Controversial Minuteman Project Takes Effect

The controversial Minutemen Project, which has been up and running for weeks now, has been successful in apprehending several immigrants within the Arizona-Mexico border.

Immigrant reform is an issue that has sparked controversy within the United States.

What is the proper way to deal with the issue of immigration? Should certain people be allowed to stay if their intentions are noble? What effect will it have on the economy if more people come from other countries and do their part in contributing to help the economy?

Immigrants should be allowed a chance to in live in the United States and after all, aren't we all immigrants ourselves? We managed to acquire this land from Native Americans hundreds of years after we settled here. So shouldn't we feel a sense of camaraderie when we are faced with an issue that our ancestors could relate to? Perhaps.

Here in the present however, change comes slowly, and now that no longer seems to be the case for the Minutemen.

Though they claim that their intentions are noble (i.e. to show that there is vulnerability for immigrants to come into the country within the 2,000-mile southern border), some people claim that they are racists and that they are only trying to catch illegal immigrants because they don't deserve to be in this country.

Isaias Rojas, a Santa Monica College student, believes that immigrants aren't being treated fairly and that reform is definitely in need.

"I personally think it is not adequate that the majority of a race is trying to take out another race," he said.

Though violence has not erupted between Minutemen and those crossing into the United States, the Border Patrol of the Arizona-Mexico border says that although the Minutemen have been peaceful in their attempt to catch illegal immigrants, they are unfamiliar with the territory and that they have been known to set off alarms which have been placed by the Border Patrol in order to catch drug smugglers.

According to CNN, Andy Adame, a Border Patrol spokesman, said that they had to respond to false alarms that have been tripped up by the Minuteman.

"Now we not only have to look for aliens and drug smugglers, now we have to look out for these untrained civilians who are unfamiliar with the landscape," Adame said.

With the recent decline of immigrants coming in from the Arizona-Mexico border, the Minutemen feel that they are making excellent progress towards making effective reforms towards protecting the border from aliens and possible terrorists.

"Anyone and their mother could fly to Mexico and walk right over here. That's a scary thought," said Dave Carpinello, a Minuteman volunteer in a CNN.com report.