Border Patrol agent questions U.S. citizens for speaking Spanish in Montana
HAVRE, Mont. -- A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent questioned two women for speaking Spanish in line at a gas station in Montana. The women, who are U.S. citizens, were asked for identification in the town of Havre on Wednesday.
In a video recorded by one of the women, Ana Suda asked the agent why he wanted to see their IDs. The agent told her he saw they were speaking Spanish, "which is very unheard of up here."
When Suda asked the agent whether he was racially profiling her, he said he wasn't.
"It has nothing to do with that," the agent said. "It's the fact that it has to do with you guys speaking Spanish in the store in a state where it's predominently English-speaking."
Suda said the officer detained them for about 35 minutes.
Suda told CBS affiliate KRTV that she spoke about the incident with her family in Texas, where she was born.
"I say, 'Never have a problem before,'" Suda told KRTV. "I say, 'Montana is perfect,' because I love the people here. The people is so nice. It's nicer than the other states, and I can't believe this happened."
In a statement, Customs and Border Protection says border agents have "broad law enforcement authorities" and can question individuals.