Not sure how I'm contradictory. If you're a permanent resident, therefore you have a green card. That is a form of documentation you have to show at the CBP counter before they determine if you're lawful alien or U.S citizen. The line for U.S Citizens and permanent residence is the same. Every port of entry in the U.S has a sign that literally says - "U.S Citizens Or Permanent Residence". All other visa holders have a separate queue and detention usually starts after they've determined if a person has a valid visa or not or is a U.S citizen/permanent resident (green card)
We're not discussing ports, we're discussing so-called "interior checkpoints." The comment you're responding to said:
"Odd because I have been detained at CBP checkpoints inside the US"
You cannot stop a person inside the US and request they produce any kind of identification without first detaining them. The CBP detains everyone. If you prove you're a citizen, you can leave after being detained.
This is different than everywhere else in the country. It is the fundamental civil rights violation which is being objected to above.
How does that even work? I don't know anyone who regularly carries around their passport, or some other proof of citizenship. A driver's license or state ID isn't enough to establish citizenship, or even legal immigration status. (Though I suppose they could cross-reference your identity, based on the state-issued ID, with whatever databases have that information.)
They just ask most people if they are a citizen and if they look white enough CBP waives them past. If they don't CBP pulls them into secondary where they have a sniffer dog that alerts on their car allowing them to search the car and it's occupants at which point they will check their ID and run it through their system.
Personally I refused to answer, set the parking brake, turned the car off, and removed the key. They told me to go to secondary and I just didn't say anything and kept looking forward. Eventually enough traffic backed up behind me on the freeway they just waived me through to get traffic moving again. I know the courts have found it to be legal, but I don't care. I'm not going to comply. If no one complied they wouldn't be able to get away with this shit. Unfortunately most people don't care.
Lying to a federal investigator is an offense. It's usually how the feds get you if they can't make anything else stick (see Martha Stewart).
Usually with the border patrol stops a vehicle they ask if there are any non-citizens in the vehicle. If you lie at this point and they don't believe you it would likely give cause to investigate further. So either tell the truth or shut up.
Given that any documented not-citizens are supposed to carry their permanent resident card or passport with them at all times then the assumption is that any not-citizens are doing just that so can easily prove their status. Not everyone does and in recent years they've been policing this a lot harder than they used to and you can find yourself in hot water if you encounter the wrong officer (most cases you will get a very stern talking to).
So if you aren't carrying a permanent resident card or passport then the assumption is that you are either a citizen or undocumented. How hard they push to find out which depends on the bias of the officer making the stop.
Look up "stop and identify." You don't have to present any kind of documents if you're a citizen. You do have to identify yourself, and yes it's vaguely defined. Generally this means name and address. An ID will also provide this info.
The officers will call in your information, check warrants and resident status, etc.
I lived in Arizona, they have these checkpoints everywhere, many miles from the border. They just stop everyone and harass whomever they want. This is not "at the border", this is 30 miles up the freeway. They questioned my friend from India once, insisting he was pretending to be from that country, he was really from Mexico they said.
