Top DHS checkpoint refusals - Very good guidance

[pinkhamr]

This is about 15 minutes long but reflects a 'currently allowed' way to deny inappropriate access to you or your information. Stay polite but stand your ground! 'They' work for US!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Ku17CqdZg

 

[Go_Ordnance]

I went through one of the big check points a couple of years ago, going from Ft Bliss to Sill. Pretty simple "yep, I'm a citizen" and "I'm headed to Ft Sill"... and I was on my way.

I feel for these guys. They're trying to work the illegal immigration and drug smuggling problems we all ***** about. They're told to put up these checkpoints and they end up in a position where they look like ass-hats. I wonder how many illegals / drug runners they catch.

Still (and it bothered me then), there's the Constitutional principle of the 4th Amendment - which these checkpoints seem to be violating. These guys (and the citizens) would probably be better off focusing their manpower on the border itself.

--edit--

Ok, the last one (where he asks the agent first if he is a citizen) made me laugh.

 

[thegomezclan]

How far north of the border was that check point Go _Ordnance?

 

[Go_Ordnance]

How far north of the border was that check point Go _Ordnance?

Not sure. It was that permanent checkpoint on I-10 heading east from El Paso.

 

[Belthos]

I've been through these more times than I can count as an over the road truck driver.

Hello Sir are you a US citizen?
Yes

Is anyone else in the truck other than you?
No

Thank you sir, have a nice day

I don't mind telling people I'm a US citizen if they ask, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Does it violate my rights for them to ask me a question? No. Do I have to answer? No

They will also ask me about my cargo, do I have to answer? Yes, the law requires that I have a bill of lading and to furnish it to law enforcement on demand.
I worked for a major food carrier, tyson foods. Most of the time the guy that that asks about cargo just waves me through and says I know you have chicken, you can go.
If I'm in california they just want to know if the food is frozen, if it is then they don't care about anything else, for them it's all about making sure no living insects are in my cargo.

These check points are scattered around the southern us / mexico border states usually within 150 miles of the border.
They are in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

 

[ez bake]

The ends never justify the means, when we're trampling on the very thing they're trying to accomplish - then we don't get the ends we started out trying for in the first place.

 

[Hig]

There are at least 4 that I know of within I believe 100 miles of El Paso. I have ran into so many border patrol agents doin patrol and "floating checkpoints" while running around in the desert hunting yotes that I can't keep count- this was often 50 miles inland from the nearest part of the border. Some of them saw us with rifles and camo and gave us the nod/thumbs up, others would stop us and "try" to interrogate us- sometimes they came across a little crass as we would introduce ourselves by rank to get the point across.

The road blocks are a real PITA, especially on the weekends heading north. I think they are completely uneccessary as all one has to do is just say Yes....not that hard. They might catch the onesies and twosies coming through but a state trooper worth his weight in sand would be able to do the same job with quality enforcement. Another thing that bothers me about those check points is the billion dollar camera setup. There's about 20 camera's designed to take every possible picture of you and your vehicle as it drives up...these are teamed up with facial recognition software. Violated yet?

The block I go through most times is in NM and I am usually armed, openly, with my rifle in the rack. I generally don't get asked much at all...usually a "have a good day, sir" is all I get, but still, I've wasted my time and gas, and subjected myself to an unwanted stop....that I have to pay for. Move those snot nosed kids further south and let them patrol the fence./rant




Can't wait to move back to OK...on a lighter note maybe we should put one @ the Red on 35 and ask everyone if they are from Austin...if so, turn em around.

 

[KOPBET]

Hello Sir are you a US citizen?

ja mein Kamerad!

 

[SMS]

I have zero problems with off-the-border checkpoints. I understand defense in depth.

What I do have a problem with is the agents using a refusal to answer questions as reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed. That is so incredibly warped...

So the federal government sues Arizona when it wants it's LEOs to determine immigration status incident to a crime or with reasonable suspicion, but the federal government can attempt to ascertain status with zero RA? I'm so amazed by the insanity.

 

[Glocktogo]

When they ask "Are you an American Citizen", all you have to do is say "Si Señor" and you're on your way, right?