Minuteman National Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER FRIST COMMENDS MINUTEMEN BORDER WATCH EFFORTS; CALLS FOR BORDER SECURITY TO BE PRIORITY

MINUTEMEN URGE NATIONAL GUARD BE SENT TO SECURE BORDER

TOMBSTONE, AZ (October 14, 2005) – Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, in an interview with The Washington Times after he took an aerial tour of the Texas-Mexico border with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, said he was “ … left with a very positive attitude about [the Minutemen] … ,” after asking about people’s impression of them on his border tour.

Dr. Frist, who did not meet with the Minutemen on his tour, added he had been told the Minutemen, “ … were filling a gap that needs to be filled … ,” on the border.

Dr. Frist also said that he will make both border security and interior immigration enforcement priorities in the Senate over immigration reform and guest worker proposals.

Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (“MCDC”) welcomed Dr. Frist’s priorities in the following statement:

“Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s statement making border security a priority in the Senate should be supported by all United States Senators and the Bush administration. Our national security has been put at great risk by the conditions at our borders. For far too long after the terror attacks of September 11th, the federal government has played
a game of chance with the security of the American people.

“Dr. Frist needs to go further, though. This country cannot wait for border security legislation to be passed ‘sometime next year.’ In addition to the terrorist threat, our fellow citizens are victimized daily by violent criminals, smugglers, gangs and drug cartels while immigrants seeking a better life risk death in the desert and barbaric exploitation by human traffickers. The crisis on the border needs to be addressed right now. The Senate and the House of Representatives should pass legislation, and override a veto if President Bush refuses to sign it, mandating the National Guard be placed at the borders immediately and remain there until the borders are secured and the Border Patrol and Immigration Control are sufficiently staffed and funded to keep them secure.

“With our borders having been compromised by over five million illegal crossings since September 11th, it is by the grace of God that we have not been attacked on the homeland again. But the Lord helps those who helps themselves, and America needs to help itself on the borders before we are attacked again.”

MCDC is conducting a month-long border watch program this October called “Secure Our Borders.” An estimated four thousand trained Minuteman volunteers will participate in non-confrontational border watch efforts on America''s northern and southern borders. Minutemen act as extra eyes and ears for the Border Patrol and will report directly to authorities any sightings of border crossings at other than legal ports of entry.