Border Communities Under Siege: Ranchers Under 24-Hour Surveillance... for What? ACLU.org
go to original May 6, 2014

Heavy-Handed Federal Border Patrol Hurts US Ranchers (acluvideos)

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. Problems such as those experienced by Ladd are on the rise as the number of Border Patrol agents has doubled since 2003. About 85 percent of its force is deployed at the Southwestern border, or about 10 agents per mile. The federal government now spends some $19 billion annually on border security. Customs and Border Protected (CBP), the agency in charge of Border Patrol, is now the largest law enforcement agency in the country. The government itself acknowledges that many Border Patrol agents are inadequately trained and do not understand the agency's policies.

Moreover, CBP claims broad authority within 100 miles of any external U.S. border where constitutional protections against arbitrary stops and searches don't apply.  As John Ladd's story so aptly illustrates, CBP is also able to enter private lands within 25 miles of a border without permission. The "100-Mile Rule" has never been subjected to meaningful debate or scrutiny in Congress, yet it's created what some call a "constitution free zone." There is nothing in the record to indicate whether the Justice Department's designation of 100 miles as a "reasonable distance" was anything other than an arbitrary selection.

The surveillance cameras and sensors installed on John Ladd's property are now part of daily life on the militarized southern border. Some members of Congress are talking about spending an additional $46 billion on CBP and adding 20,000 more Border Patrol agents. Dumping more money and resources into enforcement in the name of "border security" won't solve the immigration problem. Instead it's likely to multiply the kind rights violations to which border residents are subjected.

The ACLU and other rights organizations are calling on CBP to establish a robust investigation and complaint process for holding CBP agents accountable for any abuses

Join us in taking action



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.

More information here

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