http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mp ... an/3310389

Aug. 15, 2005, 9:31AM



War of words heats up at Minuteman session
LULAC leader confronts a corps member over the plans to videotape day-labor workers
By CYNTHIA LEONOR GARZA
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

A four-day training session for members of the controversial Minuteman Civil Defense Corps turned heated Sunday when a LULAC leader confronted one of the group's members.

Rick Dovalina, past national president and current district director for the League of United Latin American Citizens, got into a verbal scuffle with Minuteman member Bill Braux, who became incensed after Dovalina took down his license plate number.

"You have the right and I don't?" Dovalina shouted at Braux, who kept asking why he needed his license plate number.

The Arizona-based Minuteman group, which is opposed to illegal immigration, supports keeping vigilance on the nation's borders and inland in areas with large immigrant populations.

The incident took place during a press conference in the parking lot of the West Houston Airport, where members trained for an upcoming October border watch. The training did not focus on local plans to videotape and photograph day-labor workers and their employers, said the group's national president Chris Simcox.

Still, Dovalina said LULAC is concerned about the how the Minutemen will be able to distinguish Hispanics who are undocumented from those who are citizens.

"Because they're Hispanic, is that the criteria you use to take their picture and to take their license plate down?" Dovalina said.