By Joe Wright
Still unknown to much of the U.S. population is the fact that they reside within a “Constitution-Free Zone,” as it has been dubbed by the ACLU for many years. In fact, it is estimated that 200 million people (2/3 of the populace) are likely to have their 4th Amendment protections completely disregarded by border patrol, as well as to encounter other routine violations unbecoming to a land of the free.
The entire state of Maine, for example, lies within a 100-mile region that extends inward from all borders of the nation as shown in the image below.
This reality appears to be crystallizing with more of Maine’s residents, as “daily citizenship checks” have begun to spread to buses across the state, according to a report from Maine Public:
The U.S. Border Patrol is running daily citizenship checks on buses traveling from Fort Kent toward the state’s interior and making periodic checks on buses originating in Bangor.
[…]
“Our purpose for boarding any conveyances, a bus specifically in this case, would be to question anybody – anybody – about their right to be or remain in the United States, whether they are an alien or not,” says Heibert (chief patrol officer). “That’s kind of the gist of it. We would have to have a reasonable suspicion to think that somebody isn’t a citizen to continue questioning.” (emphasis added)
This type of “fishing expedition” flies directly in the face of the 4th Amendment which guarantees that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath of affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Nevertheless, the Constitution-Free Zone, while not an official designation, has been upheld in principle by federal judges who the ACLU argue are reinforcing an outdated concept that was never given a mandate by the people. The ACLU itemizes this overlooked part of history on their website:
Outdated Legal Authority and Lack of Oversight
- The regulations establishing the 100-mile border zone were adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1953—without any public comments or debate. At the time, there were fewer than 1,100 Border Patrol agents nationwide; today, there are over 21,000.
- The Border Patrol often ignores this regulation and rejects any geographic limitation on agents’ authority. At least two federal circuit courts condone Border Patrol operations outside the 100-mile zone, federal regulations and Supreme Court precedent notwithstanding.
- Federal border agents are stopping, interrogating, and searching Americans on an everyday basis with absolutely no suspicion of wrongdoing, and often in ways that our Constitution does not permit.
- For example, Border Patrol, according to news reports, operates approximately 170 interior checkpoints throughout the country (the actual number in operation at any given time is not publicly known). The ACLU believes that these checkpoints amount to dragnet, suspicionless stops that cannot be reconciled with Fourth Amendment protections. The Supreme Court has upheld the use of immigration checkpoints, but only insofar as the stops consist only of a brief and limited inquiry into residence status. Checkpoints cannot be primarily used for drug-search or general law enforcement efforts. In practice, however, Border Patrol agents often do not limit themselves to brief immigration inquiries and regularly conduct criminal investigations and illegal searches at checkpoints. The Border Patrol also frequently pulls over motorists in “roving patrol” stops, often without any suspicion that an immigration violation has occurred.
- The ACLU has documented numerous cases of abuse by Border Patrol and filed lawsuits to obtain more information about the agency’s practices. Given Border Patrol’s lack of transparency, and in the absence of any meaningful oversight, there is still much that we don’t know about the full extent and impact of these interior “border enforcement” operations.
As the video above introduces, the definition of “border patrol” no longer means dealing strictly with human agents. The deployment of drones, biometrics, DNA collection, electronics searches and even social media checks are spreading as well.
Notwithstanding these increased intrusions, it appears that if one Maine bus line operator is to be believed people are all too happy to embrace a perception of security instead of a feeling a profound loss for their freedom to travel unmolested:
The general manager for Cyr Bus Line, Rick Soules, says he doesn’t often hear from customers or drivers about the patrol checks, but when he does, it’s positive.
“The feelings I get generally from people regarding the border checks are that it’s a safety check, which provides security for the people riding the bus, and that they’re not put out by that,” says Soules.
As the country continues to debate immigration, it would be wise to consider the increasing size of the web that is being built and whether we are willing to continue giving up the protections that should be enshrined to keep the innocent from being ensnared.
You can find more from Joe Wright at Activist Post, where this article first appeared.
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Top image: Pixabay
They don’t need to do random searches on the bus. Just round up all of the Somali ‘refugees’ and other illegal aliens and muslim invaders in Maine, and they will be busy for YEARS tracking down and deporting all of this trash.
And just how do you propose we tell the difference between A Somali “refugee” and a 3d generation native born American whose grandparents were born in Ethiopia?
Most Americans don’t believe the Constitution protects anyone in the world who sneaks in, just citizens and legal residents.
Multiculturalism and open immigration are no at all wanted by most Americans. Multiculturalism is dead- look at poor Sweden, on the verge of civil war against Muslim gangs armed with Kalashnikovs. Germany lost control of immigration when it did not require ID papers, photos, fingerprints and DNA samples. Britain has thousands of Islamists hiding in the mosques.
Other groups assimilate better because they want to. Muslims are interested in bringing sharia to the world, not compromising on anything, because Islam is perfect, universal and all else is unacceptable.
Not true most Muslims are like today’s Christians in name only the extremists are very few and jihad is for self defense you need to stop listening to Pamela Geller a zionist agent who wants you to hate Muslims so you will support the United States wars for Israel in the Middle East which will lead to ww3 between the zionist controlled countries and Islam just like in Albert Pikes vision and by the way those wars for Israel are causing Muslims to leave there homelands for Europe and America
I lived in Sweden for 24 yrs, it was very peaceful back then, 20 years ago, but not anymore. The news I read on official Swedish papers online are shocking, so much violence everywhere, the police can’t even handle it anymore b/c it’s simply too much. You have no idea what your “peaceful Muslims” are capable of! Go to Sweden and see for yourself! Or at least watch videos on youtube! You are uninformed!
That’s because most of them are in poverty in those refugee camps they steal and kil each other for food and money to buy food and y’all discriminate against them and also if you don’t want Muslims in your land then stop bombing there countries
There are fringe elements everywhere in the 21st century. It is an unfortunate change in the world we live in.
Is this ‘opening the door’ for them to push their way into your house/apartment as well ?
This is pretty much what they did in Watertown, Massachusetts during the Boston Marathon False flag event. They surrounded the houses with armed patrols. weapons trained on everyone & ‘coerced’ the people into ALLOWING them entrance….no forceful door breaking was needed.. Had ALL the people just REFUSED at that time, the matter would NOT have been allowed to happen in that 10 x 10 block area.
If they did these checks, and IMMEDIATELY deported any non legal foreigner they found, it would be a fairly short time that they would need to do it. OTHERWISE, it’s just another infringement sham that needs to die,
Yep it’s a perfect tyranny sandwich, no way out of it now.
Typical false choice:
“whether we are willing to continue giving up the protections that should be enshrined to keep the innocent from being ensnared.”
First No mention of “citizens” is a dead give away in the statement, only the “innocent”.
Usually then followed by most talking points:. “through No Fault of their own”. Illegals can be “Dreamers”, while Citizens…..not so much.
These Pogroms Do Not Happen by Accident. Bring in Millions of Illegals, then Need a Police State to “attempt” to round them up. We’ii get the Police State AND the Illegals “Legalized”….. the Worst of both outcomes.
The problem lies in the fact that Americans don’t realize that their government was overthrown during the Civil War. The other problem is that Americans don’t know that they live in a communist country with all ten elements of communism in effect. Those that pretend to be your government are actually traitors to their oath of office. They are working to take your guns away before you catch on. They are waging war against you but you have been too brainwashed to see it. Ignorance is bliss.
The menace of communism in this country will remain a menace until the American people make themselves aware of the techniques of communism. No one who truly understands what it really is can be taken in by it. Yet the individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst. It rejects even the assumption that human creatures could espouse a philosophy which must ultimately destroy all that is good and decent.
August 1956 Elks Magazine
J. Edgar Hoover
Director of the FBI for nearly 50 years
WikiQuotes
Communism is a system where nobody can make money on owning a private business. Last time I checked there were lots of privately owned businesses in this country.
All you have to do is Google the ten elements of communism and take the time to understand how they work. Privately owned businesses go under all the time often due to ignorance as to how the system of confiscatory taxation works to their detriment. Do you not understand, that when you live in a country where privacy is a right, how much money you might make is none of their damn business? Just keep on telling yourself that you live in a free country. That will make it so.
It makes no difference that you have to do everything the government tells you to do, or else. Government, or the organized crime ring that masquerades as your government, is your god. Do as you are commanded. It is the law.
Liberals must provide papers were ever they go, period. These mental retards must be held by the state for the safety of real red-blooded Americans.
So how the he// do they check for illegals if they can’t ask for documentation.
This is a tuff spot.