Minutemen Invading NY State

You heard it right. The Minutemen are coming to northern NY State this weekend near the Mohawk Nation. Anyone up for a protest? <!--break--> <p>Minutemen head to NNY in week<br />Civilians will focus on Massena area<br /><br /><br /><br />By David Winters<br />Times Staff Writer<br />Thursday, October 13, 2005<br /><br />MASSENA -- The Minuteman Project is coming to Northern New York next week.<br /><br />The civilian group engaged in an ongoing effort to stem illegal immigration <br />from Mexico hopes to duplicate its success along the Canadian border. A <br />Hopkinton man will be among about 40 volunteers watching the U.S.-Canadian border <br />near the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation on Oct. 22 and 23 to catch illegal <br />immigrants.<br /><br />&quot;The reservation is known as a place for goods and persons to have been <br />smuggled across for years,&quot; said Miles D. Wolpin, a former Hopkinton town justice <br />and retired Potsdam State University College political science professor.<br /><br />The Minuteman Project formed about a year ago after concerns arose about the <br />number of immigrants crossing the U.S. border from Mexico. Its first patrols <br />were in Arizona.<br /><br />&quot;We are mainly interested in dramatizing the utter failure of the Bush <br />administration -- to protect the border and patrol the border. To effectively <br />enforce the immigration laws of this country,&quot; Mr. Wolpin said.<br /><br /> The group will center its efforts on Massena but won't enter the St. Regis <br />Mohawk Reservation.<br /><br />&quot;We'll be the eyes and ears of the Border Patrol in that area,&quot; said New York <br />Minuteman Project spokesman Peter Lanteri in a telephone interview Wednesday <br />from Three Points, Ariz. &quot;If we spot someone, we will contact the Border <br />Patrol.&quot;<br /><br />The group of about 40 volunteers will come mostly from around the state, but <br />some will travel from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Each <br />volunteer pays $50, which covers the cost of a background check, to participate.<br /><br />&quot;It is just a neighborhood watch,&quot; Minuteman Project national spokeswoman <br />Connie Hair said. &quot;They are looking for illegal immigrants coming across the <br />border. When they see something, they will pick up a telephone and call the Border <br />Patrol.&quot;<br /><br />Mr. Lanteri said he didn't know whether the group's presence would draw <br />protesters.<br /><br />Border Patrol spokesman Ross DeLacy wasn't available for comment Wednesday.</p><p /><p /><p>[Ed.] I'm going up with a few folks to confront the Minutemen. Anyone interested? Email me. I'll be trying to find a meetup place and I'll get in touch with the Mohawk Nation.<br /></p>

<p>You heard it right. The Minutemen are coming to northern NY State this weekend near the Mohawk Nation. Anyone up for a protest?</p> <!--break--><p>Minutemen head to NNY in week<br />Civilians will focus on Massena area</p> <p>By David Winters<br />Times Staff Writer<br />Thursday, October 13, 2005</p> <p>MASSENA -- The Minuteman Project is coming to Northern New York next week.</p> <p>The civilian group engaged in an ongoing effort to stem illegal immigration <br />from Mexico hopes to duplicate its success along the Canadian border. A <br />Hopkinton man will be among about 40 volunteers watching the U.S.-Canadian border <br />near the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation on Oct. 22 and 23 to catch illegal <br />immigrants.</p> <p>"The reservation is known as a place for goods and persons to have been <br />smuggled across for years," said Miles D. Wolpin, a former Hopkinton town justice <br />and retired Potsdam State University College political science professor.</p> <p>The Minuteman Project formed about a year ago after concerns arose about the <br />number of immigrants crossing the U.S. border from Mexico. Its first patrols <br />were in Arizona.</p> <p>"We are mainly interested in dramatizing the utter failure of the Bush <br />administration -- to protect the border and patrol the border. To effectively <br />enforce the immigration laws of this country," Mr. Wolpin said.</p> <p> The group will center its efforts on Massena but won't enter the St. Regis <br />Mohawk Reservation.</p> <p>"We'll be the eyes and ears of the Border Patrol in that area," said New York <br />Minuteman Project spokesman Peter Lanteri in a telephone interview Wednesday <br />from Three Points, Ariz. "If we spot someone, we will contact the Border <br />Patrol."</p> <p>The group of about 40 volunteers will come mostly from around the state, but <br />some will travel from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Each <br />volunteer pays $50, which covers the cost of a background check, to participate.</p> <p>"It is just a neighborhood watch," Minuteman Project national spokeswoman <br />Connie Hair said. "They are looking for illegal immigrants coming across the <br />border. When they see something, they will pick up a telephone and call the Border <br />Patrol."</p> <p>Mr. Lanteri said he didn't know whether the group's presence would draw <br />protesters.</p> <p>Border Patrol spokesman Ross DeLacy wasn't available for comment Wednesday.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>[Ed.] I'm going up with a few folks to confront the Minutemen. Anyone interested? Email me. I'll be trying to find a meetup place and I'll get in touch with the Mohawk Nation.</p>