http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... an-ON.html

Minuteman volunteer takes press pass from author

Susan Carroll
Republic Tucson Bureau
Apr. 4, 2006 08:49 PM


A Canadian author was stripped of his Minuteman Civil Defense Corp press pass on Tuesday morning after interviewing members of the ACLU outside the patrol area.

Stacey O'Connell, the field director for Arizona's arm of the volunteer border patrol effort, said that the situation was being handled internally and offered to give the writer, Derek Lundy, his press pass back after being contacted by The Arizona Republic.

Lundy, who is riding along the U.S.-Mexico border on a motorcycle for a non-fiction book, said a female volunteer took away a press credential issued by the Minuteman organization after he was seen interviewing American Civil Liberties Union monitors outside the ranchland where the group has set up patrols.

When he went back into the area staked out by Minuteman volunteers, roughly 35 miles southwest of Tucson, he was stopped by the volunteer, who took away the press pass.

"I think it's absurd," Lundy said. "I don't see any rational basis for it. That's certainly an undemocratic response."

After the incident, the woman offered to give Lundy his press credentials back, provided he sign a form agreeing to the organization's "Standard Operating Procedures" for the media. In order for members of the media to observe the Minuteman group, they are required to fill out a form with guidelines. They are safety measures, said Connie Hair, a media consultant for the Minuteman group, and include forbidding the use of lights at night and requiring that: "Media will NOT at any time reveal in their reporting the names of the ranch owners that MCDC operates on."

Hair said Lundy was asked to sign the form, but refused, saying he was leaving anyway.

O'Connell, the state director, said that taking away Lundy's access was a mistake. Part of the Minuteman organization's stated mission is to bring media attention to the situation along the border.

"We expect (the media) to be able to do their jobs, and if they want to go out and see what the Minutemen do, and go out and report on the ACLU or anybody else, that's perfectly fine as well," he said. "We understand your position. You have to cover both sides, and we don't want to prevent{ellipsis}anyone from doing their jobs."

Lundy said he decided he didn't want the pass back; he's moving on to another stretch of the border.

Ray Ybarra, who is coordinating the ACLU volunteer legal observer program, said a young, documentary filmmaker was forced by a Minuteman volunteer to erase a portion of her tape on Saturday. O'Connell denied that, saying it "never happened."

The Minuteman organization, which aims to spot undocumented immigrants and report them to the U.S. Border Patrol, launched its third, month-long patrol on April 1.