USA TODAY Reader Opinion

Border Patrol agents doing their duty to keep us safe

Pete Rivera - Gainesville, Fla.

Reading about Border Patrol inspection methods, I cringed yet again about the topic of racial profiling ("Border Patrol's methods criticized," News, Wednesday).

(Profiled? Silvio Torres-Saillant, a Syracuse University professor, says he has been stopped by Border Patrol agents at a bus station several times this year / Michelle Gabel, USA TODAY)


I am not in law enforcement, but I know that if I had to dedicate resources to look for illegal immigrants from Mexico, I would focus on people who appear Hispanic vs. people who appear Scandinavian. On the other hand, if I were an airport security agent, I would focus my terrorist screening on Middle Eastern men ages 18 to 35. The white-haired lady would get a pass.

Limited resources must be deployed to yield the highest possible number of results; it is a matter of probability ratios.

I am a Hispanic male. When I'm asked about citizenship when crossing the border, I proudly say, "U.S.," and show my retired military identification card. It's my way of saying I served 20 years in support of my country, and I am, like many Hispanics, a citizen. I take comfort in the fact that they are checking and keeping our borders safe from illegal immigration and terrorist infiltration.
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