USA officials seek to declare "border vigilantism"
a federal hate crime
by
Hector Carreon
La Voz de Aztlan

Los Angeles, Alta California - August 15, 2005 - (ACN) At a press conference Friday at the offices of the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (Department of State of the Republic of Mexico), four USA elected officials said that they will be asking the Bush Administration to declare "border vigilantism" against Mexican and other immigrants along the US/Mexico border prosecutable and punishable under the federal hate crime laws. The officials said that the violent activities by groups like the Minutemen vigilantes, the KKK, white supremacy militias and other similar groups are totally unacceptable.

County Supervisor of San Bernardino, California Josie Gonzales, the Mayor of Lynwood, California Ramon Rodriguez, Borough President of The Bronx Adolfo Carrion, and Delaware State Representative Joseph E. Miro held the press conference at the offices of the SRE in Mexico City and directed most of their statements at President George W. Bush. The press release stated in part. "Bush debe declarar abiertamente que está en contra del Minuteman Project, y más agresivamente criminalizar sus actividades, que son motivadas por un sentimiento antimigrante, racista y paranoico". The statement translates as "Bush should openly declare that he is against the Minuteman Project, and more aggressively criminalize their activities, which are motivated by anti-immigrant sentiments that are racist and paranoiac".

Earlier this year, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said, at an East Los Angeles town hall meeting, that his office is closely monitoring the activities of the border vigilantes and that he would not hesitate to enforce the federal hate crime laws against them. Both parents of US Attorney General Gonzalez are immigrants from Mexico. Also press conference participant, Mayor Ramon Rodriguez of Lynwood, was born in the town of Valparaizo, Zacatecas, Mexico. In 1964, during his early childhood, his family migrated to the United States. Growing up in Hawaiian Gardens, he later graduated from Artesia High School in Lakewood, California.

Since the year 2000, a series of heinous hate crimes and murders have occurred against Mexican immigrants along the border and in the interior of the USA. Most of these murders have remained unsolved. La Voz de Aztlan believes that these hate crimes were committed by members of Minutemen vigilantes, the KKK, Ranch Rescue and certain Mexican hating elements of the outlawed Jewish Defense League (JDL).

http://www.aztlan.net/hate_at_the_border.htm