NEAR BLAINE, Wash. - The Washington State Chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has wrapped up operations on the Canadian border.
Throughout the month of October, Minutemen from Yakima and all over the state stood watch at about 14 locations along the border. They conduct 24-hour border watches in April and October, but invite members to patrol any time they're available.
A local Minuteman chapter is just getting organized, and they plan to meet at the Selah Civic Center this month. They're accused of being racists, but Minuteman Volunteer Coordinator Hal Washburn says, "Illegal has no race."
The Minutemen say they follow a strict code, and don't have any physical interaction with illegal immigrants they catch crossing the border. They also say they discourage guns during their Northern border watches, because their work isn't nearly as dangerous there as it is on the Southern border.
