The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, a posse of armed civilians patrolling the border of Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, were in Babylon, Long Island on Saturday, trying to attract new members. According to founder Chris Simcox, the group, which reports illegal immigrants to the border police, hopes to recruit people in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to start patrolling the Canadian border as soon as October. “Our border is like Swiss cheese,” said member Frank Dare, who lives in Washington state. In addition to Simcox, the meeting included John Spencer, a Conservative Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and former Mayor of Yonkers. Local activists say they aren’t terribly worried about the group gaining ground. “They get attention, but they won’t get real support,” said Nadia Molina at the Workplace Project, a Long Island immigrant rights group. (E. Holmgren) [09/12/05]