Shawna Forde Linked to FAIR in 2006 Video

Published June 15, 2009 @ 07:00AM PT

Immigration restrictionist John Tanton founded the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in 1979. Since then, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, FAIR has had documented ties to white supremacy groups and accepted money from the eugenicist Pioneer Fund. FAIR representatives are nonetheless routinely quoted by mainstream newspapers on immigration stories and welcomed onto cable news shows.

Now a video has come to light raising questions about FAIR’s connection to Shawna Forde, the leader of a Minutemen fringe group recently charged with the murder of two people in a home invasion in Arizona.

Forde is introduced in this PBS debate from 2006 on immigration reform as a representative of FAIR, and is identified as such throughout the debate.

This is not a connection I’ve seen elsewhere, and it isn’t clear whether Forde was acting in a temporary role, whether her association with FAIR was more substantial, or whether FAIR was even aware of her claim to represent the group.

But these questions are fairly posed, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who would like to hear the answers.

Update: Hopefully this video embeds better than the last. America's Voice and ThinkProgress have picked up this story.

Second Update: FAIR has now denied any association with Forde. More here.

(Hat tip: Tony Herrera)

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Comments (9)

It is astounding that the press gives these Minute Mutants a free pass and uses them as a source for quotes in many stories about immigration. It creates a sense of credibility for these groups that are created by fringe lunatic characters like Gilchrist, Forde, and the king loony, Jeff Scwilk, who recently lost a defamation law suit against an activist that he viciously attacked with racist and sexist comments on a web site.

I was blogging on this video and I googled to find the link and, voila, your blog on this story was already on the top of the list for the subject matter.

I am curious to hear what FAIR says about this. I am sure that they are penning a statement distancing themselves from this murderous madwoman.

Posted by Pete Coyotl on 06/15/2009 @ 07:33AM PT
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Whether or not Forde was associated with FAIR at one time is irrelevant. FAIR is not a white supremist group nor do they advocate violence against anyone. Our government "restricts" immigration to manageable numbers based on the best interests of this country. Is that a bad thing? Is it a bad thing for Americans to honor those policies or they earn these surmised negative labels from the "unrestricted immigration" advocates?

Posted by Mark Lindley on 06/15/2009 @ 10:30AM PT
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It's well known that FAIR founder John Tanton is linked to white supremacist groups. Fair is one of his more public faces, can you really be naive enough to pretend that FAIR is not a racist white nationalist organization? If you are so concerned about migration, do something about your country and it's industries migrating around the world at will, or is it really only poor brown people you would like to restict?

Posted by Marissa l on 06/17/2009 @ 10:47AM PT
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That's so right, immigration is restrictionist by definition. Unrestricted immigration is invasion and conquest, a different animal entirely.
Why is the assumption made that Forde committed these murders? Is she being tried in the press, or is evidence so overwhelming. I though we had this principal of 'Innocent until proven guilty', at least in this country.

Posted by Kurt Thialfad on 06/15/2009 @ 05:30PM PT
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No assumptions, just the local police who have arrested and charged her with the murders. She'll be tried by a jury, just like anyone else in her situation. I've been clear about this in my blogging on the story thus far.

Posted by Dave Bennion on 06/15/2009 @ 06:00PM PT
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Yes it's true that everyone deserves a fair trial, however given the hateful racist propaganda of the minutemen movement no one will be surprised if she's convicted of this truly despicable offense. I've already seen commenters saying that the family deserved to be killed so this cowardly act is in line with minuteman rhetoric.

Posted by Marissa l on 06/17/2009 @ 10:43AM PT
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Maria, you are dead wrong!   The bulk of the MM organization does not advocate violence against anyone. That is NOT their policy at all.   What racist propaganda?   All they do is look for illegal crossings and report them to the Border Patrol.   The fact is that most illegal entry comes through our southern border.   Where is the racism that you are talking about?

No MM who adheres to their organization's policies (and most do) would ever say that these people deserved to be killed and they also would want the murderers caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

I would be careful about slandering any organization for the sins of a few.   There are nutcases in any organization.   The best one can do is weed them out and continue on to keep the organization as clean as possible.

Posted by Mark Lindley on 06/17/2009 @ 05:42PM PT
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Shawna Forde started her own Minuteman Group called Minutemen America Defense(MAD). It has NO Affiliation with the other Minutemen Groups, i.e., Minutemen Civil defense Corps, Minutemen Project, The Minuetmen, etc..

Minutemen America Defense(MAD)

Here's the best one to compare her Minuteman America Defense Group to:

The Minutemen Group

LMAO

Posted by Liquids Reign on 06/17/2009 @ 05:59PM PT
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The minutemen rallies I have seen has been totally peaceful and non-violent, despite harassment by open border hecklers.
I watched the Minutemen march in the Fremont CA July 4th Parade a couple of years ago and the organizers put them behind a stinking deisel spweting bus which was behind the second to the last group. These people were totally humiliated, yet they marched on. I was not the only one in the crowd who was touched by the display of courage.
Besides, these people are senior citizens for the most part. Tough, proud, nothin-to-lose, love that flag.

Posted by Kurt Thialfad on 06/17/2009 @ 08:47PM PT
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David is an attorney in Philadelphia, PA, where he helps immigrants to the U.S. navigate the complex immigration legal system. Views he expresses at change.org are his alone and don't represent the views or opinions of his employer, Nationalities Service Center. The information contained on this site is intended for educational and advocacy purposes only.