Militia Defiant in New Mexico: 'It's My God-Given Right to Be Here' NY Times article

[El Mimbreno]

According to this 2|New York Times story, the vigilantes harassing refugees at the border may be digging in before their Friday eviction deadline. A few excerpts:

“It’s my God-given right to be here,” said one balaclava-clad militia member who gave his name only as Viper. Chafing at the hostile reactions to the militia’s actions, he said that he was an Army veteran and that he expected his group, if pushed out, to set up camp in another location along the border.

Maybe he’s referring to the thing in the White House who thinks he’s God?

Armando Gonzalez, 52, said he drove to Sunland Park, which sits on New Mexico’s borders with Mexico and Texas, from his home in Tulsa, Okla., to lend a hand to the United Constitutional Patriots. He said he believed that the news media had distorted the group's work and the reality of life along the border.

“If you ask me this is all about politics,” said Mr. Gonzalez, adding that he was a disabled Army veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. “The Democrats want illegal immigration because that means more votes for them.”

A bit unclear on the concept?

Judith Sierra, the owner of Tortilleria Sierra in Sunland Park, chuckled at the thought of armed men traveling to the border to chase after women and children. It’s not uncommon for migrants to pass through her property, she said, lately in large groups.
“We offer them water or tortillas,” she said, adding that the Border Patrol is never far behind.

At least someone is offering a little New Mexico hospitality.

Three Democratic members of Congress — Deb Haaland and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Veronica Escobar of Texas — wrote to F.B.I. Director Christopher Wray requesting an investigation of the United Constitutional Patriots.
“As a nation, we must end this xenophobic behavior.”

This madness is going to get someone hurt.

[rownesheck]

1. Oh great.

Armando Gonzalez says he is a veteran suffering from PTSD, and he's part of an armed militia group rounding up migrants. What could go wrong?

[DBoon]

4. Wasn't there a report that warned of recruitment of veterans into terrorist groups?

And didn't the republicans hut it down as insulting to veterans?

Demobilized and disaffected WWI vets formed the basis of fascist movements throughout Europe.

[Caliman73]

31. True and demobilized and disaffected WW2 vets formed the basis of Motorcycle gangs.

The problem is that the US is constantly at war, glorifies soldiers, but pisses on veterans. Soldiers should be neither glorified nor pissed on after their services.

The way to honor soldiers is to use them ONLY when absolutely necessary and after they are done serving, work with them extensively and for the rest of their lives to deal with the trauma of war, provide them with well paying jobs, and make their transition back in to society as complete as possible.

[onecaliberal]

2. This is similar to bundy.

[mindem]

3. I always wonder

what types of jobs these idiots have that they can just pack up and head for the border so they can be "patriots". The stupidity in this country is growing at a monumental rate.

[Wellstone ruled]

30. Most are being supported via

Social Security disability and Military Pensions as well as various Social Welfare programs.

[spanone]

5. then it's our god given right to arrest your sorry asses.

[bdamomma]

6. I hope they

arrest and charge these stupid vigilantes. I just don't get it we are all immigrants our ancestors came to the US for a better life. The only natives to America are the Native American Indians and look what the white man did to them. WTF.

[spanone]

8. trump respects no one.

[dumbcat]

14. " we are all immigrants our ancestors came to the US ..."

Technically, my ancestors were not immigrants to the US. My ancestors (both sides) came to the Robert Livingston Estate in the British Colony of New York in 1710, before there was a USA. They were indentured servants from the Palatine and settled in the Hudson River Valley. They remain a very tight knit group with very few outside influences to this day.

[dumbcat]

11. If you think it's your right to arrest them for exercising what they think is their right ....

is it their right to arrest you for exercising what you think is your right?

Think about it. Just asking for a friend.

[spanone]

13. I'm not detaining people unlawfully with weapons

responding to your friend

[dumbcat]

17. And they think neither have they

And they haven't been so charged. I wonder why not?

[spanone]

18. because trump is 'president'

p.s. the leader of this group has been arrested.

[dumbcat]

21. He's not president of New Mexico

What's preventing New Mexico LE from arresting and charging them with unlawful detention?

[spanone]

22. the leader of this group has been arrested. Keep trying.

[dumbcat]

26. On a Federal felon in possession of a weapon charge

not for any unlawful detention with firearms. None of the others were charged with anything by New Mexico or the Feds.

Why not?

I'm not defending them. Certainly their leader is an asshole and I'm glad they nailed him on the felon in possession charge. But Citizen's Arrest is a tricky legal area. Varies by state and federal laws. I've seen several threads here encouraging such citizen's arrests or other direct action directed against MAGAts. I think it's an interesting topic for discussion.

[stopdiggin]

33. self surrender

There is also another element of the story that isn't really getting out there. (NOT defending balaclava wearing gun toters at all) Many of these immigrant groups are looking to "self-surrender" to the first LE they come across, as they are explicitly seeking asylum status. So being "detained" is really their objective. The whole "citizen arrest" and the bozos implementing it .. another topic.

[dumbcat]

34. Very good point

I hadn't considered that.

[Maru Kitteh]

20. What you "think" is your right is nothing more than a handful of bullshit.

The law doesn't care about your "feelings."

[dumbcat]

23. Works both ways, right?

Which was kinda the point I was trying to make.

[Still In Wisconsin]

7. Fine. Then it's time to deal with these "patriots" as an insurrection.

Lock them up, or if necessary kill them.

[C_U_L8R]

9. Viper??? Viper???

This clown may as well call himself Taserface.

[Codeine]

12. It reminded me immediately of this scene.

[panader0]

10. We had some of those types here in SE Az a few years ago.

They had US and Confederate flags (?) on their pickups. Mostly older
white guys with binoculars and a folding chair and a beer cooler. They'd
sit in the back of their trucks, guzzle beer and glass the border. While
most here considered them a menace, no harm was done and they faded away.

[struggle4progress]

15. Militia in Sunland Park told to leave

Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times
Published 8:33 p.m. MT April 22, 2019

... The Sunland Park Police Department and representatives of the railroad that owns the land told the militia members on Monday that they would have to move.

The city of Sunland Park on Monday also set up "No Trespassing" signs in the area. The land is owned by Union Pacific.

"Members of the United Constitutional Patriots were not given permission to camp on or access Union Pacific property," Union Pacific said in a statement.

Union Pacific stated that the group set up a camp adjacent to Union Pacific property and trespassed on railroad property to access this camp ...

https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2019/04/22/united-constitutional-patriots-new-mexico-militia-leave-sunland-park/3545036002/

[struggle4progress]

16. Group Was Training to 'Assassinate Soros, Obama and Clinton'

Haaretz and The Associated Press
Apr 24, 2019 1:10 PM

... City spokesman Peter Ibaro said that police helped the railroad remove the group by 3:45 p.m. after they installed no trespassing signs. By Tuesday afternoon, all that remained at the encampment was a trailer.

The leader of the United Constitutional Patriots was arrested last weekend on 2017 weapons charges following widespread criticism spurred by videos of the group stopping migrants who illegally crossed the border.

A criminal complaint filed Monday alleged that Larry Hopkins said in 2017 that he was training supporters to assassinate Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and billionaire Democratic supporter George Soros. Hopkins allegedly invited an FBI agent into his home in 2017 and showed him at least nine weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle ...

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/armed-border-group-was-training-to-assassinate-soros-obama-and-clinton-1.7162237

[struggle4progress]

19. Militia's leader appears in court

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 1:00 am
Washington Post

... Larry Mitchell Hopkins appeared Monday in U.S. District Court in New Mexico ... The 69-year-old was arrested on Saturday ... on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition ...

His attorney, Kelly O'Connell, a former conservative radio host in New Mexico, questioned the timing of the charges against his client ...

Elizabeth Martinez, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in New Mexico, declined to comment on the delay in charging Hopkins ...

The militia has maintained its actions are legal, though Sunland Park Police Chief Javier Guerra told BuzzFeed News that he explicitly informed the group that they are not.

http://www.journalgazette.net/news/20190424/border-militias-leader-appears-in-court

[SoCalNative]

25. "His attorney, Kelly O'Connell, a former conservative radio host in New Mexico"

He may as well have called Larry Klayman

[dumbcat]

28. Good. But I have to wonder ...

The militia has maintained its actions are legal, though Sunland Park Police Chief Javier Guerra told BuzzFeed News that he explicitly informed the group that they are not.

If the Police Chief informed the group that their activities were not legal, why weren't they arrested and charged? Unlawful detention with a firearm is not the same as jaywalking or vagrancy. If the police caught someone robbing a bank or shoplifting or assault would the police tell them that their activity was illegal and then let them go? I would hope not. Jaywalking, yeah maybe. Unlawful detention (basically kidnapping) , I wouldn't think so.

[Wounded Bear]

24. Ths madness is already getting people hurt...

[SWBTATTReg]

27. God-given right? Yeah, right (sarcasm)...show me the tablets that God engraved with his edict...

directing you to harass these immigrants, as well as giving you the right to unlawfully detain these persons?

“It’s my God-given right to be here,” said one balaclava-clad militia member who gave his name only as Viper. Chafing at the hostile reactions to the militia’s actions, he said that he was an Army veteran and that he expected his group, if pushed out, to set up camp in another location along the border.

[JHB]

29. Another wingnut who swallows every horseshit claim that comes down the pike...

...but thinks other people are "distorting reality".

[Runningdawg]

32. You want GOD GIVEN rights? Move to Afghanistan Here we have this little thing called a Constitution.