Do-it-yourself interior enforcement of immigration law

Minutemen report illegal contractors�-�Metropolitan�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper:

"The founder of the Herndon Minutemen said yesterday that he has turned over to authorities the names and addresses of at least 16 unlicensed contractors who regularly hire immigrants and illegal aliens outside a 7-Eleven in town.

"George Taplin said he reported the contractors for tax fraud and business-licensing and zoning violations to agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Virginia Employment Commission, and Virginia taxation and professional and occupational regulation departments."

Congratulations to the Herndon Minutemen who have come up with a strategy to begin to address the illegal worker issue which side-steps the recalcitrant Department of Homeland Security. Even though DHS has authority to investigate and prosecute illegal workers and those who employ them, this is not a priority for the agency.

These concerned citizens have staked out the area where casual laborers, most if not all illegal aliens, wait for work each morning in Herndon. By photographing license plates and logos on the contractors' vehicles, following them to worksites, and doing a bit of research in public records, they compiled lists of businesses and reported them to the proper licensing and taxing authorities.

This first batch of 16 seems to be only the tip of the iceberg as it represents only about 10 percent of the vehicles they have observed so far. The announcement comes on the eve of the opening of center for casual laborers built with taxpayer funds by the Town of Herndon. Herndon is in western Fairfax County in what was a rural area in my youth and now is not even considered a fringe suburb in the DC area. For more information, check out the website helpsaveherndon.org.