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Act Now - Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border

There have long been vigilantes harassing border crossers and communities, but this year has seen an alarming increase in their activity and visibility. For example, in April, a new group called the “Minuteman Project" stepped into the national spotlight when several hundred recruits gathered in Arizona to patrol the border. Only months later, they are expanding their activities into California, Texas and several other states
throughout the country.

Although the Minuteman Project and other vigilante groups have been very skillful at portraying themselves as no more than well-meaning "neighborhood watch groups,” their efforts to “protect” our borders include taking the law into their own hands and using fear, intimidation and violent tactics. Moreover, many of these groups have documented ties to known hate groups.

Please write to your Congressional Representatives and Senators, urging them to take a stand against vigilante groups such as the Minuteman Project, making clear that their activities are not welcome in any community.

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September 02, 2010

Subject:

I would like to express my deep concern about the growth of vigilante activity along the U.S. – Mexico border and beyond.  I believe that this recent rise of vigilantes is a direct result of the United States’ broken immigration system, which has focused on militarization of the border and punitive measures that do not address the reasons why people migrate.

There have long been vigilantes harassing border crossers and border communities, but their numbers were relatively limited until recently.  This year has seen an alarming increase in their activity and visibility.  For example, in April, a new group called the “Minuteman Project" stepped into the national spotlight when several hundred recruits gathered in Arizona to patrol the border. Only months later, they are expanding their activities into California, Texas and several other states throughout the country.

Although the Minuteman Project and other vigilante groups have been very skillful at portraying themselves as no more than well-meaning "neighborhood watch groups,” their efforts to “protect” our borders include taking the law into their own hands and using fear, intimidation and violent tactics.  Moreover, many of these groups have documented ties to known hate groups.

Within this context, I urge you to take a stand against vigilante groups such as the Minuteman Project, making clear that their activities are not welcome in our communities.  Moreover, I do hope that you support fair, comprehensive immigration reform built upon respect for human and constitutional rights, as well as recognition of the humanity and dignity of all individuals. I believe that a policy based on those principles would:

•	Provide access to procedures that allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status;
•	Support family re-unification; 
•	Remove quotas and reduce backlogs;
•	Protect worker rights;
•	Provide opportunities for safe future migration

Thank you for your kind attention.

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