In a tense battle that can be traced to the Arizona desert, theMinutemen of Herndon are determined to stop illegal immigration. But doesAmerica really want that to happen?

Michael Leahy, whose story about the multifaceted and often paradoxical issue of illegal immigration appeared in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine , was online Monday, March 20, at 1 p.m. ET to field questions and comments.

Michael Leahy is a Magazine staff writer.

____________________

Michael Leahy: Thanks to everyone who has joined us. I see we have loads of questions, so let's get started.

_______________________

Paris, France: First, let me say this was a very enlightening article.

My question: should we consider this variety of border vigilantism as a failure for the institutional (economic and political)treatment of Latino immigration or as merely another case for the re-emergence of the US "take-the-law-into-your-own-hands" tradition (elsewhere exemplified throughout the world)... or both?

Michael Leahy: Thank you for the nice comment and for taking time from what I'm presuming is a beautiful day in Paris, to read the story. I think the Minutemen movement -- like most of the activism on both sides of the debate -- has been spawned by the inability, or unwillingness, of the American political system to address the issue in a decisive manner. There is always a social restiveness when you have a political vacuum, when people feel anxious about either their rights or their security. Both sides in the immigration debate are trying to take advantage of that vacuum to fill it with their notions of what is right and what will work. There is profound frustration on both the American political Right and Left over the a decade of inertia when it comes to immigration policy, and it has produced some unlikely bedfellows, like John McCain and Ted Kennedy. There are a number of competing immigration bills pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee right now, their future uncertain.

Groups like the Minutemen and their rivals are locked in a battle for America's ideological soul, for its sense of self when it comes to immigration and the look of America. As both sides in Herndon and Arizona see it, the debate is reducible to a fundamental question: Are border sacred or should they bend in the face of a pressing migrration? While that argument rages, border policy on the southern border is in disrepute, with everyone involved, including American and Mexican officials, expressing deep frustrations.

You asked a great question to get us started.

_______________________

Guadalajara, Mexico: Excellent article.

Did you get the sense that any of the Hispanic workers were considering getting involved in the debate on a political level? Is it possible that they might start campaigning for their voting relatives, their employers or their clients to vote for candidates to counter the Minutemen's political influence? Or will it take a political win by the Minutemen before the other side becomes mobilized?

Michael Leahy: I have a strong sense that Latinos will be mobilizing politically in Virginia, just as they have in Arizona, California, Illinois and many other places. While researching in Herndon, I spent considerable time talking to attorney Luis Parada, an immigrant from El Salvador who attended West Point while still part of the Salvadoran military, and later received his law degree from Georgetown. Today, as an American citizen, Parada is among a large group of well-educated immigrants who have become social and political activists in the Washington metropolitan area. I suspect you will see several of them run for office over the next decade, which is reflective of the arc of immigrant activism in places like California and Arizona.

_______________________

Chicago, Ill: I really admired your story, not only because it was skillfully written and neatly observed, but you didn't demagogue the issue in your tone or substance, I thought. I'm finding that is rare with this issue as I read immigration-related things from around the country. I don't personally care for the Minutemen, but in a strange way I'm glad they are at least in the debate and among groups of people raising issues like these, because all the attention tends to crystallize the discussion and I think we need a discussion, something that has been missing a long time in the country. Having said that, I wonder if the Minutemen are aware of how European-centric they sound. Would they be so upset if we were talking about immigrants from Italy or Britain or France? Do they have a blind spot on this? And why are they not willing to sit down with immigrant groups and try to come to some understanding and resolution? Is it fair to argue that they seem politically tone deaf to the complexity of things sometimes? Glad you looked into this one.

Michael Leahy: Thanks for writing in. You posed a lot of questions, so let me see if I can distill them to one question, if that's all right. The Herndon Minutemen insist that they would feel the same way if the Herndon day laborers were of a different ethnicity. Clearly, George Taplin spends a great deal of time discussing Latino laborers in particular. When I asked him about this, he said it merely was indicative of the lack of foreign laborers from other countries.

_______________________

Richmond, Va: Congrats on delivering us with such a candid close up of the Minutemen. Thanks for revealing a group that, misunderstood as they claim to be, shoots itself in the foot whenever one of its leaders opens his mouth. Do you have any idea whether George Taplin is getting coached by anybody? And do you think the Border Patrol would benefit by having hundreds or thousands of Minutemen down there to assist them because I see that as highly debatable. I eagerly look forward to your next story.

Michael Leahy: If you're asking (by "coaching") whether the national leadership of the Minutemen or any other group has somebody giving daily talking points to Taplin or hovering over his shoulder, the answer is no. As the story makes clear, his opinions are his own.

Re your second question: The Border Patrol has made it clear that it does not believe the Minutemen's presence at their April rally last year was of any real help to its operations. Border Patrol representative say they can't envision any scenario in which the Minutemen would aid the BP's mission.

_______________________

Detroit, Mich: Superb article. I was pleased that you principally examined the thinking and motives of a grassroots chapter of the Minutemen rather than the men at the national level. The grassroots is where these kind of organizations usually live or die, and where you always get the best feel for what is stirring the movement. I'm unsure how I feel yet about all that the Minutemen espouse, but, as the intensity of opinion in your story powerfully reveals, I don't think the Minutemen can be dismissed as either political clumsy or impotent. The TV cameras around reflect their skill at attracting attention. I do find myself wondering about their basic philosophy. Is there an anti-Latino bias there, you think? Do any of the Minutemen talk much about their own family's immigration history? Do they see any irony there? Let me just say, too, that I'm a little put off when I read that a place like Hernndon has to go through a little charade where they can't say if people at the work center are legal or illegal. I'll admit I don't know who to blame for that. Probably both sides are guilty there. Thank you for looking at this message.

Michael Leahy: Again, a lot of questions here. So let me just pick one. Several of the Minutemen I met are second-generation Amercians (first-generation American-born) who talked proudly about their parents' immigrant experiences. They contrast those experiences with the day laborers', by arguing that their parents came to this country legally. "He followed the law," Bill Campenni said of his own father, who came here from Italy. Campenni's perspective echoed that of many comments that I heard.

_______________________

Washington, DC: I have this stereotype of Minnutemen as being all ex. military men. How true is this? Do you think that their views on immigration are artifacts of something learned in the military? Is their perspective shaped by how the military has traditionally approached the problem of immigration? Or is it just that these guys decided to join the Minnutemen for the same reason they decided to join the military - out of a desire to fight for their country? It really seems strange to me that someone would devote so much time to making life difficult for people that already have it hard - I'm really trying to understand why someone would want to become a Minuteman.

Michael Leahy: I don't want to issue a speculative view, so let me simply provide you with some background. Although a majority of the Minutemen I met are not ex-military, there are a quite a few former military people in the group. Most readily said that their military service, and what they regard as their concomitant respect for law and codes, strengthens their conviction that the legal/illegal discussion matters.

_______________________

Oxford, Miss: Phenomenal job of writing a great story on a controversial issue. Two over-arching questions come to mind. Is there similar concern by this group over giant American corporations that outsource work to foreign workers on a daily basis? Also, if the Hispanic day laborers were of a different nationality or race and had a larger representative political voice, do you believe the practices of the Minutemen groups might be as acceptable or palatable to the American public? Thanks for another intriguing story that is sure to launch many important conversations on race, economy, and work ethics.

Michael Leahy: I appreciate the kind words.

Outsourcing is a topic that frequently arose during my discussions with the Minutemen in Herndon and Arizona. In Herndon, a Minuteman named Jeff Talley spoke of losing his job in an aircraft maintenance because it was being outsourced to Mexico. So, yes, it was on the minds of several people.

Re whether it would make a difference if the day laborers were Europeans. The Minutemen deny this. Readers should know that about three million of the estimated 11 million undocumented people in this country come from outside of Latin America. There are undocumented groups of Russian, Poles, Chinese and Irish, among others. In fact, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is pushing hard for immigration reform that would enable an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 undocumented Irishmen living illegally in this country to legalize their status in America on a permanent basis. In that regard, his efforts are much like Mexico's President Vicente Fox, though in his tone, unlike Fox, Ahern has been careful to downplay his differences with the United States over immigration policy. But Ahern's efforts are illustrative of the fact that this issue involves more than the fate of Latin American laborers and the status of America's southern border.

_______________________

Cambridge, Mass: Mr. Leahy: Fantastic story. I am probably in the political center and like to think of myself as open-minded about political groups, whether mainstream or fringe. I am at points in your story intrigued by the populist grassroots feel of the Minutemen and at other points repelled by their America First attitude to all things. America has strained relations with the world in this era. Do we really wish to add to our divide between us and everybody else by being so hostile to Latin immigrants and their governments? A few other things. Do you see any indication that extremist groups have sought to infiltrate the Minutemen or successfully infiltrated the Minutemen to advance a racist agenda? On something else, has Mr. Taplin or Mr. Simcox said anything that indicates they have a larger political agenda, something beyond immigration? Finally, do you see this day workers site in Virginia staying in operation for very long, considering how a lot of people involved seem to be tiring of the bureaucratic muddle and disingenuousness of the thing? Thanks for such a provocative and engaging story.

Michael Leahy: Several questions are here. Let me take one: No, I saw no evidence that the Minutemen had been infiltrated by a racist group.

_______________________

Arlington, Va: Hi Michael, thanks for an interesting piece this weekend.

I am posting early, and a little worried that this chat will have a lot fewer questions and a lot more diatribes than is probably necessary... but I wanted to pose a question:

In your opinion, under what conditions would radical anti-immigrant groups like the minutemen be willing to consider increasing the flow of unskilled legal immigrants from other countries to fill the jobs that are currently being filled by illegal immigrants?

Or do they simply not feel that this is necessary? And if not, who do they think would do these jobs otherwise?

Michael Leahy: Sorry - I inadvertently hit the send button before finishing my answer to the last question. Again, I saw no evidence that the Minutemen had been infiltrated by a transparently racist group, along the lines of the KKK or some group of that ilk.

Knowing that it would be absolutely catastrophic to their group's image if such a link were ever established, the Minutemen insist that they do a background check of prospective members and chapters to keep out any espoused racists.

To address Arlington's question now: the Minutemen argue that undocumented laborers have taken jobs from American workers who would gladly fill such positions if they were paid a decent wage. They contend that the undocumented dampen wages.

They say that yes, they would be willing to entertain the notion of the day laborers filling jobs in America, but only after they have first returned to their country of origin and after America has adopted immigration reform that would codify an orderly and legal queue into the United States.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: It's ironic to see a questioner from Paris writing derisively about what he calls "the US 'take-the-law-into-your-own-hands' tradition," given how many cars and restaurants are burning in France right now. The Minutemen may be taking the law into their own hands, and I take no view on the rightness of their cause, but it's important to keep in mind that they are acting non-violently and within the law (unlike a lot of Parisians).

Michael Leahy: I think this is an appropriate point to post some statements from readers on both sides of the debate. Here we have a comment from Arlington...

_______________________

Fairfax, Va: Great article. As an American born non-Latino I have great sympathy for the day laborers. These people wait in the cold for the opportunity to work doing hard labor without many of the benefits most of us are use to in this area. I understand the reasons for the creation of the minute men in Arizona, where there is a need to help immigration police the border, but here? Herndon doesn't border Mexico! Am I the only one who sees the minute men here as new form of the KKK? Remember, the KKK denies that they are a hate group and say that they are about white pride. The minute men deny that they hate Latinos and say that they are about patriotism. Why are they just going after Latinos and not non-American cab drivers, restaurant workers, or gas station attendants? Why aren't they picketing their places of employment, accusing them of being here illegally?

This might be a Maryanne Haggerty observation, but, I believe the minute men started in Herndon because the property values in Herndon have not appreciated as much as the rest of Fairfax County. The reason that they haven't appreciated as much is NOT because of the day laborers, it is because Herndon has mass amounts of townhouses and not too much of anything else. Much of the townhouses are for rent. Masses of any kind in real estate bring competition to lower prices. Lower prices and rents bring in "lower classes" of people, including people who need to wait in the cold for the opportunity to work (day laborers). Minute men want the Latinos in Herndon to leave. They don't want them as their neighbors; they don't want their children to go to school with Latino children. They hope that by pushing the Latino's out of Herndon, their property values will go up - and it won't. They are using the day laborer issue to send a message to Latino's in Herndon to "go away or we will deport you". The people in your article made this notion clear.

...just my 2 cents....

Michael Leahy: A comment from Fairfax...

_______________________

Herndon, Va (Yes, I really do live there): I find it very interesting that the first two questions you took are from overseas; to the snide Frenchman (whose on country faces their own immigration issues) on American internationalism: you should be glad we "took the law into our own hands" or you'd be a province of Germany (spoken by someone whose grandfather and father went to France in 1917 and 1944, respectively).

To the Mexican I ask--why do you not reform your feudialistic society and economy so that you provide economic opportunity to the multitudes that continue to endure the unendurable to get opportunities in America denied them in the country of their birth? That would go a long way to solving America's immigration problems.

To everyone else--this is not an example of 21st centry "Know Nothingism", it is a local problem of detiorating properties and rising crime that has been overtaken by the national media. To everyone who asks why Herndon reacts the way it does I would ask, "then why don't you ask these people to live next door to you?".

Michael Leahy: A comment from Herndon...

Dear Reader: I think France and Mexico simply lined up first. Maybe they got up a little earlier...

_______________________

Washington, DC: I thought this was a great article. The Minutemen were allowed to speak their piece, and they do make a point of blaming the employer as much as the day laborer. If they came off at all badly, they have only themselves to blame (I'm surprised Taplin would not even try to temper his contempt for Latino culture - the Rio remarks, for example - in the presence of a reporter). Great work on a very complex issue.

Michael Leahy: A posting from Washington...

_______________________

Baltimore, Md: Kudos to you for breaking through the stereotypes and revealing the Minutemen and their supporters as human beings instead of caricatures. I'm not in agreement with their cause, but I do resent the spate of knee-jerk journalism in some places that writes about all these guys as racists and nuts as I think that sort of thing belongs on an editorial page. I appreciate outstanding journalism like yours that reveals the essence of people and their lives. Troubled as I remain about elements of the Minutemen's goals, I have a better sense now of what drives them after reading in particular about Simcox and Taplin. I found your passage about Taplin's background to be especially fascinating. How was it that you chose to focus on his background and how much do you think his disadvantaged youth contributed to his getting involved with the Minutemen? And that leads me to my other question. How much do you think Simcox's previous life in California led him to do what he is doing today? Thank you for your penetrating work.

Michael Leahy: I decided to devote a passage to George Taplin's background after a morning during which he expressed some resentment over the suggestion made by critics that he couldn't possibly understand the plight of impoverished day laborers. He told me on that day a bit about his own youth and said, in essence, that he had never used his own poverty in those days as an excuse. His tone told me I needed to understand that background better in order to understand some of the things that motivated him. So we talked about his youth at length one afternoon.

_______________________

Arlington, Va. : The Minutemen are simply private citizens trying to uphold federal law. As such, the best analogy for their role is to the volunteers who escort clients into abortion clinics and restrain angry protestors from harassing those clients. Both groups are citizens trying to support existing federal laws (against illegal harassment or against illegal immigration).

Michael Leahy: A posting from Arlington...

_______________________

Reston, Va: I am back -- I (and other neighbors) hired a legal Latino contractor here on all the correct work visas and liscenes. The MM followed him into our neighborhood and posed as possible customers by asking my neighbor who he was. The MM then called our contractor and posed as a potential customer and wanted a list of his references. He gladly provided them. The MM then sent warning letters to his custimers saying he was illegal, etc. He did have the proper documentation, etc. My problem with this watchdog style is they never contacted the contractor directly to ask him questions and let him justify his position. They tried to runin his business. I believe in a democratic society we need watchdogs, but not when they are vigilantes and don't play fair. Our contractor deserved the right to speak for himself.

Michael Leahy: A posting from Reston...

_______________________

Gaithersburg, Md: It seems interesting to me how Taplin couldn't just answer the question he was asked truthfully: "Are you saying undocumented Latino day laborers are involved in drug deals in the park?" He really just wants to blame all the crimes being committed in Herndon as well as other places, on the Illegal workers. When most likely the sad truth is that drug dealers are ALSO latino not ONLY latino, as well as african americans, anglos and asians. Also, when Taplin asked the question about letting one's daughter walk over to the park mentioned... As a female I don't feel safe walking alone or with a friend anywhere at night, not even in the Kentlands that is a couple of blocks away from home! No day laborers trafficking drugs here yet!(major sarcasm). Taplin and the rest of the Minutemen are hateful people, who should be targeting the real criminals. Not people that are trying to WORK. They are not Day Murderers, Day Rapists, Day Child Molesters or Day Drug Dealers, they are DAY LABORERS, for God's sake! Don't call yourself a christian and be so hateful of another human being at the same time. I hope Taplin uses his energy on better things, not promoting HATE.

Michael Leahy: A comment from Maryland...

_______________________

Gaithersburg, Md: Very revealing story and I appreciated how you let it unravel without authorial interference. I could imagine some journalists wanting to overlay their perspective on everything. My question is about your approach to these and other kinds of stories you do. Do you go into it thinking you want to train a lens on people and minimize your own involvement? Do you ever worry that you're going to let people off the hook if they can spout whatever they want to spout? I was intrigued by how these characters revealed so much of themselves to you. When they do this are you pushing them for the information? Are you aggressive? Passive? I guess I'm asking about technique here. I read with enormous pleasure your Michael Jordan book and you seemed to use the same terse lens there. Sorry if I'm off point but on sports could you also recommend to me another great sports book. Could you also talk about how you think the elections will go in Herndon? Jumping around here, I know. But thanks.

Michael Leahy: Your questions here are more about the craft of writing than about today's issue, so why don't you write me an e-mail to my Washington Post address and we can talk at some point. Thanks.

_______________________

Herndon, Va: I feel the Herndon Minutemen are "filling in the blanks" left behind by our local, state, and federal government's failure to adequately control and mitigate the effects of illegal immigration and illegal aliens in the US.If the Minutemen were not around, what would a viable alternative be?

Michael Leahy: A posting from a Minutemen supporter...

_______________________

Washington DC: Let's be real here. Groups like these use the cloak of "patriotism" cloak to wrap around the reality of racism. Numerous comments made by Tipton and the AZ guy showcase racist sentiments. At least the KKK, as disgraceful as they are, are honest about their racism.

And quite frankly, if they want to help this country why don't their spend their time volunteering with military families, wounded veterans, homeless, poor, etc instead of harrassing people who are only looking to work.

And tell the ex-navy guy that Rio is in Brazil, which is a porteguese based culture, not a spanish based culture such as mexico, central america etc. Ignorance is a common expression of racism.

Michael Leahy: A posting from a Minutemen opponent...

_______________________

Wheaton, Md: I grew up four blocks from the intersection of Piney Branch Road and University Blvd., the first area to serve as the gathering point for those seeking casual employment, so I can attest to the unsightly results. Yet, I cannot support the actions of the self-appointed Minutemen, because their self-righteous attitude polarizes the issue and engenders bigotry.

The main protagonist, George Taplin, is a perfect example. After all it is he who said, "It comes back to their culture. I spent some time in Rio when I was in the Navy. They didn't respect the land in Rio. They urinated on streets, they threw trash, bottles . . . When you come here, you're going to do what you did in your culture. You're going to do what you know."

He seems to be oblivious to the fact that Rio de Janeiro is in Brazil, full of Portuguese speakers living thousands of miles away from the U.S. - Mexico border. The fact that he is so quick to generalize should give his supporters reason to pause.

Illegal immigration is just one aspect of globalization, and it should be discussed within that framework.

Michael Leahy: A comment from Wheaton, MD...

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: The Minutemen sound like unpleasant, confrontational zealots. However, I tend to think they're on the right side of this issue. Illegal immigration unambiguously hurts the United States by driving down wages and workplace protections for low-income workers. It hurts Latin America by siphoning away able, intelligent workers. Illegal immigration to the US also saps political energy for reform in Latin America, allowing corrupt or ineffective regimes to stay in power longer, prolonging and deepening poverty. Most Americans don't care about these bad consequences because they want cheap laborers to keep their azaleas looking good, but this hardly constitutes the moral high ground.

Michael Leahy: A posting from Arlington...

_______________________

McLean, Va: I don't want illegal immigration to go away. I could not afford to have my rooms painted if I paid US citizen rates. The choice was between doing it myself or paying someone willing to do it for $200 a day. The guy worked probably 14 hours a day. I spent $700 for 6 rooms w/tip. The price quote I had for those 6 rooms was $3000 and it was going to require a team of 3 painters working 8 hour days. When I was 20 I worked thwo jobs on top of college. Why can't US painters work 14 hours a day?

Michael Leahy: A posting from McLean, VA...

_______________________

Arlington, Va : Right now as i submit this comment 23 of my friends are in jail in virginia,to be deported to sierra leone, these young men and women have been in the united states for over ten years with criminal free record, paying taxes, they have kids who are americans,they pay taxes,they dont ask the government for nothing, but work hard and smart to earn there living. Interestingly,three of these deportees are nurses,with credentials from american schools ,with the shortages of nurses you would think the ICE within the department of homeland security would be smart not to deport these folks.

Michael Leahy: As you can see by these varied postings, opinions run across the social spectrum. Here is yet another from Arlington...

_______________________

Michael Leahy: Looking at the clock, I realize we have run well over our alloted hour. Feel free to e-mail me with any additional comments and questions. Many thanks to everyone for your notes.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.