ACLU sues Border Patrol over traffic stops

Associated Press ^ | 4/26/12 | MANUEL VALDES

[SmithL]

SEATTLE (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday against the U.S. Border Patrol seeking to bar agents from making traffic stops, saying people are being pulled over and questioned for the way they look and without reasonable suspicion.

The lawsuit stems from tensions between immigrants and the expanded presence of Border Patrol agents on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula, which shares no land border with Canada.

"People are being stopped based solely on their appearance and ethnicity. This is unlawful and contrary to American values," said Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, which also joined the lawsuit. "No one in a car should be stopped and interrogated by government agents unless the law enforcement officer has a legal basis to do so."

The ACLU and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project filed the lawsuit on behalf of three peninsula residents who have been stopped by Border Patrol agents.

Border Patrol spokesman Richard Sinks said U.S. Customs and Border Protection "strictly prohibits" profiling on the basis of race or religion.

[gunnut]

Damn, every once in a while, I agree with the ACLU. The border patrol should have no juristiction once you are away from the border. They have been doing this on the southern border and also setting up “checkpoints” that I believe are illegal.

Even if they do catch an illegal, all they are going to do is release them anyway.

[microgood]

Damn, every once in a while, I agree with the ACLU. The border patrol should have no juristiction once you are away from the border. They have been doing this on the southern border and also setting up “checkpoints” that I believe are illegal.

I agree. Interior border checkpoints are a direct violation of the Constitution. They passed a bill in the 70s to allow it - not sure if it made it to the Supreme Court yet.

This is an especially bad case. I live near the Olympic Peninsula and the Federal Idiots have built a new station here and staffed it with some 20 people, a complete waste of time and money. I can guarantee there are no Mexicans swimming across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Canada to illegally emigrate to the US, which means these jackwagons are just going to harass tourists driving around the Olympic Peninsula.

I often take visitors around the Peninsula and I guarantee they will regret pulling me over, because I will call them out for the traitorous scum that they are, refuse to answer any questions, and point out what a worthless bunch of freeloaders they are.

[ThunderSleeps]

You're right - I too am in the somewhat uncomfortable and extremely rare position of being in agreement with the ACLU - at least in part. That is, I don't think border patrol should be setting up roadblocks and arbitrarily demanding papers from us. Border patrol should be, well, on the border. Stop the illegals there.

However, I have absolutely no problem with them profiling and paying extra attention to hispanic looking people. Why? It's called using your resources effectively. How many blonde haired blue eyed illegals are there? Probably not many. How many hispanic illegals? Current estimate is what, 12 million or so? Ok, don't waste your time on blondes and red-heads. It is simple efficiency people. That's what we want from our government servants right? So why hamstring them with some PC BS?

[Paladin2]

WA has plenty of fairies.

[bunkerhill7]

The native Canadian two-legged Canuk, known for its distinctive mating call, ``~~Ehh?``, which can be heard for miles, has been known to swim long distances carrying boxes of smuggled Long Rifle ammunition with its mouth back to the Great White North.

[Graewoulf]

WRONG! It is a mere 20 miles across the Strait of Juan De Fuca to Port Angeles (PA to the locals).

PA has a Ferry run to Vancouver, B.C., or small motor boats routinely cross both ways in between stormy weather.

BTW, since every victory for the ACLU ALWAYS results in another destruction of an Americian Civil Liberty, I propose that it should be called the ACLDU.

[muawiyah]

Planes and boats were invented long ago. These days you are never really far from an international port of entry somewhere.

The ACLU is acting on behalf of a major new donor who wants more cheap labor.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

So, I imagine the ACLU will soon be filing a lawsuit against the Nazi-like, Jackbooted thugs in the TSA who have initiated "roving stops" in parts of the country?

At least the BP are trained and duly authorized law enforcement personnel, not that I aprove of these tactics if accurate, unlike the wannabe, rent-a-cops who have 0 jurisdiction and I still do not know from when they get their "authority" to conduct these ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL practices and why is no one challenging them?