Leader Arrested

From the BBC:

“US arrests 'member of border militia' in New Mexico”

Members of the United Constitutional Patriots have been seen patrolling with weapons  US authorities have arrested an alleged member of a militia that has been stopping migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, was detained in New Mexico as a felon in possession of a weapon. It comes just days after a video emerged of militia members detaining dozens of migrants in the desert. The group, United Constitutional Patriots, has been condemned by civil rights groups and local officials. "This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families," said New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas. "Today's arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes." While his statement said Mr Hopkins had been arrested as a felon, it did not specify what the underlying conviction had been. The alleged militia member is expected to appear in court on Monday. United Constitutional Patriots, a small volunteer group, argues it is helping US Border Patrol to deal with a surge in migrants crossing America's southern border. It is one of several militias operating in the region. As details of this week's latest video emerged, New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Twitter that "menacing or threatening migrant families and asylum seekers is absolutely unacceptable and must cease". US Customs and Border Protection have previously said they are opposed to civilians patrolling the border in search of illegal crossers.

^ While I believe there is an illegal immigration and drug-trafficking problem on the US—Mexican border I believe it is up to the Government (the Federal, State and local) to patrol and arrest the border – not ordinary citizens. If an illegal immigrant goes on to your property then I believe you can then detain them as you would any criminal on your own personal property, but going out to the border with weapons is not the right answer to this problem. If these citizens want to patrol the border without weapons and help the US Border Patrol and local and state police by calling in the location of illegal immigrants (without detaining them themselves) then that is fine, but we can’t have random armed people going all over the place detaining people at gunpoint. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48000774