CBPGuy
7 Years Experience
SouthWest, US
Male, 25
I am a U. S. Customs and Border Protection Officer on the southwest border between Mexico and the United States. I know the ins and outs of the job as seen on TV/News and things intentionally hidden from the media! There's more to this job than "Anything to declare?" I dont know all but I'll do my best to answer any questions you have! All answers are my opinion, and my opinion only!
I think the wall helps but does not solve the issue. At least the wall keeps the MAJORITY of people from just walking over into the US. You have to put in a lot more effort to come in due to the wall and because of that most people do not even attempt. I agree with extending the border fence for the fact that it acts as a deterrent. Imagine if the United States did not have a wall on the southern border? Anyone and everyone from all over the WORLD will just walk right in. That includes terrorists.
So, my short answer, I think the wall works but has its limits.
I am white, and I have been called racist towards Mexicans on very FEW occasions. You dont really see the race card played much. However, gender is a different story. Men don't really like taking orders from women, especially in the Mexican culture. I'm not being derogatory towards the culture, its just simple fact. Female officers have a much harder time gaining compliance from male subjects. However, I wouldn't mess with any of the female officers i've met. They are all pretty cut throat. They may come off rude, but now you see why.
Sorry but I would rather not answer this question and give any readers ideas on the best ways of entering the United States illegally. However, with that being said, Google is a better source for fairly accurate statistics.
You need a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. You need to have no or very limited criminal history. You need to pass a written test. You need to pass a fitness test. Video based test. You need to pass a structured oral board interview. You need to pass a polygraph examination. You need to pass the academy. Then the job is yours! It took my about 2 years to get to the academy. The job is always posted on usajobs.gov
TV Meteorologist
Hollywood Executive Assistant
Toymaker
There has been a significant decline in the smuggling of marijuana but we still see it. We used to catch hundreds of pounds on a daily basis but that has gone down to hundreds on a weekly basis. We are starting to see a rise in meth, probably because the decline of demand for marijuana.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection has a lot more authority than local law enforcement. By crossing the international border, the Fourth Amendment makes an exception for warrant-less searches in regards to our Border Search Authority which can be found in the United States Code. Basically, we do not need a warrant for ANY types of searches we conduct on the border as long as a reasonable officer believes they should do so. So no, we do not need a warrant.
This may be a little hard to hear, but we are basically trained that every alien entering the country is guilty until proven innocent. This is not in a sense as a criminal, but in a sense that we must assume that they are all trying to immigrate here unless they can prove to the officer that they will not. Now, i was not there for your situation with your brother, but it seems like the officer believed your brother was intending to immigrate (live) in the US. Aliens can be denied entry solely based on an officer's suspicion alone. That doesn't happen often, but is completely legal and is written in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Believe it or not, they are actually very helpful and we frequently communicate with them. We even have the Mexican consulate right in our port to help us with undocumented minors. When we expeditiously remove (informal deportation) Mexican nationals, we bring them to a section of the border fence where Mexican authorities are waiting to retrieve them. It goes both ways actually, because Mexican authorities regularly deport US Citizens, then we retrieve them.
They try to give us a heads up when protesters are coming up towards the border from Mexico. We give them a heads up when theres a high speed pursuit and a suspect is fleeing into Mexico. The Mexican authorities then take over in Mexico and deport the suspect back to us. Mexican federales also try to help us out to break up smuggling organizations as well.
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