16 illegals sue Arizona rancher

[Sweater Cows!]

Originally found here

Story dated February 9 2009
Source:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/09/16-illegals-sue-ari...

16 illegals sue Arizona rancher

Claim violation of rights as they crossed his land

By Jerry Seper

An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16
Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil
rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico
border.

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they
destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home.

His Cross Rail Ranch near Douglas, Ariz., is known by federal and county law enforcement authorities as "the avenue of choice" for immigrants
seeking to enter the United States illegally.

Trial continues Monday in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $32 million in actual and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the
infliction of emotional distress and other crimes. Also named are Mr.
Barnett's wife, Barbara, his brother, Donald, and Larry Dever, sheriff
in Cochise County, Ariz., where the Barnetts live. The civil trial is
expected to continue until Friday.

The lawsuit is based on a March 7, 2004, incident in a dry wash on the 22,000-acre ranch, when he approached a group of illegal immigrants
while carrying a gun and accompanied by a large dog.

Attorneys for the immigrants - five women and 11 men who were trying to cross illegally into the United States - have accused Mr. Barnett of
holding the group captive at gunpoint, threatening to turn his dog loose
on them and saying he would shoot anyone who tried to escape.

The immigrants are represented at trial by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which also charged that Sheriff
Dever did nothing to prevent Mr. Barnett from holding their clients at
"gunpoint, yelling obscenities at them and kicking one of the women."

In the lawsuit, MALDEF said Mr. Barnett approached the group as the immigrants moved through his property, and that he was carrying a pistol
and threatening them in English and Spanish. At one point, it said, Mr.
Barnett's dog barked at several of the women and he yelled at them in
Spanish, "My dog is hungry and he's hungry for buttocks."

The lawsuit said he then called his wife and two Border Patrol agents arrived at the site. It also said Mr. Barnett acknowledged that he had
turned over 12,000 illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol since 1998.

In March, U.S. District Judge John Roll rejected a motion by Mr. Barnett to have the charges dropped, ruling there was sufficient evidence to
allow the matter to be presented to a jury. Mr. Barnett's attorney,
David Hardy, had argued that illegal immigrants did not have the same
rights as U.S. citizens.

Mr. Barnett told The Washington Times in a 2002 interview that he began rounding up illegal immigrants after they started to vandalize his
property, northeast of Douglas along Arizona Highway 80. He said the
immigrants tore up water pumps, killed calves, destroyed fences and
gates, stole trucks and broke into his home.

Some of his cattle died from ingesting the plastic bottles left behind by the immigrants, he said, adding that he installed a faucet on an
8,000-gallon water tank so the immigrants would stop damaging the tank
to get water.

Mr. Barnett said some of the ranch´s established immigrant trails were littered with trash 10 inches deep, including human waste, used toilet
paper, soiled diapers, cigarette packs, clothes, backpacks, empty
1-gallon water bottles, chewing-gum wrappers and aluminum foil - which
supposedly is used to pack the drugs the immigrant smugglers give their
"clients" to keep them running.

He said he carried a pistol during his searches for the immigrants and had a rifle in his truck "for protection" against immigrant and drug
smugglers, who often are armed.

A former Cochise County sheriff´s deputy who later was successful in the towing and propane business, Mr. Barnett spent $30,000 on electronic
sensors, which he has hidden along established trails on his ranch. He
searches the ranch for illegal immigrants in a pickup truck, dressed in a
green shirt and camouflage hat, with his handgun and rifle,
high-powered binoculars and a walkie-talkie.

His sprawling ranch became an illegal-immigration highway when the Border Patrol diverted its attention to several border towns in an
effort to take control of the established ports of entry. That effort
moved the illegal immigrants to the remote areas of the border,
including the Cross Rail Ranch.

"This is my land. I´m the victim here," Mr. Barnett said. "When someone´s home and loved ones are in jeopardy and the government
seemingly can´t do anything about it, I feel justified in taking matters
into my own hands. And I always watch my back."

[Willy]

Coco
I notice you quote NPR a lot. I used to listen to NPR and public TV but I have noticed a definate slant in their info. After all they are Govt. funded. Most of the childrens programs are including spanish in their formats in one way or another. I have since discontinued contributing to public TV and radio because of this. One of their agendas, it seems, is to turn this country into a bilingual nation. Well it won't happen with my dollars.

[Willy]

There is a company in Lansing Mi. That hires mostly illegals. I know a woman who works there and she tells me that everyone knows when immigration is coming to do inspections because all the illegals fail to show up for work on those days. It just so happens that this company derives most of it's income from Govt. contracts. This happens all over the U.S. and it's happening with the blessing of Govt. officials.

[masonco]

There are illegals working and living in this area too. Why hire law abiding citizens when you can take advantage of someone who fears being exposed? Some of them make around $3 an hour or less.

[Willy]

Coco
The school systems teach other languages. French, German, ect. What is happening here is the indoctrination of children thru public TV to accept the Latino influence. Why isn't French being introduced on PBS? We border a French speaking country. Why not German. One of the largest ethnic populations in the U.S. is Germanic. You always bring up "fear" when you discuss these situations. There's no fear. If you were honest with your reasoning you would see that there is an effort to promote Hispanic culture to our children and citizens and that effort is spearheaded by our own Govt. with our tax dollars. The next time you take a walk on the breakwaters please stop and read the warning signs painted on the walking surfaces. You will find Spanish instruction on how to remain safe as you walk. And If you believe the Govt. statistics on how many illegals are in the U.S. then I have a bridge for sale that you would be interested in. About the company that hires illegals. I mentioned that Govt. contracts are their main income. Who do you think calls this company and warns them of impending immigration inspections?

[Willy]

Coco
Your missing the point. What in the world does inner city have to do with this and I"m not talking about Sesame Street only. I'm talking about all PBS kids shows. If these shows were targeted at Hispanics then they would be in Spanish. They are English shows with Spanish influence. So, who do you think the shows are targeting? English speaking children of course. I'm having a hard time understanding your reasoning. You seem to brush off the obvious implications that our Govt. is trying to smooth the way for integrating illegals into our society by indoctrinating our children while catering to illegals and ignoring the U.S. citizens who pay the bills. Again. It is not fear we feel, it is anger.

[masonco]

Go to www.numbersusa.com

There you can get reports, send free faxes and get the truth about the illegal amnesty programs and so on. There are the occasional "we need money" emails, but other wise the emails they send are updates or news. Also an FYI. there was an illegals march in Washington DC and Roy's crew film him being attacked by the illegal's. They even trumpted up charges against Numbers USA cause the media and others don't want the truth out.

[AQUAMAN]

So correct RJE, why not put all the signage/answering services in 4-6 multiple languages, not just English/Spanish??? Se habla espanol? Is 81% illegal Hispanic refugee immigration right or wrong for our country? That's the bottom line question. If you look at the immigration protests just a few years ago, when new legislation was at hand, and Americans rejected it entirely, what flag was flying over those marches??? Yup, the Mexican flag, not the American flag. Then, the group's attorney told them to change the waving banner to the American flag, they did too. So the ACLU could defend them without debate. P.S. The only indeginous Americans pushed south as Mexicans happened about the time of the Alamo. That's a long time ago sports fans. And has absolutely nothing to do with this day and age.

[AQUAMAN]

NPR = NPP = National Public Propaganda, and brought to you by National Public Radio. Sponsored by Purina, no, not dog food, dogma food.

[Willy]

AQUMAN
There used to be a house on Bryant Rd. [about 2 years ago] that displayed a Mexican flag on the porch. It was very prominent and you could not help but see it when you drove by. My blood pressure would shoot thru the roof when I saw it waving in the breeze. The people have since moved and the flag is no longer there. It truly angers me when I see another countrys flag flying here. It doesn't matter what country. If they are here and enjoying the freedom and benefits our citizens sacrificed and died for, then, out of respect for the country that has offered them the opportunities they are enjoying they should be displaying the U.S. flag not a foreign flag. To those who choose to insult us by flying a foreign flag I say , GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. THE SOONER THE BETTER.

[XLFD]

There also was a house on South Stiles which had a very large, prominent Mexican flag draped long term on the front of the house about 2 years ago. It did make me wonder about the intent of the displayer-- whether it was a heritage thing, or whether they were dissing the US. I tend to believe it was the latter, myself, but they do have the right to do so nevertheless-- if they have the right to be here in the first place.

RJE, how do you feel about Chinese flags flying outside Chinese restaurants and the Italian flag being prominently displayed outside Italian restaurants, etc.?

[XLFD]

Entirely reasonable, Coco.

[Willy]

Coco
A flag does not represent an ethnic or cultural heritage. A flag is a symbol that represents a nation or sovereign government. A flag represents allegiance to the country of it's origin. Things like clothes, food, traditions, life styles, ect are representative of ethnic heritage.