New Mexico Police asked lady if she was US Citizen. Detain her for an hour.

I did not see anyone else post this. I apologize if someone else has.

So I have very mixed feelings on this. A women who is a teacher from San Diego, California was on vacation in New Mexico and was stopped by border patrol at a checkpoint in New Mexico. I did not know we even had checkpoints in places that are not on the border. So she was asked if she was a "US Citizen". She is white and looks nothing like an illegal. I understand the police are just doing their job but you can tell she is a US Citizen by just looking at her.

So If she said "Yes" and they believed her she would be free to go. She chose to refuse to answer the question and argued with the police. They detained her for over an hour according to news media and in the video her son was refused a bathroom break.

So I feel she was stupid for arguing. All she had to do was say yes and she could have been on her way. That simple with no drama. But was she wrong? I have to think if it's not a border to Mexico then the police should be more relaxed with a white female and her young kids. So I do understand why she refused to answer the question. The police eventually did let her go. I am not sure where this took place so I need to do more research.

So I am on the fence here and need more opinions so I can understand better why the police are doing this and if they can legally do this and if they even have good reason for doing so. Lady says she was on vacation and says this was not near the Mexico border.

Do you feel the border police are right or the teacher gal was right? This happened last Friday I think in New Mexico.

 

This lady was stupid end of story, if you don't at lest try and reply to the questions then expect to be going downtown for a while.

Yes you have the right to withhold speech but they can still take you downtown if your actions make them think you have or are going to commit a crime.

 

Yes but can they legally do this at a checkpoint that is not on the Mexico border? The video says it is illegal. I'm not sure so I am asking.

 

I think if they do it on a public road, they have the right to do it. All she had to do was to answer in the affirmative or show them her passport or birth certificate if there were any doubts on their part.

 

They have checkpoints all over the south west. I had been through them several times when I lived in S.Cali.

Stupid people trying to make a political point deserve what they get. Pull up, get asked if you are a US Citizen, say yes, be on your way in 30 seconds or less.

 

If the OP thinks being white makes a person look like they aren't illegal, they need to get out more. Plenty of illegal immigration from the UK and the entire former Soviet Empire.

The woman in question?

Idiot.

 

I'm sure they're stopping people who do not look typically South American in order to be not accused of profiling. If they stopped only South Americans then they'd get all sorts of bad press and complaints about profiling..solution stop the old and the innocent too prove they are treating everyone equally. Just answer the stupid ****ing question and be on your way.

 

police should not be able to harass people without reasonable suspicion of a crime, check points should be illegal for whatever reason

 

If checkpoints were illegal how would we check for illegals, drugs, criminals or possible terrorists leaving or coming into our country?

 

That's a good point. They have to be fair and check everyone and not just people that look South American etc. I don't think it was worth the hour long headache to argue with the police.

 

Just a lib being a lib then crying about it.

Also, I don't think you can tell if someone is a US citizen by looking at them.

 

what about a bunch of escape prisoners that where last seen on that highway ?

 

The police had a right to detain her for 90 minutes (which sounds reasonable). And she was within her right not to answer. This was a lawful protest of the fact that people are detained based on their looks or accent.

The police did make a couple of mistakes. One was telling her that she had to answer (she didn't) The other was not immediately allowing her son to go to the bathroom at first. But everything seems lawful.

I think she did the right thing. Took 90 minutes out of her life but... she made her point well.