This may be a silly question about illegal immigration and the rights of cops to "arrest" illegal immigrants .
Posted on Sep 09, 2008 under fish identification |. . Someone just posed a question about fishing licenses. Here's a true story. My husband and I are avid sport fishermen. We were in our boat lobster diving in the Keys when I kid you not, a helicopter hovered over our boat, and demanded through a bull horn to see our fishing licenses. Not one, but three agents came down a rope, boarded our boat, and physically inspected the licenses to make sure they were valid. My husband was underwater at the time, so I was alone with my four-year-old son in the boat. We were playing "I Spy" - neither of looked dubious in any way. So my question is, why can't cops ask to see identification papers of people who are reasonably suspected of being illegal? P.S. our boat was searched for proper equipment as well . . .
Wow. That's quite a story! And it almost seems like it was worth the hassle to be boarded by the agents just so you have a the story to tell. I hope you got some pictures with them on your boat 
But what it boils down to is how much intrusion of the government are you willing to accept in your daily life in order to reduce crime or to reduce illegal immigration or terrorism or whatever. If this same thing happened EVERY time you went fishing I'd bet it would stop being a neat story and start to get annoying. And then maybe the preventative measures being taken (the boarding of your boat) might no longer be worth the benefit (reducing illegal fishing to a certain degree). Same thing applies to asking about immigration status.
Just a thought.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
I am betting they were fish and game wardens so their job is to check fishing licenses just like immigration is to check documents. However, I am betting they didn't ask to see your papers that you were legal in the country did they?
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August 6th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
illegals? and what are you? native american? you are as illegal as they come… and a fascist too. Go work for a living, maybe you will round up some common sense.
No human being is illegal. If americans keep on pissing us off….. oh man, just keep on stealing our resources and spewing you filthy racism. You will see what a weak race is.
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August 6th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
The Police can't because that's the law.Only specially trained police can.And that program just started.Even those who went thru this special training have no powers to deport or detain if DHS says release.Which is often the case for those not on any terrorist list or prior deportation holds.That's the Law.Still think the current laws are great?
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August 6th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
They wanted to see the fish & lobster size & did you have Fla licenses & coast guard equipment.an were you smuggling illegals in?I guess your not given the same rights as illegals????
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August 6th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I am only guessing, but there is a large number of smugglers, both in drugs and humans, in the waters between Cuba and Key West, they were checking for both
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August 6th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
The same reason the DEA went after the marijuana medical clinics instead of the meth dealers -you are a much easier target than a real criminal.
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August 6th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
A lot of them have 'sanctuary' policies in place specifically not to ask unless a felony is involved, etc. (See Los Angeles's special order 40). Others do ask, everyone, so as not to be accused of racial profiling.
It is an excellent question.
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August 6th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I am glad your licenses and lobsters were in order, because you weren't stopped by Customs and Border Protection, you were stopped by the elite agents of "The Fish Police"
NOAA has 474 agents in the air looking for illegal dolphin catchers and undersized lobster snarers within 200 miles of the US coast. They stopped you because you looked like fishermen. Had you been illegal aliens, I can guarantee a Coast Guard cutter would have been with you shortly.
All Federal agencies but the FBI used to train in Glynco, GA, and Customs and Border Patrol agents used to make fun of The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency's "Fish Police" but it is really a pretty cool job.
(Florida Fish and Game has agents too, but they can't afford helicopters). CBP has jurisdiction within 25 miles, and the Coast Guard and Navy take it from there.
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http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ole/
August 6th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
It's because Illegal Immigrants are better than us *rolles eyes*
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August 6th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Law's can be changed!!!! In a world full of terrorist's it is time to change this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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August 7th, 2007 at 5:16 am
Wow. That's quite a story! And it almost seems like it was worth the hassle to be boarded by the agents just so you have a the story to tell. I hope you got some pictures with them on your boat
But what it boils down to is how much intrusion of the government are you willing to accept in your daily life in order to reduce crime or to reduce illegal immigration or terrorism or whatever. If this same thing happened EVERY time you went fishing I'd bet it would stop being a neat story and start to get annoying. And then maybe the preventative measures being taken (the boarding of your boat) might no longer be worth the benefit (reducing illegal fishing to a certain degree). Same thing applies to asking about immigration status.
Just a thought.
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