USA officials seek to declare "border vigilantism" a federal hate crime

by Hector Carreon, La Voz de Aztlan, August 15, 2005

Los Angeles, Alta California... (ACN) At a press conference Friday at the offices of the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (Department of State of the Republic of Mexico), four USA elected officials said that they will be asking the Bush Administration to declare "border vigilantism" against Mexican and other immigrants along the US/Mexico border prosecutable and punishable under the federal hate crime laws. The officials said that the violent activities by groups like the Minutemen vigilantes, the KKK, white supremacy militias and other similar groups are totally unacceptable.

S.B. Supervisor Josie Gonzalez, County Supervisor of San Bernardino, California Josie Gonzales, the Mayor of Lynwood, California Ramon Rodriguez, Borough President of The Bronx Adolfo Carrion, and Delaware State Representative Joseph E. Miro held the press conference at the offices of the SRE in Mexico City and directed most of their statements at President George W. Bush. The press release stated in part... The statement translates as "Bush should openly declare that he is against the Minuteman Project, and more aggressively criminalize their activities, which are motivated by anti-immigrant sentiments that are racist and paranoiac".... Since the year 2000, a series of heinous hate crimes and murders have occurred against Mexican immigrants along the border and in the interior of the USA... La Voz de Aztlan believes that these hate crimes were committed by members of Minutemen vigilantes, the KKK, Ranch Rescue and certain Mexican hating elements of the outlawed Jewish Defense League (JDL).

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