U.S. Border Patrol quietly halts routine bus and train checks along Canadian border

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

The U.S. Border Patrol has quietly stopped its controversial practice of routinely searching buses, trains and airports for illegal immigrants at transportation hubs along the Canadian border and in the nation's interior, preventing agents from using what had long been an effective tool for tracking down people here illegally, The Associated Press has learned.

Current and former Border Patrol agents said field offices around the country began receiving the order last month — soon after the Obama administration announced that to ease an overburdened immigration system, it would allow many illegal immigrants to remain in the country while it focuses on deporting those who have committed crimes.

The routine bus, train and airport checks typically involved agents milling about and questioning people who appeared suspicious, and had long been criticized by immigrant rights groups. Critics said the tactic amounted to racial profiling and violated travellers' civil liberties.

But agents said it was an effective way to catch unlawful immigrants, including smugglers and possible terrorists, who had evaded detection at the border, as well as people who had overstayed their visas. Often, those who evade initial detection head quickly for the nearest public transportation in hopes of reaching other parts of the country.

Read more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-border-patrol-quietly-halts-routine-bus-and-train-checks-along-canadian-border/article2218354/

[alp227]

1. aren't vehicle searches/ID checks routine at the border (both CAN/MEX)? nt

[Historic NY]

2. Nope, a few year back about 10 miles from the border..between NY & Canada

I encountered a BP with a straw hat and all...I thought the world turned upside down.

[alp227]

3. when I visited BCN, Mexico in 2006 my tour bus got checked

and we all had to bring our passports. I guess that the border policies depend on country of entrance.

[drdtroit]

4. That's common in South and Central America. n/t

[MADem]

5. I got stopped a few years ago about ten or so miles from the Canadian border in ME.

I was driving a hatchback with lots of "Have a look in the windows" so it was pretty obvious that I wasn't smuggling anything.

It was a roadblock of sorts, and they were questioning everyone as we were lined up to go into a funnel sort of thing, down to one lane. I leaned out the window as I pulled up and bellowed "Say? What's going on? What are you doing? Why is this happening? What excitement!! Has someone escaped? What's the scoop? Ain't this a hoot!" as though I fully expected the BP to share the details with me.

They waved me through without so much as a "Papers...let me see your papers!"

[provis99]

6. what will we do about the millions of illegal Canadian immigrants?

Bachmann says "build a double wall!"

[trof]

7. We were checked by Border Patrol and didn't even cross border.

We were driving through the southwest in the fall of 2007.
In west Texas and in NM we were routed off of I-10 to drive through Border Patrol checkpoints.
I thought that was odd, since we had crossed no border into Mexico and didn't intend to.
The saw the older white couple and waved us through.
:eyes:

[No Elephants]

8. How quiet is something that AP publishes?