Little-Acorn
Membership Revoked
Hi, all. I'm new here.
I noticed that this group in the forum is for "Minuteman Project / Illegal Immigration". First time I've seen such a heading in a forum. Cool!
I'm a member of the Minutemen (Not the Minuteman Project, which is an unrelated political group, not a border-watching group). I fly an aircraft over stretches of the California/Mexico border, and report by radio when I see people doing something to the fence, or crossing the border, etc. Our base station then reports directly to the Border Patrol, which investigates as they feel is needed. They credit us with assisting on many arrests and TBS's they have made.
Though the national Minutemen have disbanded due to the increasing danger of the border areas, our Califonia chapter is still going strong. A few of our guys on the ground have been shot at, but have never returned fire, of course. Their function is to sit around playing chess or something, looking around with binoculars or night-vision glasses. When they see something, they call the Border Patrol and tell them what and where, and then go back to their chess games.
But a number of times, they have had people walk right up to them and ask for water, food, etc. We always give them what we can, try to make them comfortable, put blankets around them etc., and of course call the BP. Border-crossing can be VERY unpleasant - it's hot and dry in the summer, but can cool down near freezing in the evenings. And winter operations are VERY dangerous. A lot of the people we've seen, are poorly prepared - no warm clothes, little food and water, crappy shoes that fall apart quickly when walking over rocks. You have to feel for them.
Is anyone else here, in the Minutemen, or have worked with them? What have your experiences been? How do you feel about the whole operation, and the whole problem of illegal border crashers?
I noticed that this group in the forum is for "Minuteman Project / Illegal Immigration". First time I've seen such a heading in a forum. Cool!
I'm a member of the Minutemen (Not the Minuteman Project, which is an unrelated political group, not a border-watching group). I fly an aircraft over stretches of the California/Mexico border, and report by radio when I see people doing something to the fence, or crossing the border, etc. Our base station then reports directly to the Border Patrol, which investigates as they feel is needed. They credit us with assisting on many arrests and TBS's they have made.
Though the national Minutemen have disbanded due to the increasing danger of the border areas, our Califonia chapter is still going strong. A few of our guys on the ground have been shot at, but have never returned fire, of course. Their function is to sit around playing chess or something, looking around with binoculars or night-vision glasses. When they see something, they call the Border Patrol and tell them what and where, and then go back to their chess games.
But a number of times, they have had people walk right up to them and ask for water, food, etc. We always give them what we can, try to make them comfortable, put blankets around them etc., and of course call the BP. Border-crossing can be VERY unpleasant - it's hot and dry in the summer, but can cool down near freezing in the evenings. And winter operations are VERY dangerous. A lot of the people we've seen, are poorly prepared - no warm clothes, little food and water, crappy shoes that fall apart quickly when walking over rocks. You have to feel for them.
Is anyone else here, in the Minutemen, or have worked with them? What have your experiences been? How do you feel about the whole operation, and the whole problem of illegal border crashers?