Episode 96 - Fake News on the Border, and an Easter Massacre

I'm sure you've seen the headlines over the weekend about the group of civilians who is "detaining people at gunpoint" on the US Southern border.

 

I interviewed their public affairs guy when I was down there a few weeks ago.  They are not giving interviews now after what's happened.  I can tell you most of what the media is reporting about this story is misleading or false.

 

1.  This group is not technically detaining people on the border.  They are documenting the illegal crossers in a remote stretch of border where there is no wall, and these illegal crossers WANT to get picked up by the border patrol.  The UCP's direct them to sit and wait, then wait with them, and treat any urgent medical needs if possible.

 

2.  They are not "holding migrants at gunpoint."  The UCPs carry guns for self protection, but do not (at least from what I saw and have seen in their videos) meet the legal definition of brandishing those weapons.  They aren't threatening the migrants, they are documenting what's going on and calling border patrol when they see something.

 

3.  I met their commander, Larry Mitchell Hopkins.  When I was there he was caring for their campsite, and was not armed.  If he is a felon and at some point was carrying a weapon, he was wrong and should be arrested.

 

4.  CNN shows a video that purports to show Jim Benvie ( the guy I interviewed) claiming to be a border patrol agent.  The editing is a little sketchy, and he is not on camera saying it, so he could have been pointing to the border patrol nearby when he said "US Border Patrol".  You can't tell from the video.  If he's impersonating border patrol, he's wrong.

 

5.  The governor who called for the investigation into this group is the same governor who pulled actual US troops from the border of her state on 5 Feb, stating that there is no crisis.  The work the UCPs are doing puts the lie to her assertion.