'Minutemen' plan to patrol Arizona border
Volunteers want to stop illegal immigrants entering U.S.
Monday, February 21, 2005 Posted: 2:10 PM EST (1910 GMT)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner is keeping a close eye on Minutemen plans.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Intent on securing the vulnerable Arizona border from illegal immigrant crossings, U.S. officials are bracing for what they call a potential new threat this spring: the Minutemen.
Nearly 500 volunteers have already joined the Minuteman Project, anointing themselves civilian border patrol agents. They plan to patrol a 40-mile stretch of the southeast Arizona border throughout April when the tide of immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border peaks.
"I felt the only way to get something done was to do it yourself," said Jim Gilchrist, a retired accountant and decorated Vietnam War veteran who is helping recruit Minutemen across the country.
Full article:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/21/border.minutemen.ap/index.html