CBC / PRI Interview: Border Patrol's Internal Checkpoints

I was interviewed yesterday about Border Patrol story by CBC's As It Happens program, which is nationally syndicated in the U.S. by Public Radio International. You can hear the interview here - it's the first story in this second clip.

Like many of us, CBC Toronto was unaware that Border Patrol has been stopping people traveling domestically at checkpoints far from the northern border, although the practice has been quietly been going on for years. My story in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that foreign students and scholars have been getting caught up by these roving patrols and surprise checkpoints, sometimes within a few miles of campus. Some are being detained even though their documentation is in order, apparently because Border Patrol agents do not understand some of the subtleties of certain visa and change of status rules. (There are some additional accounts in the extensive comments thread accompanying the article.)

Customs and Border Patrol failed to respond to my questions about the issue, but it is my hope they will be more responsive going forward.