96 Year-Old Latino Former Arizona Governor Detained, Disrespected by Border Patrol in 100 Degree Heat

In photo, Raul Hector Castro, a Mexican-born American politician. He has served in both elected and non-elected public offices, including United States Ambassador and the 14th Governor of Arizona (1975-77). He was the first Mexican American to be elected governor of Arizona. At the age of 96, he is the oldest living United States governor. He was stopped and detained for nearly an hour by Border Patrol - the 3rd time he has been stopped by police. Although he was not stopped and detained under the racist Arizona law upheld by the Court last month, such a stop would have been lawful under state law.  That is, to the police he looks "illegal" due to his skin color -he is not white. These police seizures violate the 4th Amendment and the application of the law violates the Equal protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Arizona law, similar copy cat Juan Crow laws in other states such as Georgia (see above story) and the NYC stop and frisk policy may be preconditions to genocide. Yes genocide. As the number of Jews or more specifically, semites (non-whites) rose in Nazi Germany, Jews felt the effects of many decrees and regulations that restricted all aspects of their public and private lives. In the U.S. changing demographics may cause such a tipping point as well. Watch your back - bw. From [ThinkProgress] and [HERE] Last month Castro was stopped by U.S. border patrol agents after residual radiation from a medical procedure he’d recently undergone triggered an alarm at a checkpoint in Tubac, AZ. The 96 year-old heart patient was then forced to exit his vehicle in the 100 degree Arizona heat and wait in a tent in a business suit, even as his companion begged the agents not to subject an elderly man to such treatment. Castro said he was detained for 40 to 45 minutes; the federal agency said it lasted 10 minutes.

"I don't think being Hispanic had anything to do with it," the 96-year-old Castro said. Castro's wife, however, is calling for changes in Border Patrol procedures. She said the Border Patrol officials need to use "more common sense" when they encounter elderly people who have undergone medical procedures.

This is the third time the former governor and ambassador has been detained by border control. The first occurred years ago while he was repairing his own fence and agents stopped him and asked to see his work card — although they eventually desisted after Castro pointed out a sign by his farm entrance that read “Judge Castro.” The second occurred years later in San Diego, although that encounter ended shortly after someone recognized Castro and said “Governor, how are you?”

Castro downplayed the detention, noting that he wasn't pleased with the way he was treated but didn't file a complaint.

He said that he understands Border Patrol agents are "there to do a job" but that they need a better system for dealing with elderly people. He said he was exposed to the sun during part of the questioning.

"Once I identified myself, who I was, and that I had been to the doctor, I was under medical care, I have a pacemaker on my heart, (I would have thought) that they would have been more considerate and said, 'Keep on going.' But that didn't happen," Castro said.

Alessandra Soler, executive director of the American Civil Liberties of Arizona, said Castro's experience with agents was not unique.

"This happens all the time in terms of these types of indiscriminate stops of individuals not suspected of any wrongdoing," Soler said.

She said agents should have used discretion instead of relying solely on technology to decide to detain Castro.