I think the government has the right to identify someone and know their citizenship status.
There are tragic consequences to unlawful entry. If one of these people were to get sick, who is the next of kin? Do they contact the consulate for their country?
Well - it's offensive to even ask for citizenship. But proper procedure would be to reach out to the consulate in their country for help.
Having the surveillance tools and infrastructure in place is analogous to having fire hydrants. We don't use them all the time, but they're there when it counts. However:
> doesn’t include cellular phone tower data, is not ingested in bulk and doesn’t include the individual user’s identity,”
> People familiar with some of the efforts say it is used to generate investigative leads about possible illegal border crossings and for detecting or tracking migrant groups.
The thing I'm a bit concerned about is people tend to view turning their head from illegal border crossings as if it's a form of charity or humanity. Asylum are supposed to go to the port of entry and declare asylum and begin their process in immigration court.
Here's why I'm skeptical of illegal border crossers being assumed asylum seekers:
If it were me and I were in a dangerous situation in South America/anywhere else seeking asylum in US, I'd be going to the US embassy closest to me and giving them a dossier about myself, my life, my hopes and dreams and fears, my passport, about how I love love love USA, baseball and Tom Cruise (heh), family photos, my DNA sample and fingerprints, my birth certificate. I am there to demonstrate I am waiting in line, I am who I am, and at the very least, you know me. I'd let them know to expect me at X date, at X port, And I'd arrive at port of entry in USA.
It's not known for the unlawful entrant is - a terrorist, spy, drug trafficker, carrying prohibited wildlife / plants / etc. or someone just dodging a custom fee. What other choice does the gov have? What are they supposed to think? How can it be done better?