SignOnSanDiego.com
TOMBSTONE, Ariz. – In a town made legendary by 30 seconds of mayhem at the OK Corral, the Minuteman Project yesterday launched what organizers say will be a peaceful campaign to reinforce the Border Patrol and to seek public support for a clampdown on illegal immigration.
"We are here to present our case to the American public," said James Gilchrist, the retired Aliso Viejo accountant and Marine veteran who says he has signed up more than 1,000 volunteers for at least part of the 30-day effort in the San Pedro River Valley southwest of here.
In the face of concern from law enforcement and criticism from immigrant advocates, the Minuteman Project intends for small groups to spread out along smuggling routes and call the Border Patrol when they spot groups of immigrants filtering across the border.
In this part of Arizona, the border is marked primarily by a four-strand barbed wire fence that is frequently sliced by illegal immigrants who drive out in taxis from the Mexican border town of Naco.
Posted by Suzanne at April 2, 2005