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1 mechanic  Sep 14, 2014 10:53:38am

I was talking with a Border Patrol agent a few weeks ago here in Montana. He tells me that the force down there is primarily hispanic and those agents want to keep it that way and enforce it as such.

2 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 14, 2014 12:16:39pm

re: #1 mechanic

Racists then. Ask your guy about this.

The Constitution in the 100-Mile Border Zone

Outdated Legal Authority and Lack of Oversight

The regulations establishing the 100-mile border zone were adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1953—without any public comments or debate. At the time, there were fewer than 1,100 Border Patrol agents nationwide; today, there are over 21,000.
The Border Patrol often ignores this regulation and rejects any geographic limitation on agents’ authority. At least two federal circuit courts condone Border Patrol operations outside the 100-mile zone, federal regulations and Supreme Court precedent notwithstanding.
Federal border agents are stopping, interrogating, and searching Americans on an everyday basis with absolutely no suspicion of wrongdoing, and often in ways that our Constitution does not permit.

3 mechanic  Sep 14, 2014 1:51:19pm

Just reporting what he said. He’s white but he was sure about the hispanic pressure. I don’t see him often but he might show at training in a week or so.

4 wrenchwench  Sep 15, 2014 9:56:37am

re: #1 mechanic

I was talking with a Border Patrol agent a few weeks ago here in Montana. He tells me that the force down there is primarily hispanic and those agents want to keep it that way and enforce it as such.

Agents on the southern border are required to know Spanish. That may skew the demographics. I don’t know how agents could affect whether the force is ‘kept Hispanic’, unless they were in a hiring role.

I have a friend who was born and raised very close to the border, and became a Border Patrol agent after college. He’s Hispanic, but so are a majority of people in the border counties in AZ and NM. Seems like a natural for the workforce to skew that way. (My friend has moved on to AZ State Police.)

5 wrenchwench  Sep 15, 2014 10:15:19am

re: #2 Rightwingconspirator

Racists then. Ask your guy about this.

The Constitution in the 100-Mile Border Zone

Thanks for posting this Page.

I totally agree that there is overreach and abuse coming from CBP. Especially when it comes to killing border crossers and Mexicans in Mexico. The 100-mile Constitution-free stuff might be overstated, however. From the ACLU link:

Thus, although the 100-mile border zone is not literally “Constitution free,” the U.S. government frequently acts like it is.

I clicked through to their fact sheet, and I see that there is pushback against the 100-mile rule happening in the courts.

Dudebros spend more effort on this situation and not enough in seeing that, for instance, the kids from Central America receive legal representation in their deportation hearings, or seeing that those who murder Mexicans in Mexico are brought to justice.

At least the ACLU is paying attention to those cases.

6 wrenchwench  Sep 15, 2014 10:17:01am

Your subheading could be a little overstated too.

Understanding the great depth of mistrust and why no one should trust Border Agents to be reasonable at any time

This guy looks pretty reasonable:

7 Decatur Deb  Sep 15, 2014 10:23:48am

The Constitution in the 100-Mile Border Zone
Would you not expect our legal civil protections to go to the border and not come up 100 miles short?

If you’re going to have a “War On Drugs/Terrorists/Illegals”, you might expect to find a war zone someplace. That’s the risk in addressing crime with fear-mongering hyperbole.

8 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 9:28:08am

re: #6 wrenchwench

Your subheading could be a little overstated too.

This guy looks pretty reasonable:

[Embedded image]

Maybe a little, but in terms of how one conducts themselves, that is to say be prepared for a very unnerving experience. I trust my local cop to be okay unless something is up. Those border guys? Not at all.

9 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 9:33:36am

re: #8 Rightwingconspirator

Maybe a little, but in terms of how one conducts themselves, that is to say be prepared for a very unnerving experience. I trust my local cop to be okay unless something is up. Those border guys? Not at all.

How often do you encounter Border Patrol Agents?

10 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 9:55:19am

re: #9 wrenchwench

Couple times a year, averaged over 25. Mostly easy going. Searched without cause (or consequence but still not good) several times and not once had any trouble at the border or airport. But those highway checkpoints are a hot mess.

11 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 9:58:36am

re: #10 Rightwingconspirator

Couple times a year, averaged over 25.

And have you had any of them be unreasonable towards you?

12 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 9:58:59am

re: #7 Decatur Deb

Well AFAIK the war on drugs can be constrained same as any other law enforcement activity. But hey silly me. ;-)

13 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 10:01:00am

re: #11 wrenchwench

Yes, again without consequence but I guess my big mistake was keeping my sunglasses on until asked to remove them. Which I did of course, I cooperate. K9 search and all.

14 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 10:04:52am

re: #13 Rightwingconspirator

Yes, again without consequence but I guess my big mistake was keeping my sunglasses on until asked to remove them. Which I did of course, I cooperate. K9 search and all.

And your experiences with local cops have had nothing comparable?

15 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 10:13:19am

re: #14 wrenchwench

Not in routine contact, no. The difference in approach is closer to a suspected criminal. Even when LAPD got a false armed robbery signal from our refinery back in the day. I had several guns aimed at me but all went reasonably well.

In ways like that I’m lucky, and the odds are less against me being white.

16 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 10:20:01am

re: #15 Rightwingconspirator

Not in routine contact, no. The difference in approach is closer to a suspected criminal. Even when LAPD got a false armed robbery signal from our refinery back in the day. I had several guns aimed at me but all went reasonably well.

In ways like that I’m lucky, and the odds are less against me being white.

Well, I can’t argue with experience. Mine differs, but it’s all anecdotal. I know there are some good agents who save immigrants in the desert and treat people kindly. I also know there are too many checkpoints looking for way more than smuggled immigrants and hassling regular travelers.

What really bothers me though, is when people say we need more border security. It will make living in the border area even more unpleasant. And the WORST part is that they use the border as an excuse to never reform immigration laws. That’s doing real damage to this country, and it’s killing people.

17 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 10:22:00am

U.S. Pushes Back Against Warnings That ISIS Plans to Enter From Mexico

[…]

“There’s a longstanding history in this country of projecting whatever fears we have onto the border,” said Representative Beto O’Rourke, Democrat of Texas, who represents El Paso and other areas near the border. “In the absence of understanding the border, they insert their fears. Before it was Iran and Al Qaeda. Now it’s ISIS. They just reach the conclusion that invasion is imminent, and it never is.”

[…]

Fox News itself has covered the threats in different ways. After senior administration officials testified at a Senate hearing last week about ISIS, an article on foxnews.com about the testimony ran under the headline “D.H.S. Confirms ISIS Planning Infiltration of U.S. Southern Border.” An article on Fox News Latino about the same hearing had the headline: “ISIS Terrorists Not Sneaking Over U.S. Southern Border With Mexico, D.H.S. Officials Tell Congress.”

18 Rightwingconspirator  Sep 16, 2014 10:37:07am

re: #16 wrenchwench

Usually when the police act like that it’s bad management for a cowboy or overly paranoid attitude, or there is s real sense of threat or peril. Maybe we have discovered a nuance, that the guys on the border have a better situation than the guys inland at the checkpoints.

added
Maybe what we need is for the Border agent to feel more secure, and just adding more of them ain’t it. The other thing we need is bigger numbers allowed in but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

19 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 10:44:49am

re: #18 Rightwingconspirator

Usually when the police act like that it’s bad management for a cowboy or overly paranoid attitude, or there is s real sense of threat or peril. Maybe we have discovered a nuance, that the guys on the border have a better situation than the guys inland at the checkpoints.

added
Maybe what we need is for the Border agent to feel more secure, and just adding more of them ain’t it. The other thing we need is bigger numbers allowed in but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Part of what’s killing people is when those who have been here for decades need to go back to Mexico to see a dying parent or whatever, then they have to make a dangerous crossing to return to their wives and children. Allowing those people legal status and the freedom to come and go will save lives.

20 wrenchwench  Sep 16, 2014 4:28:05pm

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