Armed group stopping migrants on U.S.-Mexico border given deadline to move
SUNLAND PARK, N.M./TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) - A group of armed civilians who have posted videos online showing them stopping migrants who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border have been told by Union Pacific Railroad to move their New Mexico camp in 30 minutes, the local police chief said.
Union Pacific said on Tuesday in a statement that the group, the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), did not have permission to be on its property and UCP members had trespassed on the company’s land to get to their camp.
Asked to confirm that Union Pacific had given the group a 30-minute ultimatum to leave the site next to a railroad track in Sunland Park, New Mexico, Sunland Park Police Chief Javier Guerra said in a text message “I believe you are correct.”
The UCP had said it would comply with the railroad’s request to move its base camp. The group had said it planned to relocate its operation to a nearby site and vows to keep up its patrols on the border.
It was not immediately clear why the railroad issued the ultimatum after the group had agreed to relocate.
A Union Pacific spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico, and Julio-Cesar Chavez in Sunland Park, New Mexico; Editing by Frank McGurty, Leslie Adler and Richard Chang
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