July 9, 2014 / Modified jul 9, 2014 12:23 p.m.

Arivaca Residents Protest Border Patrol Checkpoint

Have asked for its closures since last year, alleging it is a violation of their civil rights.

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Residents of Arivaca, Ariz. gathered at a nearby Border Patrol checkpoint Wednesday morning as part of a day of protest taking place across the Southwest against border checkpoints.

Residents have been actively calling for the closure of the checkpoint on Arivaca Road since last year. They say the checkpoint is a violation of their civil rights and causes disruption to daily life in the town.

Sophie Smith has lived in Arivaca for three years.

She said community members will be near the checkpoint to distribute information on U.S. citizens' constitutional rights when in the border zone.

"There’s also going to be a protest component, where at the Know Your Rights booth we’ll also be handing out signs that say ‘no checkpoints,'" she said. "The last part of what we’re doing is setting up a water station on the southbound side of the road, where people can pick up water gallons and information about giving humanitarian aid, so they can be prepared if they encounter somebody who is crossing the desert.”

Smith said attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union are currently seeking to file a federal lawsuit against the legality of checkpoints that are located within the U.S. interior.

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