Ari

A lot of the posts in this thread are off topic-- the title of the thread pertains to "US border patrol agents?" Although Border Patrol agents are a subset of CBP, border patrol agents do not man the ports of entry; CBP Officers do that. All of the experiences people are referencing about being asked questions crossing the border are not particularly germane to this thread.

humanoid94

The most random question I was ever asked by a CBP officer was "Do you know [Person I went to High School With 14 years prior]," I said "Yes, I haven't seen him in a decade, though" and the CBP officer told me he played soccer with this person and he had mentioned me before. I thought that was pretty weird.

GUWonder

After looking at the address on my customs declaration form, the CBP guy asked me if there was anything famous in the listed town. Given his response to my answer, it was obvious that all that mattered was I rattled off something, anything. Never got such questions from BP.

jphripjah

Well, not if you're lying. They can ask questions to determine if you are lying. If you refuse to answer them, it may take them longer to determine if you are US citizen.


I agree that you are required to declare certain agricultural items, excess cash, dutiable goods, etc.

I don't think you are required to declare contraband, like drugs and child pornography, for example. If they find that stuff on you, you will be arrested for possession/trafficking of those items, but there is no separate crime for failure to declare this stuff, as far as I know.

Also, I'm aware of any law or regulation requiring people to answer questions about whether they are carrying contraband. In fact, there is a constitutional amendment saying that you don't have incriminate yourself by answering questions like that.

Blogndog

In theory, they could ask you to make such a declaration, and if you signed the declaration and contraband was subsequently discovered, they could add a perjury charge on top of whatever other charges might apply.

US Passport applications now contain a statement with words to the effect that you declare you have never had a drug or "sex tourism" conviction, even though, of course, such a conviction cannot be used to deny you a passport. Although I have not in fact had such a conviction, I crossed the statement out before signing as they cannot make issuing the passport conditional on your willingness to sign.

fischi

Many years ago, I was returning to the US through LAX from a year studying abroad at Sussex University. I cleared immigration and customs. As I was walking down the hall to the exit I was pulled aside by a non-uniformed officer and asked a few additional questions. Admittedly, I looked like an unwashed backpacker coming straight from Amsterdam. He asked where I had been, how long, what I had done. Then, when I said I had been at university, he asked me what my teacher's name was. This totally threw me because, of course, at college one doesn't have one teacher, but many. I managed to stammer out a name finally and was cleared to go on. I just found the whole thing surprising, because I had already cleared both immigration and customs.

FredAnderssen

As long as you're still in the arrival hall and haven't handed in your form 6059B (blue card), you're fair game for questions from CBP agents. Though with the advent of "constitution free" zones, it wouldn't surprise me if DHS could make an argument for asking questions AFTER leaving the arrival hall.

fischi

Well, this was in 1994, so no DHS yet, but I had turned in my card, but had not exited the "secured" area. Many years later (post DHS) I met a former LAX customs officer and related this story. He told me it was quite typical - all behavior profiling - and that the officer was almost certainly more interested in my physical reaction to the question, than my ability to answer.

Blogndog

I don t understand why people answer when they get these questions. If I got "pulled aside by a non-uniformed officer and asked a few additional questions," my answers would have been "go engage in reproductive activity with yourself" to every question. I had non-uniformed somebody or others attempt to question me at Heathrow a few years back. I asked what the planned to do with the information they would collect if I co-operated. They couldn't provide a coherent, credible answer, so I bid them good day.

Another time, at AMS, they started asking questions about the "purpose" of my travel, which I reminded them is not information I share with people I don't know. They then then took me into another room and thoroughly searched all my stuff. They found three things in my bags I thought I had lost years previously, and I thanked them for helping me find them without answering any questions before I boarded my flight.

jphripjah

People answer for two reasons.

1. They think the are required to.

OR

2. They know they don't have to answer, but they don't want the delay, search, intimidation and hassle that will follow a refusal to answer.

fischi

I know why I answered: 20 year old middle class kid from the suburbs who grew up being told police are my friends and to respect authority. 20 more years on I might do things differently.

CMK10

Last few times:

- IAD after three days in Europe: No questions
- IAD after a day trip to Canada: Why were you there? and upon learning it was for a baseball game, who won?

More recently when driving around Southern Arizona I was asked where I was coming from and when I said Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument "what were you doing there? Research?"

VAPA

I was asked if I was having a tupperware party. Odd right? What does that have to do with immigration status?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne2v7qBBrZg

Loren Pechtel

I don't believe it would be legal for a non-resident to host a Tupperware party.

VAPA

Good point, I think that was covered in US vs Betty Crocker. For those interested in the law concerning interior suspicionless checkpoints, and a great example of why cameras are vitally important, this video is excellent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnearlBdSkU

It shows how the government lawyer makes false claims about what happens at the checkpoint, the judge not buying it because she watched the video, and shows how the footage makes the record clear. In other words, government will lie and you need proof of what transpired. Overlaid is relevant case law and Border Patrol manual procedure.