lost the war because they had a terrible immigration policy.

But look at your history. Peoples have taken over others' lands over an over.

Nearly every ethnic group on earth is from some other location. European

conquest of the America's was just the last time it happened and before the

world generally changed their veiw of such practices.

"They have treated the native americans in a cruel way, african americans, and

mexicans."

They??? You mean we. We as a species (the human race) are not very nice to

each other. You post here as if it is only whites who fucked over other groups.

The Native American's were exclusivly screwed by early American's, true.

Blacks were screwed over by whites, Arabs, and .... Blacks. Mexicans have been

screwing themselves since they gave up on thier idealistic revolution. Do you

know they modeled their system after ours?

"They attempt to try and dominate this land by continuing to claim that it is

theres. They need to get it in their heads that it is not just their land. Do

they not get the point that soon enough the US will be a real melting pot. :) It

will soon be everyones land. :) ~Pink~"

This "they" stuff has to go. Do you know that Japanese dominate some of this

land? I live next to Japanese family who own their own home. No one dominates

here, they buy. I know people who legally immigrated from Mexico and they

dominate a parcial of land where they have their home.

I think what you are getting at is a world without borders where the US "will

soon be everyones land." What does that even mean? Does that mean any person

from a country where the people have not the balls to tell their theiving king

to shove it can come here and dominate my personal land? You would let 4.5

billion people move to the states?

MR.YBARRA

YOU ARE A BRAVE MAN, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO IS READY TO FIGHT FOR TRUE JUSTICE AND LIBERTY.. WE ARE BEHIND YOU, GOD BLESS YOUR GOOD HEART

Way too much anti-US talk here. The US has made mistakes in the past, bad things have happened, etc. Get off of it. Tell me which government in human history that does NOT have blood on their hands? This is OUR country today. So you want to give it all back to whomever? Do we go back 10,000 years or only 200 years? We are all invaders. Think about it; what you say does NOT pertain today. Today is today, that's it. 20million plus illegal aliens taking our jobs and sending $ out of the US only hurts our economy. Try to think about what you are saying! We have laws, right? Or don't you believe in those, either? What you say sounds hypocritical to me. Go to Canada or better yet, go to France. They also believe in giving away everybody else's rights, too. And when one of our "friends" you so advocate sticks a blade between your ribs and makes of with what was once yours, remember he/she was only looking for a better life (or easier prey?).

Must really fuck with you, "ADKirchhof ," that you can't say "go to Russia" any more. "Go to France?" LOL, how fuckin' lame!