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8 U.S. Code § 1357 - Powers of immigration officers and employees
(a) Powers
without warrant
Any officer or employee of the
Service authorized under regulations prescribed by the
Attorney General shall have power without warrant—
(1)
to interrogate any
alien or person believed to be an
alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United
States;
(2)
to arrest any
alien who in his presence or view is entering or attempting to enter the United
States in violation of any law or regulation made in pursuance of law regulating the admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of
aliens, or to arrest any
alien in the United
States, if he has reason to believe that the
alien so arrested is in the United
States in violation of any such law or regulation and is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest, but the
alien arrested shall be taken without unnecessary delay for examination before an officer of the
Service having authority to examine
aliens as to their right to enter or remain in the United
States;
(3)
within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the United
States, to board and search for
aliens any vessel within the territorial waters of the United
States and any railway car, aircraft, conveyance, or vehicle, and within a distance of twenty-five miles from any such external boundary to have access to private lands, but not dwellings, for the purpose of patrolling the border to prevent the illegal entry of
aliens into the United
States;
(4)
to make arrests for felonies which have been committed and which are cognizable under any law of the United
States regulating the admission, exclusion, expulsion, or removal of
aliens, if he has reason to believe that the person so arrested is guilty of such felony and if there is likelihood of the person escaping before a warrant can be obtained for his arrest, but the person arrested shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the nearest available officer empowered to commit persons charged with offenses against the laws of the United
States; and
(5) to make arrests—
(A)
for any offense against the United
States, if the offense is committed in the officer’s or employee’s presence, or
(B)
for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United
States, if the officer or employee has reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such a felony,