Decent video of a bit of pushback on this front. If nothing else, it gives you an idea of how these things tend to unfold if you ever find yourself in the drivers’ position. I guess the main issue is that the CP’s are popping up further and further from the border. I don’t have any good data, but I doubt these checkpoints are doing anything but costing money and giving drivers problems. Is that right or wrong?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=u4Ku17CqdZg
What agency was that in the video? Customs or DHS? Was it a border checkpoint?
Looks like Border Patrol, and I think one of the officers self-identified as such. The news article I got the link from was calling the checkpoints DHS checkpoints. I’m not positive how that works. What are the rules for how far in from the border the BP can set up a checkpoint?
ETA: One of the CP’s at the end appears to be US Customs.
I don’t know what the Border Patrol rules are. I haven’t worked that far south. I am guessing that by their conversation with the driver and someone running the registration while they were talking, they determined that the driver was a U.S. citizen. They also probably satisfied themselves that he was not a Coyote.
I definitely see why the driver would be irritated.
It’s actually a Cal. Dept. of Food and Agriculture check point. They are designed to keep pest out… It didn’t take.
That makes sense.
You mean the stop starting at around 11:00, right?
I’m pretty sure the stops in the beginning are these – specifically the “Tactical Checkpoint” variety:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Border_Patrol_Interior_Checkpoints
Awesome… DHS No Longer Uses Control of Border as Measure of Border Patrol.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security no longer uses control of the actual border as a measure of how well the Border Patrol is doing its job, according to written testimony released today by the Government Accountability Office.
The GAO said that by the end of fiscal 2010, the Border Patrol had been able to secure “operational control” of only 44 percent of the U.S.-Mexico border. Then, with 56 percent of the border not under “operational control,” DHS simply stopped using “operational control” as a measure of the Border Patrol’s performance.
DHS to release thousands of illegal immigrants, blaming budget cuts.
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement released more than 500 detainees in his county alone over the weekend. A spokesman for Babeu told FoxNews.com that ICE officials have said they plan to release a total of nearly 10,000 illegal immigrants – though an ICE official told FoxNews.com it’s unclear how many ultimately might be released.
U.S. Releases “Waves” of Illegal Immigrants from Custody.
Never one to let a crisis go to waste, President Obama is using impending budget cuts to justify releasing “waves” of illegal immigrants from detention centers throughout the country.
Groups of illegal aliens have been freed this week from facilities in Texas, Florida and Louisiana, according to a mainstream newspaper story that quotes advocates reporting “waves” being released. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the secret liberation program, but wouldn’t say how many illegal immigrants were let go or what facilities they came from.
Hello, fellow libertarian 
It is easy to tell that the drivers are mostly Anglos and by their accents…do the BP agents STILL have to ask if they are US citizens?
It is not as if the drivers have dark skin or any sort of thick accent!
Still…couldn’t this be avoided by just saying “yes…I am a US citizen” and that is it?
It looks like these drivers were intentionally trying to stir up shit with these people. That is not cool…sorry. I understand rights violations but if you can avoid problems by just saying “yes” when asked if you are a citizen…I don’t see this as a huge problem. I don’t feel my rights are trampled on by answering that question. The car search…well…
Hell…I wish the cops here WOULD ask more people they pull over, if they were here legally. Illegals get the run of our city and cops are told not to ask if they are here legally or not.
-brickboy240
I have no problem with checks on the border but I do have a problem with internal checkpoints in my country.
Basically it seems like an attempt to get around the City of Indianapolis v. Edmond decision in which SCOTUS limited the power of law enforcement to conduct suspicionless searches, specifically, using drug-sniffing dogs at roadblocks. So without reasonable suspicion or probable cause these stops, a seizure, violate the 4th Amendment under normal circumstances but since it’s within 100 miles of the border you give up your constitutional rights.
Nearly 2/3 of Americans live within this 100 mile “Constitution-free zone”.
Now now… we don’t want them to be out their racial profiling, their job efficacy might accidentally improve. :rolleyes:
I actually have some experience with this. I live near Holloman AFB, and I frequently travel to Las Cruces or El Paso. I have to pass through these stupid-ass checkpoints to go home regardless what city I’m coming from. I’m always hassled by an endless list of stupid questions.
So one time I was asked if they could look in the trunk and I said “not without a warrant, I’m sorry.” So they asked me to pull to the side and get out. Thy asked me more lame questions and brought a drug dog and asked if the dog could enter the vehicle and I said no problem as long as only the dog goes inside. Probably looking for probable cause. Dog handler said everything checked out ok and they said I was free to go. They never looked in my trunk. By the way my trunk was empty. My little refusal tied up about seven or eight CBP agents. I was polite and courteous the entire time but simply refusing a search because I know what my rights are.
What a waste of tax dollars. They can’t keep illegals from crossing the border so they harrass real Americans. I’m not anti-LE in any way but I’m tired of those checkpoints. When was the last time they found a van full of illegals driving through a checkpoint?
ETA: I guess I could’ve refused the dog but I have a soft spot for dogs so somehow it seemed okay.
If you don’t have anything to hide, you wouldn’t be afraid to answer our questions or submit to a search :rolleyes:
Just show me your papers to prove your innocence.
I agree…Why be a prick and waste everyone’s time? To make a silly point that the checkpoints are stupid?
I got stopped around 2 am near the Mexican border outside Tucson…and I’m definitely no white anglo person…They asked their stupid question, I answered “yes”…and I was on my way.
Worthless checkpoint…so why make it even more worthless by making a stupid point that’s never going to change anything.
Let me see if I understand this correctly. They just ask if you’re a citizen, and if you say yes, they tend to let you go on your way if there are no obvious suspicious indicators (extreme nervousness, visible weapons or drugs, etc)? What is that supposed to do?
It was exactly that short…I didn’t even take the car out of gear.
It was stupid…and it would have been even more stupid if I made a scene and waste 5 minutes of my life making a point.
I was tempted to say “Si Senor”…but common sense got the better of me.
Not being cooperative is reasonable suspicion… :blink:
Well, it’s pointless and insulting. You should be able to travel down a road without a Federal Agent asking you a pointless question that anyone could just lie in response to anyway.