Fremont group forms to protest illegal immigration

By Don Bowen/Tribune Staff

After watching a group Susan Smith called “illegal aliens and their supporters” marching in protest less than a year ago, the Omaha woman decided she needed to take action. So she formed a group, Nebraskans Advisory Group, aimed at protesting illegal immigration.

Now, a Fremont man wants to spread that message.

Tuesday night, Andy Schnatz and Smith led the first meeting of the group’s Fremont chapter.

“We’re not against anybody or any group,” Schnatz said. “We’re not a supremacy group. We’re not a violent group.”

“There are a lot of myths about illegal immigration,” Smith said. “There are a lot of organizations who support illegal aliens. If they are in our country illegally, they need to leave. We welcome legal immigrants. We welcome people who follow our laws and go through the process.”

Twenty-five people attended the meeting. As people introduced themselves around the room, some said they were there because they are concerned about problems caused from illegal immigration. Others said they were there to hear what was being said about the issue.




Smith said she “partially blames main stream media” for not sharing the information she and others want Americans to know about illegal immigration.

“These people are coming into this country illegally,” Schnatz said. “They’re criminals, and they want rights. They have no rights. I’m a veteran. I just want my country back.”

Smith said she gets angry about “preferential treatment” illegal immigrants are getting over Americans.

“We have illegal aliens who would rather spit on us and spit on our flag than follow our laws,” she said. “I wanted to do something about it, not just sit around and complain. I formed this group in November.”

When asked by a Fremont native now living in San Francisco what the organization proposes to do, she said members of the group will attend government meetings and talk with government officials, endorse or oppose legislation, try to get local police departments to form illegal immigration task forces and hold protests and rallies.

“This is an unofficial local citizens grassroots organization,” she said, adding that the group’s ultimate goals are to have benefits and services to illegal immigrants shutdown and employers who hire illegal immigrants punished.

“I’ll spend my last breath fighting illegal aliens coming into this state,” she said.

One man said he thought this was a losing proposition.

“I think it’s a waste of time because of the corrupt politicians and corporations,” said A.J. Prochaska. “They’re all controlled by greed.”

Frances Smith of Fremont said the media is partially to blame for the problems.

“The media isn’t paid to reveal the news,” she said. “They’re paid to conceal the news. Just because something comes out of Dan Rather’s mouth doesn’t mean it’s the truth, or just because it’s in the local newspaper.”

Two members of the Omaha chapter of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps attended the meeting. The chapter’s director, Mike Narducci, said he just spent three days in southern Arizona patrolling for illegal aliens.

“While other groups are talking, the Minutemen are the only ones with our boots on the ground,” he said.

“If you really want to know what’s going on, the information is out there,” Susan Smith said. “Most people don’t really want to know.”

Schnatz said another meeting of the group is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 3 in the Keene Memorial Library auditorium.


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