IN the border zone — 100 miles from the boundary into the interior — the Border Patrol’s authority extends beyond that of other law enforcement agencies. For example, agents have the authority to conduct routine searches at the border even in the absence of reasonable suspicion, probable cause or a warrant.

“The problem with giving the largest federal law enforcement agency, and one that operates with few if any accountability mechanisms, is that it is a recipe for civil liberties abuses, and seriously risks further erosion of Fourth Amendment rights,” says James Duff Lyall, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. Mr. Lyall notes that the areas involved constitute a sizable portion of the country; if you consider land and coastal borders, this 100-mile zone encompasses approximately two-thirds of the United States population.

...

In a much-publicized incident, Border Patrol agents stopped Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, 125 miles south of the border, in New York. When Mr. Leahy asked what authority the agent had to detain him, the agent pointed to his gun and said, “That’s all the authority I need.”

GMTom wrote:My daughters boyfriend is a border patrol agent. The things they CAN do vs what they are instructed to do is quite different. An example: He CAN go into town and round up illegals looking for work at a Home Depot, yet they are told to avoid even going into town if at all possible! His superiors want nothing to do with illegals who have already gained entry, that's up to the local authorities and not the border patrol. Yes, they may very well have real authority but what they actually do is another matter!
While they certainly are looking for illegal border crossings, the main focus is not on illegals but rather on catching drug smugglers.

GMTom wrote:maybe, but he is in California not New York.
...and they broke up just yesterday :(