The News México City, May 16, 2000.

ANTI-MIGRANT RANCHERS MEET

The News Staff

Anti-immigrant activists met over the weekend in Sierra Vista, Ariz., to support vigilante ranchers who detain undocumented migrants, often at gunpoint, government news agency Notimex reported.

"The people of the United States will rise to defend the ranchers," meeting organizer Glenn Spencer said in a statement.

Don and Roger Barnett, Arizona ranchers who reportedly have captured over 1,000 migrants and handed them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, were present at the meeting as well.

Attorney Jesus Romo of the Arizona Human Rights Commission said the ranchers could be charged with kidnapping, assault and conspiracy to violate the migrants' human rights.

Romo said he considers people like Spencer and Barnett to be part of a racist and xenophobic minority in the United States related to the right-wing survivalist movement.

The ranchers say they are defending their property from the thousands of migrants that cross their property in the journey north, cutting cattle fences and drinking from the ranchers' scarce water supplies.