ACLU To Illegal Aliens: Ignore Border Patrol
Posted on February 26, 2009
Yes they should rename their organization to alien civil liberties union.
An immigration showdown is brewing on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where simmering tensions and borderline hostility have fueled a turf war between the local community and the Border Patrol agents assigned to protect it.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union has jumped into the ring and upped the ante, rolling out a campaign that will install signs inside buses informing riders of their rights — to ignore Border Patrol agents.
The signs, entitled, “YOUR RIGHTS with border patrol agents on this bus,” makes three points:
• If you’re a U.S. citizen, you don’t have to prove it.
• If you’re not a U.S. citizen and are 18 or older, you must show your immigration papers to federal agents.
• Everyone has the right to remain silent.The campaign, which could start as early as next week, is the latest in a series of expanding grassroots efforts aimed at curbing the expansion of Border Patrol forces and the powers of its agents.
Click here to see ACLU flyer.
Last summer the Border Patrol beefed up its presence in the region, and in October it began conducting random roadside stops at checkpoints located at and within the international border to combat, what it says, is a real threat to national security.
This move has put them at odds with human rights groups and even local law enforcement — some who have rejected federal immigration money to protest the Border Patrol’s tactics.
The ACLU has joined forces with left-leaning groups around the state — lavender farmers, retirees, activists, grandparents, Socialists, Green Party members, politicians, Unitarians, Christians, vineyard owners, hippies and other assorted protesters — who say these measures have infringed on people’s civil liberties.
The ACLU says it is just informing frightened residents, U.S. citizens and immigrants — both legal and illegal — of their rights.
They say Border Patrol agents spend their time rounding up illegal immigrants well inland of the border and wasting their resources and manpower by conducting immigration status checks on local buses and at random checkpoints on roads well inside the border.
“They set up random checkpoints, no suspicion of criminal activity or no suspicion they’d even near the border, continued to follow and stop random people and demand citizenship information from them,” said Jennifer Shaw, Deputy Director of the ACLU Washington. “They go up to folks and say, ‘Are you a citizen?”
But critics of the ACLU campaign say it is designed to give illegal immigrants — and possibly terrorists — a playbook for evading federal law enforcement agents working to secure one of the most dangerous and porous borders in the country at a time when the threat to national security is particularly high.
“These are the places that terrorists or criminals would use to egress away from the border. There are only a few ways to get in,” said Michael Bermudez, U.S. Border Patrol spokesman in Blaine, Wash., of the recent bus-sign campaign.
Bermudez said there’s good reason for Border Patrol agents to be pursuing illegal immigrants.
“We’re concerned with securing the areas between ports of entry, concerned with preventing terrorists and their mass weapons of terrorism,” he said.
ACLU’s pamphlets and signs will be posted inside buses that will pick up and drop off passengers at the Port Angeles ferry terminal — right across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria, B.C.
I’m sure the signs will be in Spanish as well. It isn’t surprising the ACLU are helping criminals evade detection, which is exactly what this ploy is intended to do.
» Filed Under ACLU, Border Control/Homeland Security, Fed Immigration Law, Illegal Aliens/Immigration, National Security, News, Obstruction of Justice, terrorism
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11 Responses to “ACLU To Illegal Aliens: Ignore Border Patrol”
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It is estimated that between 3 and 4 million illegal immigrants enter the U S every year and that thousands of tons of cocaine are smuggled as well, on an annual basis. Don’t you think that it is quite probable that out of the 3 to 4 million illegals there are bound to be hundreds of terrorists and that out of those thousands of tons of cocaine, just a fraction of the total contraband smuggled into this country, there is bound to be a few arms and explosives…?
What is your point….? A few people getting harassed by some ambitious border patrol agents isn’t going to change anything. If you’re using the terrorist card to justify the right’s illegal alien agenda, try again.
Best regards,
Econolicious
Memo for the ACLU:
If you, and the U.S. government, are unable or unwilling to enforce immigration laws then, inevitably, angry citizens with guns will start enforcing them on their own.
And you wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?
US Troops should refuse to go overseas to fight to protect other countries until our purposely ineffective gov’t protects our own borders and stops the flow of illegals, drugs and possibly terrorists.
What we need to do is start keeping track of these kind of stunts. Then when the inevitable happens we can show how the ACLU is directly responsible for the death of American citizens. Then we publish the names and home addresses of the members of the ACLU who were directly involved in this, matter of fact we need to publish all the members names and addresses.
We also need to be ready to go after these people when we take back the Government.
Memo to MarkJ,…
…citizens with guns who take the law into their own hands…and thus break our laws by doing so…will be charged, tried, convicted, and sent to prison.
The Border Patrol’s problem is not the ACLU…their problem is that the Constitution gives us (Americans and every other person inside our boarders) certain inalianable rights…such as the right of a U.S. Citizen to not have to prove they are a citizen, the right of anyone to refuse to answer questions, and the right to object to warrantless searches where no probable cause exists for said search.
Perhaps MarkJ and the border patrol should consider trying to change the Constitution…if they think they can…but until such time, you must OBEY OUR LAWS or face the consequence for failing to do so.
I’ve long thought that the aclu was one of the most dangerous organizations in America and this is just another example. Encouraging criminals to break yet more laws and ignoring law enforcement. They’re disgusting.
As a former Border Patrol Agent I would like to clarify some points on this ACLU “Rights with Border Patrol Agents”. #1. “If you are a U.S. Citizen you do not have to prove it.” That is correct…as far as it goes. If I were to ask you of what country are you a citizen and you replied the “United States” I would not ask you for proof, i.e. birth certificate, naturalization certificate etc. A U.S. Citizen can be “examined” but not “inspected” (Title 8 of the U.S. Code) #2. Self explanatory. #3. “You have the right to remain silent.” If you have been arrested for a crime Miranda vs. U.S. is in effect. However, in determining citizenship status, if you refuse to answer then I have probable cause to question you further. If you still refuse to answer then your bus trip will be terminated at that point until a determination as to status can be made. As to “random checkpoints”…the legality of these have been tested several times and have been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Parish, thank you for your insiteful comment above. Its always interesting and helpful to get the opinion of a former Border Patrol Agent.
However, you made 2 grievous errors in your statement that should be corrected. You State,
“‘You have the right to remain silent.’ If you have been arrested for a crime Miranda vs. U.S. is in effect. However, in determining citizenship status, if you refuse to answer then I have probable cause to question you further. If you still refuse to answer then your bus trip will be terminated at that point until a determination as to status can be made.”
It should be noted that the Constitutional right to remain silent does not just begin at the point of an arrest nor does it begin only at the point of the reading of the “Miranda Rights.” In fact, the right to remain silent begins before the initial stop by a Border Patrol Agent. In addition, the individual stopped by the border agent is only required to give his name (identify himself) and refusal to provide futher information or answer questions, beyond that of giving his name, DOES NOT ESTABLISH REASONABLE CAUSE OR REASONABLE SUSPICION (Michigan v. Fillippo, 1979, and Hiibel v. Nevada, 2004) for the purposes of detaining the individual.
However, common sense dictates that there are times when it is in the best interest of the individual stopped by the Border Agent to simply provide identifying information that will satisfy the Border Agent requirements. After all, the Border Agent is just doing his job. A good case in point is my plan to visit the United States in 2010. I am an American citizen…born in Missouri to Parents who are also natural born American citizens. In addition, I am also a Naturalized Australian Citizen who now resides in Australia. In short…I have dual citizenship. I plan to drive from California to Missouri with my Australian wife in order to visit my elderly parents during that visit. I may indeed run into a Border Patrol Random stop during my trek across California. In that case, while my providing my New South Wales drives license may meet the bare requirements of Hiibel v. Nevada, good common sense tells me that also showing my American passport would expedite the stop and assist the Officer in the performance of his duties and get me back on my way to Missouri that much quicker.
While clearly it is important for the Border Patrol to respect my civil rights as an American, it is also fair to the officer to put oneself in his position and remember that he is merely attempting to do his job as directed by his employer, the People of the United States.
I personally would have no problem with telling a Border Patrol Agent I am an American citizen nor would my wife have any objection to providing her Australian passport for inspection by the Border Patrol agent at any time while in the USA. Sometimes, voluntary cooperation just makes good sense.
To news across…
I thank you for your reply. I read, with great interest, the two court cases you cited (Michigan v. DeFillippo and Hiibel v. Nevada) as those two cases had been decided subsequent to my career in the Patrol. I concur with your opinion, however, in my original post I was addressing the fact that by remaining silent (not speaking, not producing identification) would give me resonable suspicion and/or probable cause to detain to determine immigration status.
In order to clarify; I understand that by not speaking, etc. that that alone does not constitue resonable suspicion / probable cause but it would most likely be the last of several “articulable facts” I would use to justify my action(s).
I also would like to say that I appreciate you attitude in regards to the difficult job the Border Patrol is tasked to do. I wish you a safe and happy trip in 2010.
to those who think they have a right to be here. yes this country was built on immigration. yes blacks were brought here. yes the whole world would love to live the american dream. there are 6 billion people in the world. they all CANNOT come here. yet they condemm America when something is not right or THEY are not given somthing! but they ALL want to live here? hmmmmmmmmm? sounds like they want thier cake and eat it too? WE established rules. if you do not care to abide then leave. forget political correctness. if you LOVE your culture so much then go to THAT country which you so love!!! please
It is estimated that between 3 and 4 million illegal immigrants enter the U S every year and that thousands of tons of cocaine are smuggled as well, on an annual basis.