Border Patrol Presence Grows Inland Amid Trump Deportation Push

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    In McAllen, Texas, recent developments captured in video footage have illustrated a growing pattern: Border Patrol agents are increasingly seen conducting operations far beyond the US borders with Mexico or Canada. In one incident, a Border Patrol agent reportedly struck a Southern California landscaper on the head and neck during an arrest, which occurred as he was being restrained on the ground. The Department of Homeland Security claims that the man wielded a weed trimmer aggressively towards the agents. However, his son, Alejandro Barranco, a veteran of the Marine Corps, stated that his father was fearful and did not pose any attack.

    With immigration arrests at their lowest in approximately six decades, the deployment of the roughly 20,000 strong Border Patrol workforce is shifting to other areas.

    What’s the reason behind this interior deployment by the Border Patrol?

    President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” approved by the House, suggests an $8 billion fund to expand U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel by 10,000 members. Until such reinforcements are established, ICE, which is primarily responsible for internal immigration enforcement, is relying on support from other federal agencies. This is due to the pressure to achieve a daily arrest quota of at least 3,000, a target put forth by Stephen Miller, the White House’s deputy chief of staff and a leading figure in immigration policy.

    With a limited number of roughly 6,000 deportation officers, ICE has found an ally in the Border Patrol, also under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This alliance comes at a time when border apprehensions fell drastically to an average of 282 daily in May, after reaching a peak of over 8,000 daily in December 2023.

    Recently, Border Patrol agents from the Yuma, Arizona sector were involved in ICE-led operations in Philadelphia. Justin De La Torre, the sector’s chief, highlighted this in a social media update, noting that arrest rates at the Arizona border averaged just four per day last month, compared to a high of more than 1,100 per day in May 2023.

    Further highlighting the collaboration, Greg Bovino, the head of the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California sector, joined U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a news briefing in Los Angeles. During this event, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla faced forcible removal, was pushed to the ground, and handcuffed.

    “We’re present and aren’t planning to leave,” Bovino asserted, introducing himself as the leading representative of the agency during ICE-led operations in Los Angeles.

    There is a general consensus that the Border Patrol’s extended presence will continue.

    “As long as the border stays relatively calm, the Border Patrol will likely continue functioning almost like ICE agents,” remarked Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, a group advocating for immigration.

    The 100-mile border zone:

    Legally, federal law grants Border Patrol agents authority to stop and question individuals within 100 miles (161 kilometers) of the border, inclusive of coastal areas. This jurisdiction allows them to board and search buses, trains, and vessels without requiring a warrant, within the 100-mile border zone.

    This zone includes extensive regions of the United States, covering about two-thirds of the country’s population, as reported by the American Civil Liberties Union. Los Angeles, notably, is within 100 miles of the Pacific coastline.

    Beyond this region, agents retain the ability to operate within the United States.

    “While beyond the 100-mile limit, the Border Patrol still functions fully, albeit with reduced authority to stop and question individuals,” explained Reichlin-Melnick.

    What can the Border Patrol execute beyond the 100-mile zone?

    Outside the 100-mile enforcement area, Border Patrol agents, akin to their counterparts in ICE or the Office of Field Operations, are classified as immigration officers with the capacity to arrest and detain individuals suspected of breaching immigration laws. However, this capacity includes certain constraints.

    “Agents would need probable cause to conduct searches, such as inspecting a vehicle under suspicion of legal infractions,” qualified Reichlin-Melnick. “As such, individuals enjoy greater protections from searches and seizures outside of the 100-mile zone than within it. Nonetheless, each case depends on its unique circumstances.”