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I remember both coming into Canada as well as returning into America, both times my vehicle was briefly searched. Going into mexico it was not but returning back into America, again, a brief questioning as well as preliminary search. Both of these events occurred in the 80's and both times I was accompanied by my husband. Both times I was a bit intimidated yet not scared. Was just hoping I had not violated any laws I might had otherwise been unaware. Passports were not a requirement at the time.
Wait a minuter, wait a minute..........................It wasnt the Arizona POLICE,
it was FEDERAL AGENTS,ICE, enforcing Federal LAW.................
so why is this news...........it doesnt even fit into the Arizona LAW is illegal claim cause it was the FEDS'S
It shouldn't be big news. Anyone who knows how things work at the border, realizes that anyone can be checked coming over the border.
And I guarantee you - you can be lily white, go down to the river at the border, pretend you can't speak any English, answer every question with "no hablo ingles" and take off running when you see border patrol, you will be stopped and checked.
Now if some guy from Puerto Rico wants to never learn English and only speak Mexican Spanish then yes, he's apt to be confused with a Mexican but he's an idiot if he's trying to claim that Mexican is a race. Mexico is as multi-racial as the USA.
I remember both coming into Canada as well as returning into America, both times my vehicle was briefly searched. Going into mexico it was not but returning back into America, again, a brief questioning as well as preliminary search. Both of these events occurred in the 80's and both times I was accompanied by my husband. Both times I was a bit intimidated yet not scared. Was just hoping I had not violated any laws I might had otherwise been unaware. Passports were not a requirement at the time.
And did you stomp your feet and try to make it news that you were questioned? Did you accuse the Canadians of being racist for having a border and searching your vehicle?
Just like people who speak no English but speak only Russian can be white and questioned over citizenship or legal documentation. If you are a born USA citizen but can't speak anything but Russian -- well tough luck. People might think you're a Russian.
Anyone who thinks no one is stopped coming across the Canadian border is ignorant. They want no southern border whatsoever, they want no one stopped from entering the USA from the south - that's all it boils down to.
You made the comment and the poster bolded the part that they did not agree with. Your comment was incorrect. That is what they were responding to. I wasn't confused about it.
As far as profiling, I do not agree. I have driven through that checkpoint and was stopped and questioned. I don't look Hispanic. So they stopped me for some other reason. Same thing happened to me when I crossed over into Yuma from Mexico a few years ago. They even searched my car. And that was on the Mexico side. Were they profiling, thinking me a drug smuggler? I don't know, nor do I care. I didn't get myself all in a bunch over it. I had nothing to hide, they did their job. I left. No biggie.
I've been stopped and asked the question(s) before as well but, as I mentioned, since it wasn't that backed up that time, they were stopping every car.
Just beause they stopped you and you don't look Hispanic, doesn't mean they're not profiling other people they stop that do look Hispanic. They're not going to only stop people that look Hispanic, they have to stop other people too...otherwise it would be blatantly obvious that they're profiling. Unless they're counting cars and just randomly stopping every tenth (or some other number) car, then they're stopping you based on what they see....what you look like....that allows them the option to profile.
At the border, that's a whole different story....you're crossing from on country to another...of course any one can be stopped and search there for any number of reasons....just like when you go through customs at an airport. The checkpoint before you get to LA, is well inside of the country.
When you got stopped going into Yuma, you got stopped by the Mexican authorities then, right? That's unusual, I used to import high end indian pottery from Mexico (Casas Grandes pottery from Mata Ortiz) and usually when you leave either country, there's no one there to stop you (sometimes it's not even set up to do that...there are no booths you drive through). In all the times I crossed the border, I was never stopped or asked anything by the Mexican authorities (and I had an SUV filled with crates either empty or filled with pottery wrapped in bubble wrap). Were you alone when you crossed or were there just other women in the car with you? If that was the case, I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped you just to check you out...that's just so rare getting stopped on the Mexican side leaving Mexico.
Coming into the U.S. I got stopped and searched once, the first time I ever did it. They got out the mirrors to check under the truck, the dog to sniff crates inside the truck...it took about 30 minutes. After that they never stopped me again, it was like they remembered me or something. I still had paperwork and fees to pay inside the office but, the agent at the booth would just let me park and go in to take care of it and then leave. Actually now that I think about it, having your paperwork all ready and in order is what made the difference.....they know you've done it before. The first time I had to ask, who do I give this paperwork to and where do I pay my fees and that must have raised an eyebrow.
Now if some guy from Puerto Rico wants to never learn English and only speak Mexican Spanish then yes, he's apt to be confused with a Mexican but he's an idiot if he's trying to claim that Mexican is a race. Mexico is as multi-racial as the USA.
Now, that would be very interesting! Puerto Rican Spanish and Mexican Spanish are very different varieties of Spanish and they sound it!
Just another whining spoiled-brat crybaby. "WAHH! THEY MADE ME SHOW MY PROOF! MOMMY!" In America's time of need, shut up and do your part then solider on. You're helping a nationwide cause. Be blessed you're being asked in America, your home country.
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In America's time of need, shut up and do your part then solider on. You're helping a nationwide cause. Be blessed you're being asked in America, your home country.
