So Alan Colmes calls the minutemen "vigilantes."
A tip for Al, since he clearly needs it...
Clearly, the word 'vigilante' carries a very negative connotation, at least in this country, and I would assume nearly everywhere abroad as well...and by the definition, the minutemen are NOT vigilantes. They are not enforcing any laws nor trying to do so...they are merely looking out for aliens violating the law and then contacting law enforcement to actually go ahead and ENFORCE the law. It's clear tho that Colmes' goal is to paint a negative picture of these Americans by using such a negative word, especially when they don't even fit the definition.
vig·i·lan·te ( P ) Pronunciation Key (vj-lnt) n. One who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one's own hands. A member of a vigilance committee.