ICE Border checkpoint

[norrin 3]

We will be visiting family in Brownsville, Texas on New Years. There is a checkpoint about 100 or so miles north of Brownsville near Sarita, Texas. I have been through it many times and know the procedure..you stop the dog and the ICE Officer come by and another Officer tells you to roll down the window and asks if everyone is an American Citizen. My answer was always YES and he waves you on by. Occasionally he makes the assertion that you are a citizen and just waves you by. Natasha has her greencard therefore I have no qualms about her going through this checkpoint but..how should I answer this question "is everyone in the vehicle and American Citizen"? If I answer no she is a permenant resident will they just look at her greencard or pull us over and what was a 3 second procedure now becomes a two hour or more ordeal? Does anyone know how this works. This is not a border crossing because we are already in The U.S. and in Texas we won't be leaving. This is a checkpoint.

[Inky 1,110]

"if" you answer no?

You must answer no, impersonation of a US CITIZEN by a green card holder can cause HUGE issues inluding with Naturalization.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

"if" you answer no?

You must answer no, impersonation of a US CITIZEN by a green card holder can cause HUGE issues inluding with Naturalization.

Actually, if he answers "Yes" and they ask for ID only to discover that she is in fact a LPR then she would be guilty of False Claim of US Citizenship which could jeopardize her current LPR Status. There are many cases where children entered the US under false claim of USC made by their parents and the child is now inadmissible for life without the possibility of a waiver. Note that the claim was made by someone else not the child.

[caeremonarius 26]

Actually, if he answers "Yes" and they ask for ID only to discover that she is in fact a LPR then she would be guilty of False Claim of US Citizenship which could jeopardize her current LPR Status. There are many cases where children entered the US under false claim of USC made by their parents and the child is now inadmissible for life without the possibility of a waiver. Note that the claim was made by someone else not the child.

Exactly. Who cares if it's a "2-hour ordeal": ALWAYS tell the truth to USCIS and to ICE. The potential consequences just aren't worth it!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

There are very few things you can do to lose your Green Card after many years as a LPR, and one of them is false claim of US citizenship for any reason (since Oct. 1996). So even if you tell some guys in the bar that you are "an American" and an ICE officer overhears it, that can break your neck with a loud snapping noise.

If somebody has a Green Card, but doesn't "carry" (like I do), and the situation arises where one is legally required to show color, the one and only way to do this is to say: I'm a Green Card holder. If you don't have it you'll get a speech, or, in the most severe case, a $100 fine. If you nod in the affirmative to the question "US citizen?" to a CBP officer, you'll get a ticket home to Transsylvania with no chance of ever being able to return to the US.

[TBoneTX 44,787]

OP, let's put it this way: When you approach the checkpoint, have YOUR U.S. passport (or driver's license) and the immigrant's green card in hand to hand through the window to the CBP agent as soon as you pull up and the sniff-drugging dog comes over.

I've not been through the checkpoint at Sarita. The agents north of Laredo are very professional and ask only what they're supposed to, meaning confirmation of citizenship. Conversely, the agents south of Alpine, TX insist on knowing "where have you been," "where are you going," "what's your purpose," "have you been to Mexico," etc. In such instances, raise your eyebrows in surprise and say "Why, anywhere I want to, of course. (smile) Isn't that the greatest thing about our country?" Keep repeating this until they give up and let you go.

[norrin 3]

This is an update..My cousin's husband is an Border Agent (he is the guy who escorts people either back to their country or back on a plane). He says returning people to their home country is all a joke because the government is not giving them any type of budget so they cut that section budget. Before they would literally escort people all the way to their home country and release them there, now they just have to "promise" to take a plane back after they leave the U.S. Anyway I asked him the same question and he basically told me it all depended which idiot was asking if you are a Citizen. Anyway we approached the coming back we left late and got to the checkpoint at 8 pm and there was a longer line than usual because of the holidays. As I was waiting in line one agent and the dog ran around every vehicle , this dog was way more active than usual and was running around fast. By the time we got to the agent I had Natasha's greencard and as I was handing him the GC he asked are you all American Citizens? I said No Sir, she is a conditional permanent resident and he rolled his eyes as the grabbed her ID. I think he was dreading having to do anything with the greencard. He looked at it, looked at it again stuck his head into the car looked at Natasha, looked at the card and then asked her the date of birth and name. Then he smiled and said have a nice evening. It took about 5 minutes with a line about 2 miles long behind us. On a seperate note I noticed one thing in Brownsville now, there we very few vehicles from Mexico. There is also a very tight border control presence (more than ever was). There is a new border fence extending from the international bridge along the Rio Grande following it east with very visible border patrol vehicles. I went to a cemetary which is on the other side of the wall (which gets locked at night)but still on the U.S. side and within 2 miles to the cemetary I stopped and talked to 3 border agents sitting in their cars. Just some obeservations.

[TBoneTX 44,787]

Thanks for your update. Yes, CBP can act quickly when there are long lines like that. Around 13 months ago, I was returning by foot from Nuevo Laredo, and the lines were so long that no one's purchases were being searched.

The border fence is a subject for another thread in another forum. In short, I think that the perceived need for the fence -- and the construction of it, with the destruction of so much around it -- is very sad.