Associated Press
KIMBALL TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A federal program to randomly check cars in a search for terrorists and illegal immigrants was being brought to Michigan, home of the largest concentration of Arabs in America.
Starting Tuesday, U.S. Border Patrol agents at the random checkpoints will ask passengers their citizenship and will have leeway to ask a host of follow-up questions.
"It's all about homeland security. Bottom line, we are here to be vigilant about the safety and security of the American people,'' INS spokesman Greg Palmore said before a news conference Tuesday.
New York, Vermont and New Hampshire are among the northern border areas that already have similar programs in place, said Mario Villarreal, a Border Patrol spokesman. Officials also set up a similar program in northwest Washington state last weekend, he said.
The practice of checkpoints is common in southern border states such as Texas and California.
Michigan is home to about 350,000 Arab-Americans, more on a percentage basis than any other state. The population is concentrated in southeastern Michigan.
Posted by Suzanne at November 12, 2002