06:22 PM PST on Saturday, April 1, 2006

KING 5 Staff and Wire Reports

SEATTLE - A controversial group known as the Minutemen kicked off Saturday a month-long stakeout of U.S. borders between Canada and Mexico.  

These include the Washington Minutemen who will be guarding the border crossing at British Columbia. They say they are doing what they believe our border security has failed to do: keep illegal immigrants out of the United States.

“They are out to get us, we know that,” said Tom Williams of the Washington Minuteman Detachment.

Asked who “they” are, he said, “the enemies of our country, the al Qaida, whoever wants to come in and do our country harm.”

"Fundamentally, we want people to pay attention to the fact that our political leaders aren't doing their job in washington, D.C. and we want to hold their foot to the fire," Williams said. "We want people to know that Homeland Security has not been as much as people expected it to."

The Washington Minutemen have their headquarters in Whatcom County, north of Ferndale. They are part of the Arizona-based organization whose volunteers patrol areas of their state's border with Mexico.

Meanwhile, a local group opposed to the Minutemen will be keeping a close eye on the volunteers, making certain they comply with the law.

Protestors were also near the border, mocking the Minutemen, as a range of religious and immigration groups calling themselves the Coalition for Profesional Law and Border Enforcement met to protest the presence of the Minutemen.

"It's not as simple as saying, 'I am a Minuteman, and I have a right to wear a gun and guard my country at the border, without any accountability without any authority'...we say it's the wrong thing to do," said Rosalinda Guillen of the Coalition for Professional Law Enforcement.

Kirk Shields-Priddy owns a farm on the border. He voiced opposition to the Minutemen, saying: "We could not receive a hard and fast assurance from the minutemen that they would not be carrying guns. They were indicating they had the right to tresspass on our property."

Minuteman Bill Crawford said he doesn't confront any illegal immigrants, but instead uses his cell phone to report them.

Why the bill draws protests

Congress is continuing to debate a bill focused on immigration reform. The issue of illegal immigrants has drawn protests throughout the United States.

Plans to change the nation's immigration policy have proved controversial at best.

While the Senate works on bills to meet three goals -- stop the influx of illegal immigrants, deal with those already here and appease industry and agricultural interests who say they need those workers to survive -- rallies and protests are being held around the country

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Minutemen volunteers watch for people sneaking across the U.S.-Canada border.

Those on both sides of the debate are hoping Congress will take action soon.

Senate Republicans and Democrats are divided over this issue, with some supporting President Bush's proposal of a guest worker program.  the united states...voice their opinions.

The U.S. House has passed a bill that would make all illegal immigrants felons.

The Senate is debating two guest-worker bills. The one Craig supports would allow illegal workers to apply for citizenship if they have been in the country at least two years, passed a background check, worked at least 150 hours a year in agricultural jobs for six years and paid taxes.

The other proposal would let illegal immigrants stay in the country for up to five years, after which they would have to leave and apply to return as guest workers for two-year intervals.

Students protest harsh proposals

On Friday, some 200 students rallied at the Skagit County Courthouse to protest legislation that would make illegal immigration a felony. 

The issue is now being argued in Congress. If the legislation is passed, the protestors say many of their friends and families would be criminalized because of their search for a better life.

Most of the students walked away from Mount Vernon High School and others came from area middle schools.

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About 200 students skipped class to attend the rally.

"It's going to affect all our families, it’s going to affect all of the people that we love,” one protestor said.

"We aren't skipping; we're doing this for our parents because we don't want them to go back to Mexico or wherever they were from,” said a student named Antonio.

Most of the Mount Vernon students returned to class immediately after the protest. While they know they'll probably be returning to some punishment, they believe it's worth it.

"We realized that we should really come and believe in what we believe," said a student called Angelica.

"I might get a three-hour detention, but I'm willing to take the sacrifice," said Amber Schafer.

Similar protests have been going on throughout the Pacific Northwest and the nation.

Similar walkout occurred in Lynnwood and Monroe Friday. Another was held earlier this week in SeaTac.

In Las Vegas, at least 2,300 students from more than a dozen schools marched downtown. They  carried Mexican and American flags and spoke out against the immigration legislation.