“Are You a U.S. Citizen?” Where Do You Draw the Line?

Bobbie Chitwood and my family have something in common: We’ve been stopped at the ICE checkpoint in Arivaca, Arizona. Ms. Chitwood drives through the checkpoint regularly. In a Los Angeles Times story, she claims that racial profiling is a problem here. "This just impedes the movement of people," Chitwood said. "It feels very militaristic. The checkpoints feel like the beginning of something that could get worse. I don't like being stopped by people with guns."

We agree with Bobbie. We took photos to give blog readers a sense of how this feels.

I oppose the practice—but I do not write to persuade anyone. Rather, let me pose a few questions for your thoughtful consideration.

The main question is: Where do you draw the line on permissible checkpoints and ICE conduct?

Location: The U.S. Border Patrol operates 71 traffic checkpoints, including 33 permanent traffic checkpoints, near the Mexico-U.S. border. All are within 75 miles of the border. The Supreme Court has ruled this is constitutional.

What about a checkpoint at every state border on interstates and four-lane state highways? What about a checkpoint at the edge of your city?

Discretion: We were asked: “Are you U.S. citizens?” Suppose we refused to answer. What should be the consequence? Suppose we were asked for photo IDs. Would you be okay with this? Suppose people are asked more questions if they have an accent or dark skin? Would you limit border patrol discretion? If yes, how?

Monitoring: We drove through a perimeter that appeared to image our car and passengers. Do problems with drugs and illegal immigration justify this collection of information? If you're okay with this, how do feel about  using these procedures for opioid problems in Appalachia and white, rural America?

Feel free to share your thoughts on FB or to me at mhl@illinois.edu.