Suspicionless Checkpoints- Away From Border Crossings and Ports of Entry

In the news:

San Diego teacher detained after refusing to answer Border Patrol questions at checkpoint

“Are we crossing a border?” Parmely responded.

“No. Are you United States citizens?” he repeated.

Huge number of comments here.

People seem astonished that some would decline to answer questions at checkpoints set up away from border crossings and ports of entry.

Many examples can be found here and here.

In 2008, the US Border Patrol came to Jefferson County, WA and set up suspicionless checkpoints and bus boardings- away from border crossings and ports of entry.

At a local Border Patrol forum a lady asked:

“What is the penalty for not identifying oneself to federal agents at an internal, suspicionless checkpoint?”

US Border Patrol said they would call in the Sheriff when a person refused to identify themselves.

Sheriff says they will not respond to a non-emergency situation involving a person peaceably refusing to interact with federal agents.

Question about providing ID is at 0:35

State and local law enforcement agencies do not conduct suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State.

Check your state here.

Jefferson County Sheriff says No to federal grant money Re: local Border Patrol Checkpoints:

Border Patrol criticism emerges: Sheriff Brasfield declines BP funding

In 2008, Washington was one of several legal medical marijuana states.

Olympic Peninsula immigration checkpoint-

At a checkpoint- the US Border Patrol stopped a legal medical marijuana user with a legal amount of medical marijuana. He was a passenger in a car:

Small-scale pot busts snared in Border Patrol stops

2017 update:

US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA-

A new, $11.9 million, 50 agent facility, secret arrest statistics, denied FOIA requests, heroin in the community & a Border Patrol whistleblower investigation Re: fraudulent overtime that resulted in further suppression of information- keep the focus on asking questions in these areas.

No cross-border USBP arrest has happened here in more than 7 years.

News links and documentation here.

Newspeople, reporters and journalists are free to ask basic public policy questions and post updated reports at any time.

Video collection- DHS checkpoints