Oscar
Charleston, SC
Male, 31
Spent a bit over four years (2006-2010) serving as a Border Patrol Agent in Tucson Sector, AZ: the busiest sector in the country. Worked numerous positions, and spent the last year and a half operating/instructing ground radar installations. Duties included: field patrols, transport, processing, control room duties, transportation check, checkpoint operations, static watch duties, etc.
It does not currently, and I doubt it did previously. If it's an offensive tattoo in an obvious location - possibly. No face tattoos or stupid nonsense on your knuckles/neck/etc.
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This has been answered in the questions above.
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BP Agents have authority to apprehend illegal immigrants anywhere in the country. However, special statutes and laws which allow us to set up traffic check-points, inspect items/people coming into the country, and stop vehicles for immigration purposes diminishes as you move further into the country.
If, for instance I was in Ohio and someone admitted to being an illegal immigrant, I could apprehend them. This of course assumes I'm on duty and in uniform etc. In this instance I would end up taking them to the nearest I.C.E. processing center.
Illegal is illegal.
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It's not forbidden...just stupid. A BPA going into Mexico does so at his own risk. Considering you'll be catching and apprehending thousands of illegal Mexicans, it's not exactly the smartest place to go. But there is not a policy against it.
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Subway Store Manager
Is Subway viewed as a healthy fast food option in Australia?
Meter Maid
Is it tough to have a job that consists exclusively of ruining peoples' days?
Hotel Front Desk Agent
What's the MOST trashed you've ever found a hotel room?
I was pretty impressed with the caliber of people in the Border Patrol. The academy, while not extremely tough was tough enough to weed out the idiots. There was a huge range of people in the Patrol. A large portion of ex-military folks (ranging from simple 4-year in/outs up to PJ's, some older SF types, USMC Corpsmen etc.).
A smaller number of prior law enforcement types, and then the rest were normal people like myself with no particularly advantageous background (college grads and non-college grads).
The overwhelming amount of political correctness and red tape means that in most cases the Border Patrol is a bit "too fair". Sometimes you need to cut the nonsense and get the job done, something that the agency itself hinders very often. It's a very politcal job as you can imagine. You'd be amazed how often we were subtly told to do our job...less well.
Like any job, and profession you do have a small number of idiots. There seems to be a flawed public perception that all law enforcement agents/officers should be angellic beings of good who dole out divine justice etc. Nope. Agents were normal people too. With overy 16,000 agents you definitely would have some bad apples.
There was a website active when I was serving called "Trust Betrayed" or something to that effect. It was a website run by the agency highlighting agents and customs folks who had become criminals or had been caught breaking the law etc. It happens. Not often, but it's simple reality. So, on the off chance that you run into that one dirtbag, your experience may be different than most.
As a whole, yes, the agency is competent and fair.
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Nope. Once released from federal service for that kind of issue you won't be rehired.
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MJ,
Not sure where Tubac is. Nogales is of course reasonable, and very busy. It would be "Border Patrol" though, as we're not pirates! And yes, you would visit other stations or sector headquarters to attend training or special classes. During days in which you are on the schedule for training you would be fine wearing your uniform out to lunch/dinner in the process. You're still on duty and should something silly happen you would respond and work as normal.
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