The jurisdiction of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) includes a 100-mile border enforcement zone from any land or maritime border. This zone covers a significant portion of the U.S. population, including major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Two-thirds of the U.S. population lives within this zone, which includes all of Florida and parts of many other states.
Within this 100-mile zone, CBP agents have certain additional authorities, such as operating immigration checkpoints and conducting roving patrols. However, they must adhere to specific legal standards:
For checkpoints, agents need reasonable suspicion to justify stops and searches.
For roving patrols, agents must have reasonable suspicion that an immigration violation or federal crime has occurred to justify a stop.
It’s important to note that CBP’s jurisdiction extends beyond just the immediate border areas to include the entire U.S. coastline and a significant portion of inland states. This means that CBP can operate in many places far from the actual international borders.