Robin is a Minuteman participant from Southern California who just returned from Arizona. She has a different
format of report but still offers lots of interesting observations. That they're much different than the usual news reports tells you how slanted the mainstream news is.

Also, the people who own the Bible College where the MInutemen set up their communications center told us that Arizona's governor wrote them a letter advising that they're on her blacklist (whatever that means). It's located on Arizona state highway 92, and MMP volunteers reported lots of state police patrols issuing tickets to cars with out-of-state plates in the area of the Bible College-1 mph over the speed limit, broken taillights, failure to use a turn signal, etc.

I didn't have that experience when driving up and down SH 92, but then I didn't stay at the Bible College and my car is registered in Arizona.

==================================================================================
MINUTEMAN PROJECT

I was on the Naco, Arizona/Mexican border 6am - 2pm daily from Sunday to Wednesday, with two other Minutewomen and two Minutemen.

Below is the story a rancher's wife told me, who lives on 800 acres of land, in the family since the 1880s. Their ranch begins at the Mexican border.

Her name is Robin. She and her husband, Edward, have four children. They came to our Minuteman post requesting that Minutemen be stationed on their nearby property.

Robin said she hears gunshot every night on her ranch. Has no idea exactly where it is coming from.

Since the Minutemen arrived, she claims the gunshots have stopped.

Recently, a drunken illegal alien wandered onto their ranch at night. She was home alone with her children. The illegal alien pounded on their front door. Robin said she and her terrified children crawled on their stomachs to the back of their house to get away from him. While retelling this event, her pretty eyes were filled with both terror and humiliation.

The family's ranch is stampeded by illegal crossings. Years ago, they said their ranch was peaceful and safe. That it was rare to see illegal crossers.

The husband, Edward, said he was recently on his property and was astounded to count over 200 illegal crossers in a group nearby. He said he called the border patrol on his cellular phone.

He was told by the woman on the phone that it was not possible to see 200 hundred crossers because they would never cross in such a large group. As he was being told this, the 200 were crossing right before his eyes!

This ranching family thanked us profusely. They said if we needed anything - food, showers, rest - we were welcome at their home. The gruff rancher husband had tears in his eyes when he said goodbye, thanking us.

OUR MINUTEMAN TEAM
In our sector, teams of Minutemen from two to five set up on a hillside along a dirt road ten paces from the border of Mexico. I think we had a total of nine teams. Although too far to talk, you could see a Minuteman team on either side of you. We communicated with each team via walkie-talkie radios.

It was very well organized. We had a MMP supervisor driving by periodically. Each team was encouraged to fly their state flag.

A New York flag was flying from the team to our west and a Florida flag flying from the team to our east. Our team flew an American and a Californian flag combo.

For 8 hour shifts around the clock, Minutemen - a giant neighborhood watch - were armed with binoculars, cellular phones and handheld walkie-talkie radios. We set up lawn chairs and umbrellas. Posted a sign that read, "Californians for Secure Borders." In our spare time, we threw a boomerang, flew a kite. We played CDs.

In short, we were noisy and visible. Chris Simcox had said noise was a good thing at a Minuteman post to deter would-be crossers.

There was a showing of border patrol helicopters, border patrol SUVs, sheriff vehicles, border patrol on scooters. In short, there was a steady stream of law enforcement on this normally deserted stretch of border land.

We were told by local ranchers that they have never seen so many border patrol. That this show of force was for the MMP.

THE FENCE/the trash
The barbed wire border fence is a joke. It's about shoulder high.

Our team's section of fence, about a two block area, had four crossing areas. The barbed wire has been stretched and cut to accommodate crossers. On the Mexican side, trails through the desert shrubs lead up to the passage holes in the barbed wire fence.

Some of the holes are large enough to accommodate a pair of crossers walking hand in hand.

Our area was littered with many Gatorade bottles. Many, many plastic bags. Tins of foot fungicide. Deodorant cans.

There were endless numbers of cans, sweatshirts, a hair brush, razors, a cell phone, a little Spanish Bible, many backpacks, sandals, tennis shoes, blankets, a powder puff, tuna cans, Tequila bottles, beer cans, a well used address book in Spanish. We found three one dollar bills rolled up and covered in dirt. One of our Minutewomen found a black ski mask.

There were many toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste.

It is heart breaking to see the beautiful desert literally covered in trash. The trash is just spread all over. If you walk a few steps there is some form of trash within view. Many, many plastic bags fly on trees and shrubs. The size of bags vary from those big, black outdoor trash bags down to the small postcard sized plastic bags.

Where the hell are the environmentalists on this issue of unbelievable trash? Is there anywhere else in the United States with such out of control environmental destruction that gets so little environmental attention? It is perplexing.

The Mexican side was desolate except for a train track and a highway in the distance. Desert foliage was crisscrossed with paths leading to the fence.

MEXICO BEEFS UP ITS FORCE
We read in local newspapers that the Mexican government had beefed up their forces where the MMP were stationed.

For example, a Mexican group on Mexican soil that supposedly rescues crossers, called Grupo Beta, was stationed to encourage crossers approaching the 20 mile MMP teams to return home. We were told military were also in the area.

The Grupo Beta wore bright orange shirts and drove new orange trucks. We usually had one to two trucks within our binocular vision, with several orange coats per truck.

The local ranchers told us that they had never seen these "orange coats" before. It was a first for them.

We watched the orange guys with our binoculars. From our lawn chairs, armed with walkie-talkie radios and bottled waters.

We watched them drive around in their orange trucks. They would park under trees and eat their lunches. Get out and walk around. Go under bridges where migrants camp.

We would from time to time see people who may have been migrants [translation: illegal aliens] get in the backs of their orange trucks.

One time we saw a group of about 8 single file coming over the horizon. Our entire 9 team section activated. We were radioing each other. All posted with binoculars. We were a-buzz!

Well, they turned out to be reporters! American reporters interviewing the Mexican national government workers. They all walked up to the fence, with the "humanitarian" workers and we talked for quite a while.

The humanitarian Mexican worker spoke no English. But interpreters said they wanted to show us a baggy they handed out to crossers with snack bars and water They offered to give us food and water.

Another Mexican national farmer approached us later on horseback and stated illegal crossers only want to work. Again, we had a peaceful conversation.

But what we can say is that while we were posted for 24 hours at our section not one illegal crosser traversed the well-worn paths. They did not walk through the openings in the barbed wire, as they normally do.

Our presence stopped illegal crossings in this area - normally commonplace.

On Tuesday, we did see a young man appear among the orange guys who had a huge rifle slung over his shoulder. The Minutemen in my group knew the rifle make and said it had a scope. This guy was in his 20s, in a tee shirt, black pants and baseball cap. No uniform.

Our entire line watched him through binoculars. He would zigzag around. Talk to the orange coats. Zigzag more. Our radio walkie-talkie info finally declared they thought he was police. He eventually walked out of view over a hill.

When I related the event to a local rancher who stopped by to talk with us, he told me that the guy was definitely a coyote. He also said anyone out there on the Mexican side is part of the bribery and smuggling even if they are government employees.

BORDER PATROL AGENTS
There were border patrol supervisors who would drive around and talk to the press. They would spin a line worthy of Bush and DHS.

But when there were no supervisors around, the rank and file border patrol would occasionally speak to us. It was brave of them as they wear name badges.

One border patrol agent told me that the Mexican humanitarian orange coat guys routinely shake down the crossers. He laughed when I called the Mexican orange coats humanitarians.

Another agent told me that the border patrol was very glad we were there. When we asked about the so called sensors Minutemen were setting off, he laughed and said the spokesmen were saying what they'd been told to say.

He gave us a thumbs up when he drove off. They also communicated that the illegal crossing activity is very well orchestrated and run.

RANCHERS and locals
Our arrival has been controversial among the locals.

I stayed at the Bible College and went to the Bible College church on Sunday. Two pastors focused their talks on their gratitude for the Minutemen. One pastor asked for Minutemen to stand. There were only about five us in attendance.

The pastor then told the church people to go to us and shake our hands. But the churchgoers approached us and hugged us! Some held onto me like I was a life safer! A line formed as mothers, children, old ladies, teens embraced the Minutemen.

We did have locals express discord about MMP, but they were the exception in my experience.

Our night shift had said that a rancher had pulled up in his truck, emerged from the darkness, holding the hands of his two small children and thanked the Minutemen over and over. The night shift Minuteman told me that that the rancher had tears in his eyes as he thanked them. The Minuteman who listened to the rancher and told me of the experience, is a tough, muscular, no-nonsense former military guy. But when he told me this story about the rancher, he said his eyes welled up with tears too when the rancher expressed his gratitude.


When a group of us were at a local cafe, a local guy came up and grilled us. Gave us his stories about his mother's property being ransacked by crossers. He then wrote down the name of a section where he asked the Minutemen to go to.

I told the locals that would give me suggestions that they should contact the leadership of MMP with their referrals. I was a peon just following the orders.

If you were a Minuteman, someone would inevitably request you patrol some section.

It absolutely makes my blood boil to think of government letting these hard working American citizens' ranches literally be invaded! I told them all that they are heroes. Most said they will never leave their ranches!

ACLU
The ACLU types showed up. They wore white tee shirts with orange letters that read "Legal Observers."

As we did a shift, it was always a treat to talk to anyone new. Locals. Reporters. Photographers. Minutemen wandering about.

It wasn't any different when you would come upon an ACLU person. I talked to all of them I saw. We would just chitchat about whatever. Most seemed to be college aged. I told a couple I spoke to that I was glad they were there. I said they didn't want violence and neither did we. I thanked them for being there watching.

After all, with them standing among us, they only made our numbers look bigger before the illegal crossers. In that regard, they made us appear larger in force.

Personally, I had no problem with the ACLU at the MMP. They would just stand around quietly in their matching tee shirts. As the week wore on, I noticed the number of ACLU observers diminished significantly.

It was apparent that where we stood illegal crossings stopped. The shift went by fast because there was always some rumor flying around. Like the day when the rumor went round that 12 rancher skinheads were going to attack the Bible College. There was always somebody new coming up to investigate our team.

Minutemen and ranchers would drive by with all sorts of comments. Reporters from London, Mexico, all over the US were constantly wanting to talk and be led around to see various sites.

And you could look through binoculars and watch the orange guys. Or birds. The media loved to film you looking through the binoculars. I would sometimes just be watching a bird or a butterfly when I was being filmed looking through my binoculars by the media.

I only regret I couldn't stay for the full Minuteman Project! It was awesome. I met some great people from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Kansas, lots of Texans and Californians. Most were just run of the mill, salt of the earth typical hard working American citizens.

And we had a saying, "What happens at the Bible College stays at the Bible College!" Oh, the rumors and stories we heard!

Eyewitness report from the Arizona/Mexico border from two Minuteman volunteers

Jack & Barb

April 5, 2005
...
Witnessing with our own eyes what is going on at the border has really been mind-boggling. Unless you see it for yourself down here you would never believe it. The local media reports some of what actually transpires on the border here but it never reaches the interior of our country and the majority of our citizens. In plain language we are being invaded, not by armies, but by literally thousands of illegal aliens every single day of the year. The Border Patrol doesn’t even catch half of the people that come across and they catch an unbelievable number of them. I’ve heard the number 1 in 4 that come through. When they do catch them they send them back into Mexico where they try again the next day. The BP receive hundreds of calls daily from citizens reporting illegals along the highway, in the border towns, on private property, on public property, at their homes asking for and in some cases demanding food and water. I hear they don’t have half the manpower they need so a lot of calls go unanswered Of the hundreds arrested in March in this area alone the newspaper reported 20% of them had criminal records.


When OTM’s (illegal aliens Other Than Mexicans) are caught they are issued citations to appear in court just like we are issued traffic citations and released. Very small percentages ever appear in court. They disappear and go where they want to go and do what ever they came into our country to do.

Is El Presidente Jorge Bush and his henchmen aware of all this? You can bet the farm that they are. For what is Jorge Bush selling America’s soul?

We went out on border today and manned an observation post from noon until 6PM. Pretty quiet today but we did observe numerous illegals just laying around waiting for a chance to get across. On the way back to camp we observed a male Hispanic who appeared to be an illegal (carrying a back pack and a gallon jug of water) walking along the highway. Called the Border Patrol and reported the sighting to them. They are all over this area but they don’t stay here. They pass through on the way to other destinations.

After we returned to the camp we spent 4 hours on security on the main entrance. This is very stressful checking everyone and the vehicles coming through but very necessary due to the daily death threats we receive.


There are over 200 Minutemen manning observation posts working in shifts 24 hours per day. At any time you can observe Mexicans laying up just waiting for a chance to make the dash to cross over. Members of the Grupo Beta, (Mexican refugee assistance group), Federales (Mexican National Police) and Mexican soldiers continuously patrol the border to direct those waiting to cross over to go around that section of the border Minutemen are observing. We have been very successful in shutting down the influx of illegals in the areas where we have been posted. That is why the drug cartels and the human smugglers are so mad at us. We are costing them big bucks by closing the border. We have proven it can be done. Are you listening El Presidente Bush?????

Are these the poor peons that want to come here to do the jobs Americans don’t want to do? More like the criminals who come here to compete with our own homegrown crooks.

You had better WAKE UP America. They are coming to your town. If you can’t believe they are a threat to our way of life, and our society come to the Arizona border, talk to the locals and see for yourself. Get involved. It is an eye opener.

In recent polls 80% of American want our borders secured. Are you listening El Presidente?? Close the borders. Enforce our laws.

Until tomorrow!!!!!!!!


Eyewitness report from the Arizona/Mexico border from two Minuteman volunteers


Jack & Barb

April 6, 2005


We took some personal time today to buy supplies and wash clothes, etc. then spent 4 hours out on the line. Observed the same things out there today. Mexican officials are still directing their citizens to flank our observation posts. We are getting the Mexican governments attention and making them respond. According to local ranchers who have land right on the border they have never seen so many Sheriff Deputies, Border Patrol Agents in the area and have never seen the Grupo Beta and the Federales on the Mexican side. They do see the Mexican Army occasionally. They stated that prior to our arrival they observed trucks, pickups, vans, and even occasionally taxi cabs bringing people up to the border and dropping them off. The Mexicans then walk across the border at the first opportunity. According to the ranchers we talked to this is just about a daily occurrence. Most have given up contacting officials about the problem as nothing is ever done to help them.

The big news today is Border Patrol supervisors are bitching that Minutemen are setting off their sensors. Another complaint they are making is that we are walking in the area they sweep clean then watch for the footprints of any one coming across these areas so they can follow them. This is BS. They are informed of the areas that we will be in. It appears they are getting their orders from on high to harass us any way they can. Most BP Agents (the grunts who do the work) are glad we are here.

It appears that our opposition is trying to set us up for arrest and lawsuits. A Minuteman stopped to lend assistance to a apparent illegal setting along the highway looking distressed, gave the individual food and water and called the Border Patrol. The Border Patrol picked the illegal up and when they got him back to their holding facility the illegal stated that the Minuteman detained him. Crap hit the fan. The Border Patrol notified the Sheriffs office who notified the County prosecutor. The Sheriff’s Department came to the camp to investigate the incident. Lucky for this Minuteman the whole incident was video taped by another Minuteman on the scene. It is still unknown how the incident will play out. It is against the law to detain illegal aliens or hold them until the authorities arrive even on your private property. The authorities will charge you with unlawful detainment, depriving the illegals of their civil rights (all though they are breaking the law) and in some cases even kidnapping. This is the work of the ACLU.

Oh yes, the ACLU are still on the scene in full force hoping to catch a Minuteman doing something they can sue us for. They even try provoking us in some cases. It would make their day catching us doing something they could come after us for. If the future of our country depended on these brain dead, brain washed individuals this country would be in more trouble then we are all ready.

Returned to camp from the border and worked on the main gate for another 6 hours. It is up to the individual how much they want to do. Most are putting in 10-18 hours a day and in some cases even more. New people come and other people leave daily. I don’t think any one knows the exact number of Minutemen here at any one time cause not all of them are staying in camp. The number in our camp fluctuates between 300-400 on any one day Many more are staying in motels, RV parks, with friends, etc; or live in the area.

The Sheriffs Department notified us that a Hispanic individual from Tennessee had telephoned them that he was loading up his friends and coming to Arizona to engage the Minutemen in a gunfight. The FBI was notified. 4 hours later the FBI notified us that this individual was definitely not coming to Arizona. It was assumed they arrested this person.

If EL Presidente Bush would uphold his oath of office and enforce immigration laws and close the border American lives would not be in jeopardy doing the job he refuses to do.

In a speech the other day he stated, “ The most important job a President of a country has is to protect its citizens. To bad he doesn’t practice what he preaches. Hypocrisy at it finest.

Frodo lost! El Presidente Bush has the ring!

Until tomorrow!<br />

The following have been edited to avoid repetition and talk of the weather.....
.............................................................................
April 9, 2005


We received an official BP report today. Only 74 aliens arrested yesterday where normally there are hundreds. In the sector where normally 500 to 600 aliens cross daily there were 0 arrested.

I mentioned yesterday that the BP was getting friendlier. The Agents in the field are but we found out today that they have a supervisor on duty 24/7 specifically assigned to interrogate any illegal aliens that are spotted and reported by the Minutemen and arrested by the BP to determine if the Minutemen did, said or even gestured anything that they can charge the Minutemen with. Our government does not want the Minuteman project to succeed. The BP supervisors are following the party line like the good little sheep they are and they are afraid that if the Minutemen project succeeds it will show the world how ineffective the BP is under the direction of its present supervisors. Washington DC does not want us to succeed.

We still have news media running all over the place interviewing everyone and taking pictures of everything in sight. A TV crew from Russia showed up today. Crews from Japan and Australia have been here also.

News Flash: The US Government announced today a plan that will tighten all borders by 2008. Unfortunately Mexico announced a plan to have all their people here by 2007.

..............................................................................

Unlike most days when I send the report verbatim as I receive it, I want to add a personal note. Remember when reading all the reports (both from Minutemen and news media articles) that any illegal aliens picked up by the Border Patrol will soon be released back into the community where they were apprehended. Yes, it's true--it's called the "catch and release" program.

The Border Patrol claims they check to see if the illegal aiien is a danger to the community, but how would they know? the illegal is likely offering a new name, and the BP doesn't fingerprint illegals when apprehended, so the BP has no way to know if they're truly criminals and/or terrorists.

So bear in mind that "catch and release" program when the government tries to tell you that they're apprehanding more illegals. By releasing them back into the community, the BP or ICE can catch the same ones tomorrow and keep their "apprehension" counts high--it's all a numbers game.
Sandy
=================================================
April 11, 2005

Wrote to our state and federal representatives today demanding they do something about the problems created by open borders, work toward getting the borders closed and demand they start enforcing the immigration laws.

We request that everyone write, email or phone their representative and demand they take action today or you’ll get some one in there who will do something about it. It is time we demand it not just ask for it. Remember our, and I emphasize our, representatives work for us not the other way around.

The enthusiasm to make this project succeed by the Minutemen is still very high. We have met some wonderful people here who see and understand the impact illegal aliens are having on our American way of life and are willing to step up to the plate and do their part to help stop it. These Minutemen are from every walk of life and ethic group with one thing in common and that is they are patriotic Americans.

Eyewitness report from the Arizona/Mexico border
from two Minuteman volunteers

Jack & Barb
April 12, 2005

I have not met one Minuteman yet who would not welcome any immigrant coming into the US if they come through the gate legally and not under the fence.

It was reported in a local newspaper that 20 million dollars worth of electronic detection equipment purchased for use in this sector of the
Border is not being utilized and half of the things. sensors ,etc: that are installed don’t work. Some heads should roll over that. As I said before based on what we have observed and heard we are not impressed in the least with the utilization of the resources in the Border Patrol in this sector. This should not be construed as condemnation of the rank and file as we feel they are doing the best job they can do with one arm tied behind them.


The ACLU is getting desperate to get something on the Minutemen and are trying to provoke incidents now. They pushed one of the Minutemen the other night trying to get him to push back. Didn’t work. Then last night they walked up and shined a spotlight right in a Minuteman’s face from six inches or so away. Didn’t work that time either. We immediately report these types of contacts with them to the Sheriff to counter any claims they try to make against us. They should be called the UCLU (Un-American Civil Lawsuit Union)

They give us the middle finger every chance they get to try to get us to react. We are still trying to figure out if that is their age or IQ.

The Minutemen received a letter from Congressman Tom Tancredo congratulating us on the “immensely successful Minuteman project.”

“By Border Patrol counts apprehensions of illegals are down over 50% so far this month. Mexican military units have diverted migrants east and west away from the Naco section of the border where we are showing that Mexico can control the exits if it chooses to do so. We have proven to the whole world that the border can be closed and that a physical presence can deter illegal crossings.”

Eyewitness report from the Arizona/Mexico border from two Minuteman volunteers

Jack & Barb

April 14, 2005


This is our last day here at the Minuteman Camp. We are leaving tomorrow morning. We spent the day doing things around camp, packing up and saying goodbye to a great bunch of very patriotic Americans.

We feel we have accomplished our mission and made more Americans aware of the problems at our border and have shaken the cages of the politicians who can fix it. Only history will tell if they got the message and take the necessary action needed. If they don’t we have to get them out of office and replace them with someone who will.

The Minutemen who traveled long miles on their own time and expense to come here and participate in this project have demonstrated that patriotism is not dead in America. If necessary we would all do it again.

Why is EL Presidente Bush so intent on establishing democratic governments in Iraq and Afghanistan when he could go right next door to Mexico and establish one there? Why does Bush want these illegal aliens to come to the U.S? Why is he doing nothing while America is being invaded? For what is Bush selling America’s soul?

Legal observers opening the doors of perception in order to better do their job:



Read the article: ACLU aiding illegal entry into U.S.? Minuteman spokesman charges group with criminal activity

Talk radio hosts and listeners are heading to Washington, DC, to make a stand for the Feds to get serious about border security...

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