Border Patrol

[I8A4RE LDYCOP2B]

I have a friend who is a police officer and he says that he is trying to get on with Border Patrol. He is going for the test next week to see if he can get in and then he says he will get a number and wait to be called. If he gets hired he will have to move away.

My question is.....what exactly is Border Patrol and what is it like?

Thanks

[Matto]

There are a few border patrol agents on the forums, I believe. Just from common knowledge they patrol the border and detain and process subjects trying to make their way across.

[gotthblues]

they also fight former mexican soldiers who are now paid to protect the dope crossing the river,,atleast according to the news reports on o.com's home page.

[CarCop]

Border Patrol has the primary responsibility to detect and deter the illegal entry/trafficing of people along the US borders and the trafficing of illegal goods. BP is a HUGE organization and has a lot to offer. It really depends on what area an agent works as to what type of details they do. BP agents patrol near the border. A huge majority of the terrain covered by BP is off road. You can be in the montains east of San Diego or the palins of Texas. Just depends.

They are federal agents that have fedeal law enforcement authority across the US. They may, in certain offices, be empowered with peace officer powers, but that is a state by state basis. They patrol in off road vehicles (tahoes, 4x4 trucks), ATV's, horses, bikes, boats, helicopters, and even regular sedans. They apprehend illegal aliens that are attempting to "hike across america" and are big on drug enforcement.

Just a short idea. Look at honorfirst.com for the "unofficial" Border Patrol site.

[Matto]

they also fight former mexican soldiers who are now paid to protect the dope crossing the river,,atleast according to the news reports on o.com's home page.

That's pretty interesting, guess I need to pay more attention to the front page.

[BigPat]

Another thing that I would like to add... a lot of Border Patrol operations occur pretty far away from the actual border. The station that I work at (which is a checkpoint station) is about a 1-1/2 hour drive from the actual border, yet we have a lot of work. Here in Texas there are alien smuggling load vehicles all over the highways at night (and increasingly in broad daylight as well). Before I started working for BP I didn't think they did anything besides stand watch at the River.

Border Patrol pays well and there is always a lot of work to be done. However, imigration policy is kind of a joke, and there can be a lot of frustration when you spend several hours tracking down a group only to have to issue them papers and release them (which is what we do with almost all non-Mexican illegals). It can also be extrememly difficult to get alien smugglers prosecuted, and they usually have to be caught 3or 4 times before they will prosecute. It is definitely different from normal police work, although one good thing is that you don't have to deal with domestics/drunks/traffic accidents like a regular police officer.

[CarCop]

That's pretty interesting, guess I need to pay more attention to the front page.

Sorry but, these are the kind of stories that never make the front page. They rarely make it inside the covers, but rest assured it does happen. More than you would think.

[Tinkertoys]

Another thing that I would like to add... a lot of Border Patrol operations occur pretty far away from the actual border. The station that I work at (which is a checkpoint station) is about a 1-1/2 hour drive from the actual border, yet we have a lot of work. Here in Texas there are alien smuggling load vehicles all over the highways at night (and increasingly in broad daylight as well). Before I started working for BP I didn't think they did anything besides stand watch at the River.

Border Patrol pays well and there is always a lot of work to be done. However, imigration policy is kind of a joke, and there can be a lot of frustration when you spend several hours tracking down a group only to have to issue them papers and release them (which is what we do with almost all non-Mexican illegals). It can also be extrememly difficult to get alien smugglers prosecuted, and they usually have to be caught 3or 4 times before they will prosecute. It is definitely different from normal police work, although one good thing is that you don't have to deal with domestics/drunks/traffic accidents like a regular police officer.

Anybody ever tried charging them with trespassing?

-tink

[3India]

Read that one about the SD out east who charged illeagals with trespass. Clever bit of law that.

For more information on todays opportunites in CBP Border Patrol see:

www.cbp.gov

[Matto]

Read that one about the SD out east who charged illeagals with trespass. Clever bit of law that.

For more information on todays opportunites in CBP Border Patrol see:

www.cbp.gov

Too bad it didn't hold up in court. Courts said LE can't enforce immigration laws or something.

[Fraud Dog]

The big problem in enforcing illegal alien laws inside the U.S. (like Oklahoma or Kentucky) is the lack of federal holding space. Each one of these gets a court hearing if they demand it, with judges and lawyers. The system ain't big enough to handle many apprehensions. On the border Mexican citizens can waive their rights and be voluntarily returned to Mexico pretty quickly, so that they can be back here again in a few hours.

Republicans see illegal aliens as cheap labor for their McDonald's francises, Democrats see them as future voters.

[nacorbier]

I've been told that there is legal precident (By a LEO) for local LE enforcing federal law, specifically immigration law. There is, of course, the huge political nightmere of alienating your large legal and illegal population by enforcing these laws.

[Tinkertoys]

I've been told that there is legal precident (By a LEO) for local LE enforcing federal law, specifically immigration law. There is, of course, the huge political nightmere of alienating your large legal and illegal population by enforcing these laws.

Is kidnapping not a federal law? Local police have the authority to enforce that.... Yes I know, it is not just a federal crime.

-tink

[Delta784]

I've been told that there is legal precident (By a LEO) for local LE enforcing federal law, specifically immigration law. There is, of course, the huge political nightmere of alienating your large legal and illegal population by enforcing these laws.

IIRC, local police now have the authority to arrest for immigration violations, but it's just a feel-good measure. INS, or ICE, or whatever their acronymn is this week, is most likely not going to take custody, so what the hell are we supposed to do with them? I can't charge someone with immigration violations in the local district court, and I don't think anyone has any idea of how to charge someone in Federal court.

[Fraud Dog]

To fix the illegal alien problem here is my 2 cents worth:

1) Concerned citizens have to hold politicians' feet to the fire. March on Washington, vote out those who don't support tougher laws, donate to organizations dedicated to strengthening immigration laws. Organize, don't just complain.

2) Each part of the system has to be increased. More ICE agents, more holding space, more immigration judges.

3) Change the constitution (14th amendment) so that those born in the U.S. to illegal alien parents don't automatically become citizens. In 1865 Congress wrote that amendment to cover the freed slaves. There was no intent to cover future illegal immigrants.

4) Concentrate on kicking out criminal aliens first. You can't get rid of all 8 million illegals, so get rid of the hundreds of thousands who are gang bangers and convicted criminals. If they get caught coming back after deportation they get ten years in a federal holding camp in the Arizona desert.

5) HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT, YOU WON'T LIKE THIS: A national ID for everyone. Counterfeit proof with your photo. You need to present this to get a job, take an airplane flight, ride a Greyhound bus, go through a Border Patrol checkpoint, attend any school, qualify for any benefit, open a bank account. Other countries do this and unfortunately we will need to. I hate giving up freedom too, but life is a trade off.

6) Seriously penalize any employer hiring illegal aliens. Job applicants of the future will have to show their national ID card and employers would slide it through a reader just like any business accepting mastercard. They would know right away if it is valid.

Just throwing this out to see what others think. Is this too radical? Any better suggestions?