Segment Transcript
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CNN Daybreak - February 23, 2005

Carol Costello: Now for a look at defending America. Some say it's vigilante justice that could easily turn deadly. Some say it's a citizen's battle against Al Qaeda and illegal immigrants.

A group of volunteers calling itself Minutemen will patrol the Arizona border and the feds are not so happy about that. Joining us now from Sierra Vista, Arizona is Glenn Spencer... Oh, I'm sorry, Glenn, we're going to have to get to you after this because President Bush and Gerhardt Schoerder are just beginning to speak. They're in Mainz, Germany this morning. They've already met privately, so let's dip in and listen to what they have to say.

Schroeder speaking in German.

Carol Costello: We're going to come back out of that because until the get the translation. Is that correct? (more in German) Let's jump out of this. Alright, we're going to jump out of this until we get the translation worked out for you, but the President and Gerhardt Schroeder now speaking. They're going to have a news conference and when we get our act together, we'll go back to Mainz Germany.

Let's go back to Sierra Vista, Arizona and talk to Glenn Spencer who leads these volunteers in the American Border Control.

Good morning Glenn Spencer.

Glenn Spencer: Good morning, Carol

Costello: Specifically, tell me what you do.

Spencer: Well, I think there may be a little confusion here. I'm president of a group, a non-profit group here on the border called American Border Patrol. We've actually been active here for about five years. We started patrol's here about two and a half years ago using citizens, but what we are, we're different from the Minuteman Project. We're the group that uses unmanned aerial vehicles on the border sending live video out on the Internet. And we use high technology to expose what is going on at the border and the Minuteman Project is sort of an outgrowth of what we have been trying to do to expose this problem.

Costello: I understand. The Minuteman are kind of connected, but kind of not. Five hundred people have volunteered to join the Minutemen. What specifically will they be doing along the Arizona Mexico border?

Spencer: Well, as I understand it, what they will be doing is a sort of neighborhood watch program where they'll be looking for suspected border intruders and reporting them to the Border Patrol who will actually come and make the apprehension.

Costello: Well, from the articles I've read, Glenn, it goes a little farther than that because some of these people will be armed.

Spencer: Well, this is usual. In Southern Arizona most people are armed. We have mountain lions down here. We have videotape we picked up when we were on patrol. You have wild pigs, you have bandits. Most of the ranchers who travel in this territory in Southern Arizona are armed for their own protection so I don't think the armament issue is really related to what they're trying to do.

Costello: But let's say they catch an illegal immigrant coming across the border? What will they do?

Spencer: Well, as I understand it, and, once again, we're really not a part of it, but as I understand it, they will call the Border Patrol and ask them to come and make the apprehension.

Costello: Well then why are federal agents not so happy about this group?

Spencer: Well, there are a couple of reasons. The individual agents may have their own opinions, but I think there are some people in Washington D.C. who are not comfortable with this because they don't really want the public scrutiny on this problem. They don't want the public attention that it going to be brought by five hundred people along the border. And, also, there is a risk. You do have a problem with volunteers. We started out with volunteers and, as you know, it's sort of like herding cats. It's difficult to control them and it's also difficult to make sure that everybody who is working with you is of sound of mind and body, so you do run a risk.

Costello: Well, Glenn, part of that risk is that if these people really have no training to do this.

Spencer: Yes, that is the risk, but I think, on balance, the idea that Americans are coming down here to focus attention on the problem is a worthwhile effort. We started out by demonstrating that unmanned aerial vehicles could be used effectively. And no journalist in Southern Arizona would deny the fact that is was our initiation, our initiative that led the government to start using them. It was recently reported, now this is important, they tested last summer unmanned aerial vehicles and a DHS official said they spotted 890,000 in three months using this technology.

Costello: 890,000?

Spencer: 890,000 using this UAV technology.

Costello: That seems unbelievable to me, Glenn.

Spencer: You can go into on Americanpatrol.com There's a direct quote from an official from the Department of Homeland Security. It is online, you can go look at it, it's right there.

Costello: You've brought up so many interesting things this morning

Spencer: If I may just say this.

Costello: Go ahead.

Spencer: The idea that the Border Patrol doesn't have the technology to know where these people are is silly. They know where they are. They just don't have the resources, nor do they have the political will in Washington to enforce our laws. That's the problem.

Costello: Glenn Spencer from American Border Patrol joining Daybreak, thank you so much.

Spencer: Thank you.

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