The Minutemen strike again - in MD

The Minutemen have expanded their efforts beyond the Southwest, and rightly so. The problem of illegal immigration goes further than that. What's infuriating is that many local governments, in their soft-headed "compassion", block efforts to enforce the law that bars employment of non-citizens, in most cases. In fact, too many local politicians eager for more voters, encourage their employment, at taxpayer expense.

"The good news is that these Minutemen are yet another in the long line of radical fringe groups that will die of their own weight in Montgomery County because they don't speak for Montgomery County," said County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring). About 40 percent of the county's 930,000 residents are foreign born.

The Minuteman Project began attracting national attention when members initiated civilian patrols of the Mexican border in an effort to inhibit border crossings. The opening of a day-laborer center in Herndon last year galvanized the group and its opponents in Northern Virginia.

Montgomery has become a battleground in the debate because of its efforts to expand services to immigrants, regardless of their legal status. The county-funded centers in Silver Spring and Wheaton -- as well as the temporary site in Takoma Park -- are run by CASA of Maryland, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Tags = Immigration