Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f9CLCJ001429; Fri, 12 Oct 2001 17:12:20 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 17:12:20 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <6d.1bc06032.28f8b5e3@aol.com> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:1746] Re: Fwd: green card possession requirement (fwd) X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Unknown (No Version) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Status: O Content-Length: 2780 Lines: 22 Who are the aliens in your house? Andres In a message dated Fri, 12 Oct 2001 4:55:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, KathleenBombach@aol.com writes: > I tell all the aliens in my house to carry their visas at all times, but my new daughter in law did not understand why. Before we left for a short camping trip this summer, I reminded her to put in in her wallet. > > El Paso is surrounded by immigration checkpoints in all directions for around 100 miles. We hit an immigration checkpoint about 90 miles out of El Paso--and Ji Soo didn't have her visa! I told her to lay back like she was sleeping with her head turned to the right because the Border Patrol agent comes up to the left side of the car. Asian faces are not common here, and she doesn't speak English clearly. When she entered the US, we were harassed by INS agents, who even challenged my and my son's American passports. > > I had taught a college course in constitutional law, and your civil rights diminish as you become closer to the border. For example, 'probable cause' is no longer the standard for arrest, or search and seizure. It becomes 'reasonable suspicion', a much lower standard. At the actual border itself, there is no real standard--they can legally search you (including a body cavity search), your vehicle, and all your possessions based on an agent's declaration that you 'looked nervous' or you 'acted oddly'. Any damage they do to your possessions is your problem. For example, they can legally slice open the unholstery in your car, take your car apart, cut your tires, etc. If they find no contraband like illegal drugs, you are still responsible for the cost of repairing your vehicle--you even are responsible for paying to have it towed away if they take it apart or disable it in their search! So I was pretty nervous. > > We made it through the checkpoint! I rolled down the window and said a cheery "American" out of habit, before the agent even asked. We both laughed and he waved me on. A summer vacation saved. > > Here we even have joint police officer-border patrol agent patrols. Since the police must meet a much higher constitutional standard in order to stop you, the border patrol agent will do the actual stop. Once you are stopped, the border patrol agent will ask for your identification and detain you while the police officer runs your ID through the computer. Police here will also ask you for proof of your legal residency/ citizenship even though they are not supposed to, just to prolong a street detention and to threaten you. How many US citizens routinely carry proof like a passport or birth certificate? > > Basically, you give up your constitutional rights when you live on the border, although most people do not realize it. > > Kathleen Bombach
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