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Governor's Mexico trip condemned

PROTEST: Members of the Minuteman Project say they are upset with a guest-worker proposal.


10:00 PM PST on Friday, November 17, 2006

By MICHELLE DeARMOND
The Press-Enterprise


RIVERSIDE - Immigration activists gathered on a downtown Riverside street Friday to protest Gov. Schwarzenegger's recent trip to Mexico and to draw attention to immigration problems in California.

"We're just a little angry with Gov. Schwarzenegger for pretty much dissing his country and chumming with the Mexican hierarchy," Penny Magnotto, a 63-year-old Riverside County resident, said while holding a large flag in the afternoon sun.

The protesters, members of The Minuteman Project, said they were upset because the governor and California farmers who traveled with him to Mexico this month advocated a guest-worker program to allow more migrants to enter legally and work in the fields.

The members of The Minuteman Project, a group of volunteer border watchers, said Friday that illegal immigrants who disregard job-safety laws and other regulations pushcitizens out of California jobs.

"These jobs are now being held by Mexican nationals," said Raymond Herrera, of Victorville. Herrera, a carpenter, said he has struggled to find work since 1980 because of competition from illegal workers.

The protesters visited the governor's nearby office and delivered a collection of letters from activists who could not attend Friday. Larry Grable in the governor's office said the Riverside office also took eight or 10 calls from other members of The Minuteman Project.

Grable said the writers will get some kind of response from the governor's office.

"We're always listening," he said. "We're always willing to listen and read their correspondence."