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Minutemen

Historically, the term minutemen originally referred to those individuals who took up arms against the increasing presence of British soldiers in the American colonies. During the American Revolution, these men formed a portion of the Massachusetts militia that was ready to fight at a moment's notice; hence the name “minutemen.” Nowadays, individuals calling themselves Minutemen have organized in opposition to the movement of undocumented immigrants into the United States. This entry examines the nature and scope of this controversial recent movement.

Minuteman Project

The Minutemen formed in response to the presence of illegal immigrants in the United States and the increasing demonstrations by various immigrant groups demanding residency and citizenship rights. According to the Center for American Progress, as of May 2007, there are 11.1 million undocumented migrants residing in this country. Most of these undocumented workers are Hispanic/ Latina/o and live in the southwestern United States. Since the beginning of the 21st century, increasing media and political attention has focused on this issue, and in response, restrictive legislation has been proposed and in some cases enacted by state and local governmnents, further attracting the attention of American society. In October 2004, Jim Gilchrist created the Minuteman Project in Aliso Viejo, California. The project is a nonprofit organization consisting of volunteers whose activities include border watches, rallies, and fundraising. Funding is derived from donations, membership fees, and the selling of Minutemen paraphernalia such as T-shirts, hats, and flags. This organization consists of a national board of directors with chapters located throughout the country. The project has chapters positioned at both the state and local levels, with chapter leaders in each division.

Membership grew rapidly over the first year, as some citizens recognized an outlet for their frustrations over the rise of illegal immigration. These members participate in protests, fundraising, and border patrols. According to the group's website, members often carry firearms, binoculars, flashlights, and radios while on patrol, and if apparent illegal immigrant activity is observed, they contact local or federal authorities. While this movement continued to grow steadily, some members became displeased with the way that Gilchrist was structuring the group and organizing their labors. In 2005, Chris Simcox, a cofounder of the original Minutemen Project, decided to break with the project and form a new group, the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps (MCDC).

Minutemen Civil Defense Corps

The MCDC, in contrast to the project, is frequently involved in armed border patrols, resulting in a more extreme militia group of minutemen. They are also involved in the Border Fence Project with other anti-illegal immigration groups, such as Ranch Rescue. Construction of the 700-mile fence began in 2006 and is currently being built in Arizona along the U.S.-Mexico border to help deter illegal crossings. The groups have also installed surveillance equipment along the fence to monitor a greater distance along the border, which requires fewer workers to patrol. Simcox prescribes that the surveillance system will be easily accessible from home computers to monitor and report any suspicious activity without the individual having to be at the actual location. The group actively promotes communication between MCDC members and border patrol agents reporting immigration violations.

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