Your Rights in the 100-Mile Border Zone What many Americans don’t know, however, is that agents from Customs and Border Patrol have the right under federal law to search people along the border without a search warrant or probable cause. Furthermore, these “border” areas cover a lot more terrain than many people realize. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) points out that 2 out of 3 Americans live within a 100-mile border zone.