By Ty Ross

About 10 years ago, I approached the Customs Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, TX. It’s about 90 miles East of El Paso on I-10 towards Dallas and San Antonio. Those checkpoints act at an intervention point between border cities and the rest of the country to deter and capture those who are trafficking, smuggling drugs or may be terrorists. They are also opportunities for profiling and harassment.

I was headed home to Dallas with the kids and we had gotten on the road pretty late. Checkpoints are different from points-of-entry because you don’t need a passport. They ask one simple question: American Citizen? But this night, after I stated my citizenship, he asked me to pull over to the side of road. Without any explanation he ordered me and my kids out of the vehicle, while he, two other agents and a drug dog searched my ’98 Ford Escort. The kids and I standing on the side of the road at 2am for about 30 minutes before they finished searching and let us go. And again, not one word as to why I was being searched, that I would be searched, didn’t ask if I was carrying anything. Just pull over, get out and now you can go.