· YouTube · By Border Crossing Law Firm · From the Border Crossing Law Firm media archive.
This patrol recording shows a Montana Highway Patrol officer extending a traffic stop to investigate whether Latino driver Jose Rios was lawfully in the United States. Although Rios repeatedly said he was a naturalized citizen and produced a driver's license and Social Security card, the officer contacted federal immigration authorities, questioned him about his parents and addresses, and held him until they confirmed his identity before issuing the original speeding citation.
The footage provides a direct view of the roadside practices challenged by Shahid Haque and the Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance. It shows how an ordinary traffic stop could become an immigration investigation based on accent, ethnicity, and suspicion even when the driver was a United States citizen.