Thread: Minutemen targeting Virginia day-laborer site

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/13377497.htm

Posted on Sat, Dec. 10, 2005

Minutemen targeting Virginia day-laborer site



By N.C. AIZENMA and TIMOTHY DWYER
The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The slate-gray light of a wintry morning hung over the 7-Eleven parking lot just after sunrise Thursday when a murmur rippled through the crowd of men gathered there: "Look, they are coming."

Heads turned in unison in the direction of a dozen people moving toward them on Elden Street in Herndon, Va. Although the men's clothing -- work boots and bluejeans -- revealed them as day laborers, the new group wore warm winter coats and snug-fitting gloves and carried cameras with long lenses, a camcorder, a couple of walkie-talkies and a clipboard list of license-plate numbers collected on previous visits.

"The day is ruined. They're going to scare off the employers," Alex Aleman, 32, a Honduran in a black ski cap, told his friends in Spanish. "When they come, we don't eat."

It was the start of an almost weekly ritual in this northern Virginia town that began in mid-October when locals who object to the informal day-laborer site formed a Herndon branch of the Minuteman Project, a national group that fights illegal immigration.

The Minutemen train their lenses on contractors who go to the lot at Elden and Alabama Drive to hire the day laborers, many of whom are in the country illegally. They say they plan to give the photographs to the government for investigation.

The two groups never speak. Separated by a few feet, they are worlds apart.

A white van with green lettering on the side moved slowly down Alabama. The letters described services -- painting, construction, remodeling -- but there was no company name. It was the third time it had circled the block in about 25 minutes.

"Doug," called out George Taplin, the Minutemen leader, "there's that van again. Did you get a picture?"

Doug Hillgreen lifted a camera and snapped a photo of the van's license plate. Hillgreen, who works in telecommunications, said his son, 20, has lost two jobs in the past two years -- one at a sawmill, one in construction -- because his bosses hired day laborers. "It's because of that and for security reasons," he said, explaining his motivation for joining the Minutemen.

A community organizer began handing the day laborers maps to a new county-funded hiring site that was approved by the Town Council after a bitter, monthslong debate. It's set to open next week. But most of the laborers were enthralled by the sight of the Minutemen.

Luis Hererra, 32, a Salvadoran who arrived four months ago, wanted to know whether it was legal for the Minutemen to photograph people against their will.

"I'm in a foreign country now," Hererra said. "I don't know the laws here yet." Hererra's voice trailed off as he noticed a crowd beginning to form around an alcove near the entrance to the 7-Eleven. A contractor had quietly slipped in there, out of sight of the Minutemen, and was beckoning to the workers.

"I need someone who knows how to grout," the contractor said in Spanish. But the worker had to speak English.

There was a moment's silence. "I speak English," a young-looking man said hesitantly. "But I've never done grouting. Do you need someone with a lot of experience?"

"Yes," the contractor answered firmly. "This is going to be a very expensive kitchen in a very expensive house. The work has to be done extremely well."

At 8:11 a.m., Taplin told the Minutemen it was time to go. "Once we leave, that's when the contractors come around," Taplin said. "What these guys don't know is that we have two guys who stay behind to take pictures after the group leaves."

The best approach for targeting day labor centers is to recruit legal day laborers to report the employers who do not check their hires legal status.