Minuteman volunteer takes press pass from journalist, 4/4/06

Minuteman volunteer takes press pass from journalist

Susan Carroll
Republic Tucson Bureau
Apr. 4, 2006 10:55 AM

A Canadian journalist was stripped of his Minuteman Civil Defense Corp press pass on Tuesday morning after interviewing members of the ACLU outside the patrol area.

Stacey O'Connell, the field director for Arizona's arm of the volunteer border patrol effort, said that the situation was being handled internally and offered to give the journalist, Derek Lundy, his press pass back after being contacted by The Arizona Republic.

Lundy, who is riding along the U.S.-Mexico border on a motorcycle for a non-fiction book, said a female volunteer took away a press credential issued by the Minuteman organization after he walked over to interview American Civil Liberties Union volunteers and then walked back to get his motorcycle on
Tuesday morning.

A handful of ACLU volunteers were standing outside the ranchland where the Minutemen have set up, roughly 35 miles southwest of Tucson, to watch for undocumented immigrants and report them to the U.S. Border Patrol.

"I think it's absurd," Lundy said. "I don't see any rational basis for it.  That's certainly an undemocratic response."

After the incident, the woman offered to give Lundy his press credentials back, he said. Lundy said she told him he had violated a list of rules he had never seen.

In order for members of the media to observe the Minuteman group on private property, journalists are required to fill out a form and receive a Minuteman press pass.

O'Connell, the director, said that taking away Lundy's access was a mistake. Part of the Minuteman organization's stated mission is to bring media attention to the situation along the border. The group launched its third, month-long patrol on April 1.

"We expect (the media) to be able to do their jobs, and if they want to go out and see what the Minutemen do, and go out and report on the ACLU or anybody else, that's perfectly fine as well," he said. "We understand your position. You have to cover both sides, and we don't want to prevent anyone from
doing their jobs."

Lundy decided he didn't want the pass back; he's moving on to another stretch of the border.

Ray Ybarra, who is coordinating the ACLU volunteer legal observer program, said a young, documentary filmmaker was forced by a Minuteman volunteer to erase a portion of her tape on Saturday. O'Connell denied that, saying it "never happened."