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BP has inland check points many miles from the border, so called "100 mile zone" from the borders. I didn't know of this 'till recently. I can see why many might not take well to being asked if they are a US Citizen while being a long way from a border. I understand and respect what the BP are trying to achieve, and understand they are asked to do the job with one or both hands tied behind their backs, etc, but this seems beyond reasonable in a "free" society and very borderline Constitutional. How do you all feel about these inland checks?
Some refuse to answer the Qs in these inland checkpoints, and there's something of a movement to defy them, without major issues in most cases it appears. I'm not in favor of being a PITA for no reason and a "I know my Rights" type just to be a PITA, but if respectful and calm about it, I do understand the the citizens resistance here. It's a tough position for both LE and citizens to be put into. Are there some PB agents here who have experience with these?
Border Patrol Takes ‘No’ for an Answer at Internal Checkpoints
by Cindy Casares Published on Thursday, March 7, 2013, at 2:49 CST
"A fascinating video is circulating on the Internet featuring motorists who decline to answer questions at Border Patrol checkpoints miles from the border. Questions like, “Are you a U.S. citizen?†or “Where are you headed?†are met with polite refusals. In the video, one pair of motorists stopped at a Laredo checkpoint refuse to answer an agent’s question about their citizenship. When the agent becomes agitated and orders the driver to pull over to secondary inspection, the driver politely says, “No thank you.†The agent calls over his supervisor. “Unless we’re living in a police state,†the driver says. “Unless this is Mexico or Nazi Germany … this is still America and I can travel down this road without having to answer questions from federal agents.†The kicker is the motorists get away with it; the supervisor ultimately waves them through."
Vid of the "resistance" and more intel:
Some refuse to answer the Qs in these inland checkpoints, and there's something of a movement to defy them, without major issues in most cases it appears. I'm not in favor of being a PITA for no reason and a "I know my Rights" type just to be a PITA, but if respectful and calm about it, I do understand the the citizens resistance here. It's a tough position for both LE and citizens to be put into. Are there some PB agents here who have experience with these?
Border Patrol Takes ‘No’ for an Answer at Internal Checkpoints
by Cindy Casares Published on Thursday, March 7, 2013, at 2:49 CST
"A fascinating video is circulating on the Internet featuring motorists who decline to answer questions at Border Patrol checkpoints miles from the border. Questions like, “Are you a U.S. citizen?†or “Where are you headed?†are met with polite refusals. In the video, one pair of motorists stopped at a Laredo checkpoint refuse to answer an agent’s question about their citizenship. When the agent becomes agitated and orders the driver to pull over to secondary inspection, the driver politely says, “No thank you.†The agent calls over his supervisor. “Unless we’re living in a police state,†the driver says. “Unless this is Mexico or Nazi Germany … this is still America and I can travel down this road without having to answer questions from federal agents.†The kicker is the motorists get away with it; the supervisor ultimately waves them through."
Vid of the "resistance" and more intel:
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