Thread: Fair US Govt Endangers Law Abiding U.S. Citizens On Border

From: FAIR
Date: 2006/05/10 Wed PM 04:50:49 EDT
Subject: FAIR Press Release - U.S. Government Endangers Law Abiding Citizens Monitoring the Border

May 10, 2006

U.S. Government Endangers Law Abiding Citizens Monitoring the Border By Reporting Minutemen’s Activities to the Mexican Government
Washington, DC—In an unprecedented policy, the Bush Administration has acknowledged that it has been providing information about the location of Minutemen patrols to the Mexican government. In spite of widespread criticism of its failure to protect America’s security by regaining control of the border, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has been devoting manpower to monitoring the activities of the Minutemen, even as record numbers of illegal aliens pour across our borders.

The information being turned over by the Bush Administration to the Mexican government is meant to reassure them that the rights of illegal border crossers are being protected. Mexican authorities have been kept abreast of where the Minutemen are patrolling and when they have made apprehensions of illegal aliens. Both Presidents Bush and Fox have referred to the Minutemen as “vigilantes,” despite the fact there has not been a single documented case of abuse in more than a year of civilian patrols.

“This policy is a shocking and disgraceful display of pandering to the government of Mexico,” reacted Dan Stein, president of FAIR. “Compounding this egregious behavior is the fact that the Department of Homeland Security is recklessly endangering the lives of law abiding citizens. Many of those running the border smuggling operations are violent criminals who would not hesitate to use deadly force against anyone who stands in their way.”

The policy of informing Mexican authorities about the activities of the Minutemen coincides with the Bush Administration’s efforts to institute a massive illegal alien amnesty and guest worker program. It has been the administration’s position that the only way to gain control of the border is to provide “legal channels” for migrants to enter the U.S. to work.

“Not only does the Bush Administration seem to have no interest in controlling the border, they want to make sure no one else does either,’ said Stein. “What they want is an unending flow of foreign workers entering the U.S. and chaos at the border. They seem to believe this will strengthen their case for the amnesty and guest worker programs they so desperately want.”

According to a report in the Ontario, California, Daily Bulletin, Border Patrol officers have been told by the superiors not to give credit to the Minutemen when arrests occur based on their tips and have even been ordered not to respond to Minuteman calls.

“This is not a case of diplomatic protocol or protecting the rights of illegal aliens. This is a politically motivated effort to promote an amnesty/guest worker program that is overwhelmingly opposed by the American public,” Stein charged. “What is even more shocking is that this administration appears willing to compromise the security of this nation and the safety of law abiding citizens to achieve its goal of a massive guest worker program.”