Monday, May 30, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Minuteman Project founder urges deportation

Jim Gilchrist on Sunday spelled out his version of hitting the jackpot: deport the millions of illegal immigrants in the United States back to Mexico.

Send them back by plane or bus, give them money and do it civilly, said the founder of the Minuteman Project, whose members have patrolled the U.S.-Mexico border to draw attention to illegal immigration.

"That's what I have in mind," Gilchrist told about 200 people who cheered him at Cashman Center. He made his remarks on the final day of a summit titled "Unite to Fight Against Illegal Immigration."

Gilchrist and other speakers, with those attending the summit, warned that the United States is under assault. Every time a Mexican flag is planted on American soil, it's a declaration of war, Gilchrist said.

"If this isn't a declaration of war, I don't know what is," Gilchrist said.

During his 45-minute talk, Gilchrist said that he was not a racist and that his group was not exclusionary.

Gilchrist said it was the "Mexican clan, Mexican Nazis" who were the racists, targeting anyone who was not of their color.

Outside the convention center, about 150 people demonstrated against Gilchrist and the summit.

As they did at a previous protest Saturday, the mostly Hispanic protesters waved plenty of Mexican flags and used placards, bullhorns and air horns to get their message out. "Racists, go home," they screamed.