Home > Press Room Archives > 2005 > Press Release

Press Release

LULAC Responds to Immigration Bill Calling for Armed Militia to Patrol Mexican Border
Proposed legislation encourages the use of any means and any force necessary to prevent people from unlawfully entering the United States

Washington, DC—The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has expressed adamant disapproval of an immigration bill establishing an armed militia to patrol the Mexican border.   

Introduced by Rep. John Culberson of Houston, Texas, the “Border Protection Corps Act” authorizes governors to create a Border Protection Corps of citizens in their states by invoking the militia provisions of the U.S. Constitution. 

Furthermore, the bill recruits citizen volunteers working as sworn law enforcement officers, and encourages them to keep and bear arms, as well as use any means and any force to prevent people from unlawfully entering the United States. 

Organizational leaders are concerned that the proposed legislation will create a fury of dangerous and uncontrollable activity along the U.S.-Mexican border as it places the lives of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals at risk.  In addition, the Border Protection Corps would attract racists from all parts of the United States eager to hunt down Mexicans along the border and give them a license to kill.   

“The immigration system in this country is extremely convoluted, and we cannot simply equip untrained American citizens with arms to patrol our borders,” said Hector Flores, LULAC National President.  “If this bill is passed, it would likely result in the official sanction of dangerous and uncontrolled activity by weekend warriors along the U.S.-Mexican border,” added Flores. 

LULAC will work hard to prevent this bill from getting any serious consideration in Washington.

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 run by more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide

###