by ACLU
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The U.S.-Mexico border has been turned into a militarized zone, all in the name of "border security."
The Border Patrol's claim to broad powers coupled with lack of effective oversight in the region has led to an unprecedented jump in civil rights violations.
• Armed Border Patrol agents man checkpoints on nearly every highway.
• Roving patrols pull over innocent travelers.
• Surveillance cameras, drones and helicopters invade the privacy of border residents.
While immigrants and Latinos bear the brunt of the Border Patrol's most excessive abuses, these stories show that no one is safe in a militarized zone.
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Ranchers Under 24-Hour Surveillance...for What??
Rancher John Ladd used to cooperate with the Border Patrol, but he and other ranchers are fed up with Border Patrol agents patrolling their land at will, cutting through fences, and even running over valuable cattle.
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Border Agents Brutalize a 75-Year-Old Vietnam Vet
A Vietnam vet and former prison guard, Larry Kirschenman thought he had the right to ask what probable cause U.S. border agents had to search his vehicle. Larry wound up in the hospital with serious injuries.
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Our Borders Aren't Constitution-Free Zones
The Border Patrol is running wild in our nation’s border communities, and local residents are suffering.
In recent years, our federal government has massively ramped up spending on enforcement in the name of “border security,” turning border communities into militarized zones.
The stories don’t make national headlines, but every day residents of border communities face warrantless stops and searches, destruction of private property, and physical abuse from Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. The worst part is that right now there is no clear, effective complaint process for reporting these violations and holding the perpetrators accountable.
But right now, we have a major opportunity to change that. President Obama has sworn in Jeh Johnson as the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—the federal department in charge of CBP— and he has pledged reform. So now is the time for civil liberties supporters to stand together and demand common-sense regulations that rein in runaway abuse.
While many law enforcement agencies have clear, publicized processes for reporting abuses, CBP does not. Border residents, particularly those that do not speak English, have nowhere to turn when Border Patrol officers overstep their authority.
And based on local reports and complaints border residents have filed with the ACLU, it's clear that abuse of power by Border Patrol officers is all too common.
Sign the petition to President Obama and Secretary Jeh Johnson asking for implementation of a strong, transparent, investigation and complaints mechanism to hold CBP accountable for abuses.
https://www.aclu.org/secure/hold_border ... /thank-you
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Border Patrol Terrorizes a Mom and Her Two Kids
On a backcountry road, Clarisa Christiansen was threatened with a taser and knife by Border Patrol agents while her two terrified children watched from the backseat.
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Anastasio Hernandez Rojas
LETHAL FORCE:
Border Patrol Agents Responsible for 27 Fatalities Since 2010
When rights violations by the Border Patrol turn deadly, in almost every case the victims have been Latinos. Among the most egregious cases of deadly violence by border agents was the brutal beating of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, who left behind a bereaved wife and five US-born children. A dozen immigration officials surrounded, beat and tased Hernandez while he lay hog-tied on the ground at the San Ysidro border station. A bystander captured the beating on a cell phone video -- a disturbing scene that contradicts agents’ claims that the fatal beating was in self-defense. Watch the PBS news report to learn more about his tragic story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUyy85t8E_U#t=1m30s
Customs & Border Protection (CBP), the agency in charge of the Border Patrol, does not make public any internal investigation into incidents involving used of force, not even to the families of victims like Anastasio Hernandez Rojas. No CBP agents are known to have ever been disciplined for excessive use of force.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BORDER PATROL - An Agency Out of Control & Beyond Accountability
Customs and Border Patrol Officer
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which includes the Border Patrol, is America's largest law enforcement agency. Overall, U.S. taxpayers now spend $19 billion annually on immigration enforcement.
Know the Facts
The number of Border Patrol agents has doubled since 2005. The government acknowledges that many Border Patrol agents are inadequately trained and do not understand the agency’s policies.
CBP Authority
CBP claims broad authority within 100 miles of any external U.S. land or sea border where constitutional protections against arbitrary stops and searches don’t always apply. This “constitution-lite” zone includes two-thirds of the US population.
Border Communities Under Siege
A report ordered by the Dept. of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, found that some 1,187 complaints of excessive use of force were filed with CBP between 2007-2012. Yet the agency has no effective mechanism for tracking and responding to complaints.