Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be willing to judge the overall efforts of the volunteer border patrol group known as the Minutemen, but he apparently does have at least one firm opinion: they shouldn't be carrying guns.

At the weekly briefing from the governor's press office, gubernatorial press secretary Margita Thompson told reporters that Schwarzenegger does not believe members of the group should be armed as they begin their new efforts on the California-Mexico border.

But beyond that, it's hard to define the governor's opinions on the subject, opinions left vague by Thompson.

She says Schwarzenegger "understands" why a volunteer group would get involved, comparing it to a neighborhood watch program, but would not say whether the governor actually endorses the Minutemen's efforts.

In April, Schwarzenegger waded into the thorny issue on a talk radio program in Los Angeles, telling the hosts that the Minutemen have "done a terrific job" patrolling the Mexico-U.S. border, even though the group had previously been characterized by President Bush as "vigilantes."

Volunteers from the group began their patrols in southern California this weekend, some reportedly with weapons. Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman says the governor will not formally ask the Minutemen patrols to disarm, and disputed the notion that the volunteer group came to the Golden State because of Schwarzenegger's tacit endorsement.