Border Patrol encounter

[4EVER]

Just sharing my encounter with a Border Patrol. I am aware of the 100-mile border zone because the city we live in is within 100 miles from the northern border so I always carry my passport, I-94 print out, birth and marriage certificates, and the 4 USCIS NOAs with me. I learned about the border zone just 2 months ago, thanks to social media lol. Anyway... last Monday, my spouse and I dropped off a family friend at a bus station. When we got there, I saw a CBP patrol car parked outside. I didn't think much of it because I'm used to seeing them around. I saw 1 CBP agent inside doing his rounds and another 1 outside the station. My husband turned to me and asked, "Did you bring your papers?" I nodded. The agent outside approached me (I had an inkling he was going to) and said, "Hello mam. Nice day today, the sun is finally out." I could only say, "yeah". Then he asked, "Are you a US citizen?" My husband promptly said, "She doesn't have to answer that". The agent just smiled, then said to me, "may I see your identification papers, please?" I handed all the documents I had with me, he only looked at my passport, I-94 and NOAs, then gave them back to me. Phew! I'm really grateful to the inventor of the world wide web for making immigration information easily available now.

I would advise anyone who live within the 100-mile border zone to always carry your immigration papers with you, anytime, anywhere. Maybe not just in the border zone but even further in the mainland. We'll never know when we chance upon a CBP or ICE agent. Also, read up on immigrants' rights. When questioned, we have the right to remain silent or say we don't have to answer that. But if they ask for ID papers, then be ready to provide them.

Just sharing for a little enlightenment.

[kaylip]

Thanks

[Tezza]

Thanks

Very interesting, thanks for sharing your experience. I know they're starting to get a lot of attention for patrolling inland, but not many of us knew about this 100-mile from any land border radius they can legally work in, so it's caught a lot of people off guard for sure.

[pmf123]

Wait so you refused to answer the question, but then handed him the papers which answered his questions?

[longee94]

I am curious, which state was your encounter? I know that they are putting more resources into enforcing the Southern border with Mexico then the Northern border.

[kaylip]

Why did he just target you? It could be racial profiling. If you don't mind me asking, do you look Hispanic or Asian?

[azblk]

Why did he just target you? It could be racial profiling. If you don't mind me asking, do you look Hispanic or Asian?

It is racial profiling pure and simple. I lived in Arizona for a long time and several places there are with-in 100 miles of an air/land border so CBP was/is very active in parts. The randomly patrol bus stops, shopping centers in heavily Hispanic areas and the like. They also set up at random agricultural inspection stations between Arizona/Texas/California. In the south west they are a part of the desert landscape. On the driver from Phoenix to Tucson, you will see more CBP than state troopers.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Just sharing my encounter with a Border Patrol. I am aware of the 100-mile border zone because the city we live in is within 100 miles from the northern border so I always carry my passport, I-94 print out, birth and marriage certificates, and the 4 USCIS NOAs with me. I learned about the border zone just 2 months ago, thanks to social media lol. Anyway... last Monday, my spouse and I dropped off a family friend at a bus station. When we got there, I saw a CBP patrol car parked outside. I didn't think much of it because I'm used to seeing them around. I saw 1 CBP agent inside doing his rounds and another 1 outside the station. My husband turned to me and asked, "Did you bring your papers?" I nodded. The agent outside approached me (I had an inkling he was going to) and said, "Hello mam. Nice day today, the sun is finally out." I could only say, "yeah". Then he asked, "Are you a US citizen?" My husband promptly said, "She doesn't have to answer that". The agent just smiled, then said to me, "may I see your identification papers, please?" I handed all the documents I had with me, he only looked at my passport, I-94 and NOAs, then gave them back to me. Phew! I'm really grateful to the inventor of the world wide web for making immigration information easily available now.

I would advise anyone who live within the 100-mile border zone to always carry your immigration papers with you, anytime, anywhere. Maybe not just in the border zone but even further in the mainland. We'll never know when we chance upon a CBP or ICE agent. Also, read up on immigrants' rights. When questioned, we have the right to remain silent or say we don't have to answer that. But if they ask for ID papers, then be ready to provide them.

Just sharing for a little enlightenment.

I think both of you handled the situation beautifully. Thank you for sharing. My husband and I had a good conversation after reading your post. Did you know that 100 mile rule affects 2/3 of the continental US? I didnt. Just learned that today.

All the best,

USCFFS

[cali2018]

Same in California they everywhere. Just like a traffic cop hiding to catch someone barely speeding. Guess that is their gig.

This inspires me to keep a whole copy of AOS file on google drive, once stopped ?are you US citizen?, no, are you a GC holder?, no...but I got the file here can we do the interview now officer??

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Same in California they everywhere. Just like a traffic cop hiding to catch someone barely speeding. Guess that is their gig.

This inspires me to keep a whole copy of AOS file on google drive, once stopped ?are you US citizen?, no, are you a GC holder?, no...but I got the file here can we do the interview now officer??

LOL, NOT a bad idea, actually. Maybe I should take my husband to the boundary waters for his birthday after all.

[4EVER]

Wait so you refused to answer the question, but then handed him the papers which answered his questions?

I've been reading a lot of ACLU articles about immigrants' rights at the border zone, like this one https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants...ts-border-zone, so I'd know what to expect and do. Refusing to answer can go either way, agent will press for more information, or let it go and ask for ID instead, which was what happened to me. I think, the I-94 and NOAs satisfied his curiosity; it showed I entered legally and I'm on authorized stay as my I-94 expired on Dec 3, 2017.

I am curious, which state was your encounter? I know that they are putting more resources into enforcing the Southern border with Mexico then the Northern border.

My husband and I live in Havre, Montana. It's 35 miles away from the Canadian border so it's within the CBP's 100-mile border jurisdiction.

Why did he just target you? It could be racial profiling. If you don't mind me asking, do you look Hispanic or Asian?

I am Asian. I knew it was just a matter of time that I'll be approached so I prepared for it. We made copies of my immigration papers which we placed in our vehicles, and my husband and in-laws each has a set, too. Just in case lol.

Did you know that 100 mile rule affects 2/3 of the continental US?

I only learned about it couple of months ago, from news about CBP agents boarding buses inland. So I googled. When I arrived in Havre last year and saw CBP patrol cars, I dismissed it as agents on their lunch break from their US-Canadian border shift lol. I didn't know they were actually patrolling 35 miles away from the border.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

I've been reading a lot of ACLU articles about immigrants' rights at the border zone, like this one https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants...ts-border-zone, so I'd know what to expect and do. Refusing to answer can go either way, agent will press for more information, or let it go and ask for ID instead, which was what happened to me. I think, the I-94 and NOAs satisfied his curiosity; it showed I entered legally and I'm on authorized stay as my I-94 expired on Dec 3, 2017.



My husband and I live in Havre, Montana. It's 35 miles away from the Canadian border so it's within the CBP's 100-mile border jurisdiction.



I am Asian. I knew it was just a matter of time that I'll be approached so I prepared for it. We made copies of my immigration papers which we placed in our vehicles, and my husband and in-laws each has a set, too. Just in case lol.



I only learned about it couple of months ago, from news about CBP agents boarding buses inland. So I googled. When I arrived in Havre last year and saw CBP patrol cars, I dismissed it as agents on their lunch break from their US-Canadian border shift lol. I didn't know they were actually patrolling 35 miles away from the border.

You know, everytime we're watching a movie and someone is about to get killed or kidnapped out of a group of people, my husband goes "watch the asian dude get shot first". WITHOUT FAIL it happens every time.
I ran into a video on Instagram last night around this issue. A CBP agent approached passengers that were about to board a bus, and asked about their citizenship status. One of the guys said "Do you need to be a US citizen to board a bus"? The CBP agent said "yes". The nerve. They overstep boundaries all the time.
We are going to keep a folder of documents in the car. MORE sensitive info in the glovebox - great.

[Tezza]

You know, everytime we're watching a movie and someone is about to get killed or kidnapped out of a group of people, my husband goes "watch the asian dude get shot first". WITHOUT FAIL it happens every time.
I ran into a video on Instagram last night around this issue. A CBP agent approached passengers that were about to board a bus, and asked about their citizenship status. One of the guys said "Do you need to be a US citizen to board a bus"? The CBP agent said "yes". The nerve. They overstep boundaries all the time.
We are going to keep a folder of documents in the car. MORE sensitive info in the glovebox - great.

I saw this video on the news when it first came out. I commented on the article as well, because the whole thing is misleading if not totally irresponsible.

What I said on my comment was that, besides it being totally wrong that you had to be a US citizen to ride that bus, I said that not being a citizen doesn't make you illegal either. I noted that there are students, tourists, businesspeople all here on valid visas as well as people going through the visa processes that we are plus current permanent legal residents, all of whom are not citizens yet are not illegal and have the same right as a citizen would to ride that bus.

There is a lot of confusion on this subject and it's making it harder and harder for some people to live in a way that they feel safe and without feeling profiled for their accent or the color of their skin.

Some were commenting saying if you're a US citizen you shouldn't be worried because you just have to prove that you are a citizen to the CBP officers and you will be on your way, and if you can't you will be arrested until you can prove it.

My response to that was along the lines of a scene reminiscent from the nazi regime, "papers, please." The thing is, not everyone can prove they are a US citizen on the spot like that. People who are legally here yet not citizens, such as many of us on this forum, other people with visas, legal permanent residents etc, can get driver's license, SSN and other documents that a US citizen can, so these documents do not prove citizenship. So unless every citizen is going to carry their birth certificate and/or passport with them everywhere, everyday then I guess CBP is going to have to do what those people commenting said, "be arrested and held until you can prove you're a citizen." I.e. a family member brings in your documents for CBP to check. I suspect they wouldn't be so happy about these checks and arrests in that case.

[cali2018]

Hey,

Montana uses ?real ID? now. So only should need to carry that around not all your documents.