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Police Keep Close Eye On Border Vigilantes
Vigilantes Spark Protests From Civil Rights Groups

POSTED: 3:48 pm PDT July 15, 2005
UPDATED: 5:28 pm PDT July 15, 2005

SAN DIEGO -- A group of volunteers that plan to start monitoring the San Diego County-Mexico border this weekend -- and their foes -- will not be allowed to commit vigilante or racial violence, authorities said Friday.




Participants in the grassroots project "Operation Border Watch" must limit their involvement to "eyes and ears and talking," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender warned.

"If there's any violation of the law ... on either side of this issue, law enforcement will, in fact, take action," Kolender said during a news conference.

Also attending the midmorning briefing at the sheriff's Kearny Mesa headquarters were officials with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Chula Vista and National City police departments.

In recent weeks, preparations for the civilian immigration-control effort have sparked protests from civil rights groups, as did similar endeavors conducted in Arizona this year by a group called the Minutemen.

Opponents called the self-appointed border enforcers -- most of whom carry guns -- dangerous vigilantes and bigots.

The monitors say their goal is to help enforce immigration laws and that they carry firearms strictly for self-defense.

Along with law enforcement agencies, immigrant-advocacy groups have promised to send observers to the county's arid southern reaches to keep an eye on the volunteer border watchers.