First time I've been driving from San Diego to Phoenix and encountered an immigration checkpoint along I-8. I pull up and the question was "Are you a US Citizen?"

I know it was more of a behavioral profiling question, but a bit surprised that the question was phrased that way as opposed to are you a legal resident or something. Quite a few people I suppose would be answering 'No'. I just wonder if that that point they have to produce some documenation besides just saying they're on a visa or Greencard.

It's possible they're just asking the question to see the person's reaction rather than the answer itself.

I'm pretty sure they've used this technique on me a few times at airport immigration checkpoints. They'll ask a question in an accusatory tone, implying something that there is some sort of problem. One common question is whether my wife and I are actually married becuase we have different last names. We're both U.S. citizens with a long history of international travel (in other words, the I&C folks know us ), so the only conceivable reason for pretending we're married would be to go up to the immigration booth as a couple instead of one at a time. (Yeah, right, we're pretending to be married to get through the line 15 seconds quicker. )

Anyways, they'll press a little bit and then wave us through. I'm pretty sure they're just looking for a reaction that might indicate that something isn't quite right, even if it's something that entirely unrelated to the "are you married" question. In our case, any nervousness would probably be a tip-off, as two native-born U.S. citizens aren't likely to have any reason to be nervous at U.S. immigration.

There are a number of these checkpoints on various freeways out of San Diego.

I think you're right - it's less about the information elicited from the question asked and more about the driver's response (both verbal and not verbal).

I have a friend who is a Hispanic American, born and raised in San Diego. She lives north of the checkpoint on the I-15 and therefore gets pulled over into secondary from time to time.

She tells me the questioning tends to go something like this:

Officer: "How are you doing tonight?"
Friend: "Fine" (with a slightly perturbed/quizzical/stressed look)

That's the end of the interrogation, and then the officer waves her through. I guess the word "fine" with a rushed demeanor is all it takes to convince someone of their status as somebody who's an American....

What is the legality of this checkpoint, as the last time I checked, going from San Diego to Phoenix doesn't require one to leave the US?

- Pat

The Supreme Court ruled in 1976 (U.S. vs. Martinez-Fuerte, 428 U.S. 543) that such checkpoints are permitted at least 25 miles away from the border, the inspections are not a violation of privacy, and that inspectors may check every car.

Doesn't the border include international airports and harbors, so most of the US population lives within 25 miles of "the border"?

It's nice to know that those living near the border have fewer constitutionally protected rights than others.

It's called Government Workfare.

I puke every day I have to drive through the checkpoint on I-5 between San Diego and Orange County and have to get held up by an internal border check.