Taxpayer Funded Casa De Maryland Threatens Children of Minutemen

(PHOENIX, AZ) February 23, 2006 – Casa de Maryland, a taxpayer funded organization that caters to illegal aliens, has threatened to target the children of Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (“MCDC”) volunteers who peacefully and lawfully exercise their civil rights by seeking the enforcement of laws regarding employment, illegal immigration and border security.

Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of Casa de Maryland, in an article by the Gazette published February 22, 2006 and posted on the Casa de Maryland website, is quoted saying of the Minutemen:

“We are going to picket their houses, and the schools of their kids, and go to their work.”

http://www.casademaryland.org/press/feb22-2006(5).htm

Among other ugly things, this statement raises the specter of Casa de Maryland spying on the children of Minutemen at their homes and stalking them to determine where they go to school.

The threat to target the children of Minutemen was issued in response to the formation of the Maryland chapter of MCDC and its plans to observe day labor centers in the state and report employers for possible violations of the law by hiring suspected illegal aliens.

According to the 2004-2005 annual statement of Casa de Maryland, 51% of the group’s $2.7 million budget came from grants issued by Montgomery County, Md., the state of Maryland and the federal government. Casa de Maryland states it also receives grants from nationally known companies including IBM, Ford Motors and REMAX. Law firms including Arent, Fox and Crowell, Mooring also are claimed by Casa De Maryland as donors. The Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy is also listed by the group as a donor.

Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, issued the following statement denouncing Casa de Maryland:

“It is despicable that law-abiding citizens who simply seek the enforcement of our nation’s laws in the name of national security are subjected to gangland-style tactics by a taxpayer funded group that is working to undermine the rule of law in this country.

“Threatening children like this is outrageous. Casa de Maryland’s funding should be pulled and its contracts cancelled. It is beyond belief that taxpayer dollars are funding this thuggish behavior.

“MCDC demands an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into potential violations of the civil rights of Minuteman volunteers by Casa De Maryland.

“As this is still the United States of America, our God-given and constitutionally-guaranteed rights are protected. The Minutemen will not be intimidated from responsibly exercising them.”

Constitutional Law Attorney Gary G. Kreep, of the United States Justice Foundation stated, “The public threat by Mr. Torres, of Casa de Maryland, to have the children of members of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps followed to their schools and to have the members themselves followed to their places of employment, for the obvious purpose of alarming the parents of the children and stalking and/or seriously annoying the members, is an attempt to harass the members of the Minutemen into foregoing their First amendment rights to petition their government, and to speak out, on matters of public import. Such actions by Mr. Torres and his followers would appear to have no legal purpose, and are intended to suppress a political view that Mr. Torres, et al, oppose. Harassing and frightening little children at their schools is not authorized, or protected, by state or federal law, and appears to be intended to convey a threat to the parents that if they do not knuckle under to the political correctness demanded by Mr. Torres, their children will be in danger. The United States Justice Foundation hereby offers to take whatever legal action is necessary or appropriate to protect these children and to protect the Constitutional rights of the members of the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps."