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The United States Border Patrol is reportedly monitoring millions of American drivers and detaining those that are deemed "suspicious," according to the Associated Press.
A secretive program implemented by the agency has resulted in drivers being stopped, searched and arrested in some cases with a network of cameras scanning and recording license plate information, as well as an algorithm flagging vehicles deemed to be suspicious based on where they were coming, going and the routes taken. Drivers who have been pulled over have typically been cited for speeding, failure to signal, having the wrong window tint or a dangling air freshener blocking the view, at which point they face aggressive questioning and searches, with no knowledge that they were actually put on the officer's radar due to "suspicious" driving, the Associated Press reports.
The U.S. Border Patrol has reportedly extended from policing the nation's boundaries to its interior, monitoring Americans' daily actions rather than targeting wanted suspects. The shift was reported to have started about a decade ago in order to combat illegal border-related activities and the trafficking of drugs and people and has expanded during the last five years.
The Border Patrol has recently been given more power as its collaborated with other agencies, with the Drug Enforcement Administration running the license plate readers that have helped access information on drivers, as well as private companies and law enforcement programs through federal grants.