Border Patrol in Arizona and the question of federal agents

[Streck-Fu]

refusing to follow unlawful orders.

It appears that in many aspects, the Border patrol is more than happy to harass US citizens.

LINK

Tired of running the gauntlet, locals set up a monitoring operation at the checkpoint, where they simultaneously protested and recorded the agents' activities.

Border Patrol didn't like that. The agents got nasty.

How nasty? In a letter dated April 16 and sent to Manuel Padilla, Jr., Chief Border Patrol Agent for the Tucson sector, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona describes agents at the Arivaca checkpoint threatening protesters with arrest, forcing them behind an arbitrary line at the edge of a "Border Patrol Enforcement Zone," refusing to identify themselves, cursing at the locals, and blocking their view of agents' activities.

LINK

As part of a fight to remove longstanding Border Patrol checkpoints on the roads leading into their town, 60 miles southwest of Tucson, some residents of Arivaca said they will monitor one checkpoint today to see how many arrests and drug seizures the Border Patrol actually makes.

This appears to be the first independent effort to monitor any of the roughly 170 Border Patrol checkpoints on U.S. roads and highways.

Arivaca residents are regularly subjected to delays, searches, harassment and racial profiling at the checkpoints, said Leesa Jacobson, one of the organizers.

A Border Patrol spokesman said the agency won’t release data for individual checkpoints. Last month, Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief Manuel Padilla rejected a petition from local residents and businesses calling for removal of the checkpoints.

LINK

On May 21, 2013, Clarisa Christiansen was driving home with her seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son after picking her daughter up from elementary school. Ms. Christiansen and her children a re U.S. citizens and resident s of Three Points, Arizona, located west of Tucson and approximately 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. On their way home, at approximately 2:15 pm, the family was pulled over by a Border Patrol vehicle. The stop occurred on a stretch of dirt road about two miles from their home, which is approximately fifteen miles from the elementary school.

Ms. Christiansen stopped her vehicle and was approached by a Border Patrol agent. The agent asked her if she was a U.S. citizen; she answered affirmatively. The agent then demanded that Ms. Christ iansen exit her vehicle so it could be searched. Ms. Christiansen stated that she did not consent to a search and asked the agent why she had been stopped. The agent responded that he would not provide an explanation until Ms. Christiansen exited her vehicle. Ms. Christiansen stated that she would not exit her vehicle until she was provided with an explanation for the stop. The agent refused and was clearly agitated that Ms. Christiansen had requested an explanation. At that point, two additional Border Patrol agents approached Ms. Christiansen’s vehicle.

Ms. Christiansen then stated that if there was no reason for stopping her that she would be on her way, and wished the agent a good day. The agent told her, “You’re not going anywhere.” That agent then said to the other agents, “This one is being difficult, get the Taser.” The agent opened the driver’s side door and demanded that she exit. Ms. Christiansen, now fearing for her safety and that of her children, refused. Ms. Christiansen’s children became upset; her daughter asked, “Mommy what’s going on?” Ms. Christiansen told the children to stay calm and sit still, but she could see they were confused and afraid.

The agent then approached Ms. Christiansen with a retractable knife and threatened to cut her out of her seatbelt if she didn’t exit the vehicle. Ms. Christiansen repeated her demand for an explanation, which the agents still refused to give her. Instead, the agent forcibly reached inside Ms. Christiansen’s vehicle without her consent and removed the keys from the ignition.

Ms. Christiansen had no choice but to exit the vehicle. She presented her identification. The agents ran a background check, gave her back her driver’s license, returned to their vehicle without saying anything, and drove away. The entire stop lasted approximately 35 minutes. At that point, Ms. Christiansen noticed that her rear tire had been punctured and was flat. There was a large incision along the side of the tire, consistent with a knife puncture and not a routine or accidental flat. It was a very hot day and there was no one for miles around. Fortunately, Ms. Christiansen was able to contact her brother to bring her a car jack to change the flat tire.

And it is not unique to Arizona as the Border Patrol settled a suit in Washington State....LINK

As a result of the settlement, the U.S. Border Patrol has acknowledged that its agents on the Olympic Peninsula must base vehicle stops away from the border on reasonable suspicion that an individual may be involved in violating the law.

[PSM]

It's against the law to have permanent checkpoints in AZ, but they sure seem permanent. Check out the map below. The only highway without a checkpoint is 80 northeast out of Douglas. It joins I-10 west of Lordsburg (the map does not show that) and gives access to open roads west to LA and east to El Paso. It's possible to drive Highway 80 from Douglas to I-10 and never pass another vehicle. We've done that once, and, another time, the only vehicles we passed were 2 Border Patrol horse patrol units unloading on the side of the road, a couple of big rigs, and a NM Sheriff unit south of Rodeo, NM.

Pat

[MR2]

Anyone remember the movie Easy Rider?

[PSM]

Originally Posted by MR2

Anyone remember the movie Easy Rider?

Yep. I don't see the connection, though.

Pat

[BryanK]

Originally Posted by PSM

Yep. I don't see the connection, though.

Pat

Possibly a link to the dangers of empty highways?

Easy Rider conclusion clip

Or possibly just the freedom of the open road
Open road-Easy Rider

[Dean Jarvis]

The government is really getting out of control and has become us against them, U.S. Citizens against any U.S. Government agency. You can see it with the treatment this Lady received by the border patrol and you saw how the government went out of their way, during the last shut down, to impose heavy handed treatment of average citizens i.e. when the Forest Ranger in Yellowstone prevented a tourist from taking a picture of Old Faithful, what's with that?
I'm sure you all have numerous examples of petty enforcements placed on the American people during the shut down.

And why is it that we now have an EPA, Department of Education, U.S. Forest Service and FDA SWAT TEAMS?

http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...swat-john-fund

[MR2]

Originally Posted by PSM

Yep. I don't see the connection, though.

Pat

Is it not obvious I referenced the WRONG movie?

What I meant is Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

[PSM]

Originally Posted by MR2

Is it not obvious I referenced the WRONG movie?

What I meant is Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

That's understandable; they both have motorsicles in them.

Pat

[mark46th]

They Border Patrol should be out on patrol looking for the rogue Mexican army soldiers crossing the border...

[JJ_BPK]

They set up a road block in the Keys, April 23rd, 1982.

The USBP Blockade was setup on highway U.S.1 at Florida City.

We promptly seceded.

http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm

Arizona should think about doing the same. As should all states that find the insolence of these usurpers of the Constitution intolerable.

[The Reaper]

Population Control Measures.

Your papers, PLEASE!

TR

[ddoering]

You don't have to show I.D. to vote so why would you show it at a checkpoint?

[PSM]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

They set up a road block in the Keys, April 23rd, 1982.

The USBP Blockade was setup on highway U.S.1 at Florida City.

We promptly seceded.

http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm

Arizona should think about doing the same. As should all states that find the insolence of these usurpers of the Constitution intolerable.

To paraphrase Ronaldus Magnus, "I didn't leave America, America left me."

Pat

[Pericles]

Originally Posted by ddoering

You don't have to show I.D. to vote so why would you show it at a checkpoint?

or to exercise a right articulated in the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by Pericles

or to exercise a right articulated in the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.

That's not a problem in AZ.

Pat