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Home > Press Room Archives > 2005 > Press Release
Press Release
Governor Schwarzenegger
Condones Law Breakers LULAC Calls on USDOJ to Stop Minutemen
Vigilantes
May 3, 2005
Washington, DC –
For over 5 years, the League of United Latin
American Citizens (LULAC) has insisted that the
US Department of Justice address the growing
threat of vigilantes along the U.S.-Mexico
border. Our contention has been that left
unchecked that the border situation could
degenerate into uncontrolled violence. Our
borders should not be patrolled by untrained
anti-immigrant elements who themselves do not
respect the rule of law. Governor
Schwarzenegger’s recent comments on the radio
praising these individuals has further created
an atmosphere of acrimony that can only inflame
sensitivities and subsequently lead to the
endangerment of lives.
“These
self-styled border sentinels are doing nothing
but inflaming passions at a time that requires
calm and rational thinking. They are
interfering with the legitimate and important
work of the U.S. Border Patrol and harming
race-relations in the border region,” stated
Hector Flores, LULAC National President. “Their
actions border on law breaking and they should
be stopped and thoroughly investigated.” LULAC
once again calls on the U.S. Department of
Justice to thoroughly investigate this serious
matter and to insist that the border vigilantes
immediately cease their activities.
LULAC is calling
upon Governor Schwarzenegger to retract his
statements in support of the “minutemen” or risk
alienating the significant Hispanic population
of his state. Stated Flores, “Governor
Schwarzenegger has done the Latino community a
great disservice by adding fuel to the fire on a
tinder box of hate. People should not take the
law into their own hands. He wouldn’t want
average Americans arresting people they
suspected of using illegal steroids, would he?”
The League of United Latin American Citizens
(LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil
rights organization in the United States. LULAC
advances the economic condition, educational
attainment, political influence, health, and
civil rights of Hispanic Americans through
community-based programs operating at more than
700 LULAC councils nationwide.
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