Another NH Immigration Checkpoint Held On I-93

WOODSTOCK, NH -- U.S. Border Patrol agents on Thursday conducted an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 93 in Woodstock. The checkpoint was held on the southbound side of the highway. It was the fourth immigration checkpoint held on I-93 in the North Country so far this year. Federal law allows border agents to patrol within 100 miles of the country's borders and conduct such checkpoints. Woodstock is about 75 miles from the Canadian border.

The last Border Patrol checkpoint in New Hampshire was held on August on I-93 and no one was arrested. Federal agents do not advertise the checkpoints ahead of time. After the checkpoints are over, agents typically issue a media bulletin if anyone is arrested.

The checkpoint could extend to Friday and the rest of the weekend based on previous operations. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation issued a traffic alert for Thursday's checkpoint in a morning tweet.

In June, another checkpoint on I-93 in Woodstock netted five arrests. The immigrants from Brazil, China, Ecuador, El Salvador and Mexico were all set to be deported.

"Checkpoint operations are a critical enforcement tool for the enforcement of our immigration laws and are a part of our defense in depth strategy," customs Agent Robert Garcia said in a statement. "In addition to technology, manpower and intelligence, checkpoints help to deny access to major routes of egress away from the border and into our communities in the interior of the U.S."

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire opposes the checkpoints.

"For a state that prides itself on being welcoming to all, these checkpoints tell a very different story, one of discrimination and dismissal of our constitutional rights and values," the group said in a statement. "As Americans, we are at risk of losing our fundamental rights and freedoms — including the right to simply go about our business free from government interference, harassment, and abuse.

A man who said he went through I-93 checkpoint in Woodstock in June called it a "stupid waste of time" in a tweet.

I-93 is one of New Hampshire's major highways on the route to Canada. Another immigration checkpoint held in May in Bangor, Maine, netted one arrest. Border patrol officials told CNN the New Hampshire and Maine checkpoints were aimed at "smuggling organizations.

Border Patrol officials issued this statement to CNN about motorists' rights during checkpoints:

"Travelers have the right to remain silent. Travelers who cooperate are passed through quickly, unless the agent suspects they are in violation of federal law. Travelers who refuse to cooperate may be referred to a secondary examination area to allow agents to conduct additional questioning to determine the traveler's citizenship or residency."

The ACLU said agents have been telling motorists they are "required" to answer questions about their immigration status.

"(Border Patrol) officials also told individuals that, if they did not answer questions, they would be indefinitely detained until they agreed to answer," the ACLU said in a statement.

The ACLU of New Hampshire issued these advisories for individuals who encounter an immigration checkpoint:

• "You always have the right to remain silent.
• However, if you don’t answer questions to establish your citizenship, officials may detain you longer in order to verify your immigration status. But this detention is still supposed to be BRIEF under U.S. Supreme Court case law; it cannot be prolonged. Your silence alone is not enough to arrest, detain, or search you.
• Not answering Border Patrol’s questions is a personal choice. If you don’t answer questions to establish your citizenship and if Border Patrol prolongs your detention in an attempt to determine your status (e.g., in excess of 15 minutes), please let the ACLU-NH know. And if you decide to answer the questions, NEVER LIE.
• NEVER FLEE A CHECKPOINT.
• You may video or audio record federal agents, so long as you do not interfere with their work. In cars, it’s advisable that a passenger do the filming, or that a dash cam device be used."

Previous:

• NH Immigration Checkpoint Nets Zero Arrests: Report
• NH Immigration Checkpoint Nets 5 For Deportation
• More NH Immigration Checkpoints Planned In 2018
• Maine Immigration Checkpoint Nets 1
• NH Border Patrol Checkpoint Nets 25 Illegal Aliens: Authorities

Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducts an immigration checkpoint on Interstate 93 in New Hampshire in May 2018. (Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)