Minutemen Go Brown

It's not often that advocates for illegal immigrants make nice with armed civilians who patrol the border for alien invaders.

But last week, a pair of Hispanic men representing the People’s Alliance for Latino Advancement lent their tan complexions to the cause of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

Why would two opposing sides hook up? During a press conference in Mission, the groups touted their joint desire to educate the public. Oh, and they both really enjoyed the press coverage.

As a TV news camera rolled, the two Hispanic men, speaking for PALA, stressed the importance of not reporting people to the government for such things as speaking Spanish. Meanwhile, Minutemen leader Ed Hayes once told the Pitch that he reported a bunch of Arabs he came across in Radio Shack ("To the Rescue").

But the most interesting detail wasn't aired during the press conference. Turns out, PALA's Dennis Romero of Wichita has a rap sheet that goes back two decades and includes two convictions for smuggling illegals.

Romero just got out of the clink four months ago, after serving nearly two years in federal prison in Texas for for transporting illegals. He returned to his home in Wichita and is now on probation.

Romero says his latest crime was one of love. On January 20, 2005, Romero picked up his wife, Yolanda, after she had crossed the desert into Texas. When a sheriff's deputy pulled him over, Romero had three other illegals in his car.

Unfortunately, the Minutemen were not involved in the bust.

The Pitch called Hayes to get his take on Romero's record. Hayes said he didn't know his coalition included a convicted smuggler. "Well, I'll be damned," he said. Hayes says Romero's actions could jeopardize the partnership.

Romero, meanwhile, acknowledged that folks might call him a sellout for partnering with the Minutemen. But he's looking at the bigger picture.

"When these guys fart, they get media," he confided.