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Alleged plan to raid camps of migrants condemned

Activists cite e-mail sent by 'border-watching group'

By Dana Littlefield
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 26, 2005

RANCHO PENASQUITOS – A small group of immigrants rights activists gathered at a nature preserve yesterday to denounce the efforts of a border watch group they claimed was planning to raid nearby migrant camps.

Five volunteers from Gente Unida held a morning news conference at Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve to announce they had seen an e-mail from a border watch group, titled "Operation Canyon Sweep."

The e-mail advised recipients to meet at the entrance to the preserve near Black Mountain and Mercy roads between 1 p.m. and sunset yesterday to "observe, report and direct the Border Patrol to any illegal encampments we encounter."

Enrique Morones, a San Diego human rights activist who volunteers with Gente Unida, said the e-mail came from a "border-watching group," but did not specify which one, nor did he give details about how activists had obtained a copy.

Gente Unida is a coalition of pro-immigrant groups from Southern California, Arizona and Mexico.

"We demand that the city and county of San Diego say basta to minutemen, enough with their racist strategy to take the law into their own hands," Morones said, reading from a prepared statement.

Morones said he and the other volunteers were planning to stay at the preserve through most of the day in case any border-watch groups appeared. About 20 police officers were on hand in case there were problems.

San Diego police Sgt. Natalie Stone said the department received information earlier in the week that a border-watch group might show up at the preserve.

"My belief is really that there probably won't be any minutemen showing up," said Stone, who is currently serving as acting lieutenant for the Rancho Peñasquitos area.

She said that so far, no border-watch groups have claimed responsibility for the e-mail.

George Smith, a spokesman for the California Minutemen, said in an interview yesterday that he learned about the e-mail from police. The group, which has conducted patrols along the border in East County, is not racist, Smith said, and any claim that they are is a "cheap shot."

"All we are asking for is the U.S. government to enforce the existing laws," Smith said. "We're talking about the desire to have safe and secure borders, that's all."

Andy Ramirez, a spokesman for Friends of the Border Patrol, another border-watch group, said he had heard of the e-mail, but neither he nor his organization were responsible for it.

Richard Kite, a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman, said he was unaware of the e-mail and had not received any reports of border-watch groups gathering at Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The Border Patrol typically focuses its efforts at the border and highway checkpoints.

Morones said he has met with city and county officials to urge them to take action against border watchers.

Earlier this week, some members of Gente Unida contacted migrant workers who live in Rancho Peñasquitos-area camps to warn them not to answer questions from members of the border-watch groups.

"They had a heads-up on what was coming so they could protect themselves and their families," said Staci Lopez, a Gente Unida volunteer.