Posted on Apr 25, 2019
Opinion | Militias aren't patrolling the border. Domestic terrorists are.
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It speaks volumes about today’s political climate that anti-immigrant domestic terrorists have begun calling themselves border militias, holding unarmed people at gunpoint and feeling so emboldened that they post videos of their activities on social media, including Facebook and YouTube.
Luckily, the hubris of at least one group didn't impress law enforcement: On Saturday, the New Mexico attorney general’s office announced that Larry Hopkins, the leader of the United Constitutional Patriots (which had been detaining migrants at gunpoint near the U.S.-Mexico border) had been arrested by the FBI and charged with felony possession of firearms and ammunition
The efforts of groups like the UCP are disturbing on every level and raise serious legal, humanitarian and public safety concerns.
Luckily, the hubris of at least one group didn't impress law enforcement: On Saturday, the New Mexico attorney general’s office announced that Larry Hopkins, the leader of the United Constitutional Patriots (which had been detaining migrants at gunpoint near the U.S.-Mexico border) had been arrested by the FBI and charged with felony possession of firearms and ammunition
The efforts of groups like the UCP are disturbing on every level and raise serious legal, humanitarian and public safety concerns.
Opinion | Militias aren't patrolling the border. Domestic terrorists are.
Posted from nbcnews.com
Terrorism
Immigration
Refugees
Law Enforcement
Militia
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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PO1 John Johnson
Can't make an ideological political case out of an issue without using illogical theories!
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SSG (Join to see)
I don’t believe they have the legal authority to enforce laws. The National Guard may only enforce law during a state of emergency. MSG Stan Hutchison
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SSG Christopher Parrish
State Defense Forces (state military, state guards, state militias, or state military reserves) are authorized under the Constitution, under 32 U.S.C. § 109. They report to the same Governor as the ARNG and AirNG, with the main difference being a SDF cannot be federalized for activation outside of their state. The only time a SDF would level their state is through a mutual aid request from another state's Governor.
These guys who are rounding up illegal aliens are not an organized SDF though, although a part of me doesn't blame them for what they are doing. They are vigilantes in my opinion, by taking the law in to their own hands and detaining people, but they are doing so to protect their state. I'm not saying they are in the right, just saying they are trying to do their part when the federal government doesn't seem to really be doing it's job 100%.
These guys who are rounding up illegal aliens are not an organized SDF though, although a part of me doesn't blame them for what they are doing. They are vigilantes in my opinion, by taking the law in to their own hands and detaining people, but they are doing so to protect their state. I'm not saying they are in the right, just saying they are trying to do their part when the federal government doesn't seem to really be doing it's job 100%.
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MSG Stan Hutchison
SSG (Join to see) - I believe they can be authorized by the governor to assist in enforcing state laws. I may be incorrect, but that is my impression. That is if the state recognize them as a "state defense force."
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While I disagree entirely with Reyes's obvious agenda of excusing illegal entry to the US, these "militias" are vigilantes and do not seem at all helpful in any way. There was a documentary a few years ago about problems with vigilantes on both sides of the border: https://youtu.be/xC5bpPfltOI
Toward the end of the documentary, they show the American "militia" guy talking about how he ended up doing what he is doing and what was shown in the documentary made it appear to me that he was mostly motivated by boredom and lack of professional opportunities.
Toward the end of the documentary, they show the American "militia" guy talking about how he ended up doing what he is doing and what was shown in the documentary made it appear to me that he was mostly motivated by boredom and lack of professional opportunities.
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