Customs & Border Protection Internal Roving Patrols

In May 2008, two Border Patrol supervisors were retaliated against by the Border Patrol for testifying to an illegal enforcement practice known as 'shotgunning traffic'. This is where Border Patrol agents on roving patrol inside the country conduct traffic stops absent reasonable suspicion. If something illegal is discovered, agents falsify reports to justify the stop after the fact. If nothing illegal is discovered, no reports are created making it impossible to know how pervasive this illegal practice is.

When the ex-wife of one of the agents ran afoul of this illegal traffic stopping practice in New Mexico in 2006, the agent complained to the Border Patrol and the Office of Internal Affairs. Instead of investigating the incident, the agents were told they were jeopardizing their careers. When the agents persisted by testifying in court, charges against the agent's wife were dropped but the Border Patrol accused the agents of releasing sensitive Border Patrol enforcement practices to the public and suspended their enforcement certifications. They were also assigned to border fence building duties.

The veteran agents fought back against the retaliation by enlisting the aid of the ACLU. The ACLU filed suit in federal district court in 2008. In exchange for dropping the suit, the Border Patrol fully reinstated the agents earlier this year.

For more details, see:

https://www.checkpointusa.org/blog/index.php/2009/05/23/p126

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Border
• Patrol
• immigration
• police
• state
• Homeland
• Security

[justcallmeskippy]

to be fair,go live in russia or china for a year and try to pull this crap.(i really mean no offense by the term crap)they will rape you.be glad they can't do what i'm sure they would like to do.

[CheckpointUSA]

To be fair, Russia or China sound like the perfect place for someone of your mentality justcallmeskippy. It's quite the moronic, not to mention unAmerican, comment to tell someone to leave the country for peacefully exercising the very rights these gov't agents are obligated to protect. Why do you have such contempt for individual rights & the principles this country was founded on anyway& why do you want to make us more like Russia & China?

[justcallmeskippy]

@CheckpointUSA when i said go live there for a year i meant try life there out and then complain about inconveniences you face here.

[CheckpointUSA]

This isn't Russia or China and I don't decide what's reasonable here based upon what's reasonable there justcallmeskippy.

Why do you?

[jdesa05]

If your not doing anything wrong, whats it matter? It doesn't bother me one bit. If it too much of a hassle for you move to the middle east where when you break the law they cut your hand off or hang you in public. I'd rather answer his questions and be on my way.

[CheckpointUSA]

Actually, it sounds like the middle east is your dream home jdesa05. A place where street justice is doled out on the spot, where gov't agents have free reign to do whatever they want to whomever they want & where authoritarians like you wont be bothered or inconvenienced by individuals exercising the very rights the government is obligated to protect & defend.

[TejasM14]

@justcallmeskippy you are an idiot.The fact is that arizona is not in russia or china. so exercising american laws in america is all but expected.

[grunder20]

I understood this video. very good.

[cockyhemi]

@CheckpointUSA I've been following what you are doing for the last few years and I think it's great. You are doing a great service for all of us lazy, complacent Americans out here that know this is right. I know if I had to deal with suspicionless interior checkpoints on a daily basis I'd have a camera at the ready position at all times. If they can do this crap to Americans then we might as well take an open flame to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.  Keep it up!

[2204Alpha]

@kylhul81 because they drive off road and get stuck