DALLAS – Greyhound Lines has refused a request by the American Civil Liberties Union that the company refuse to allow immigration agents to board its buses unless they have a judicial warrant for a specific passenger.
U.S. Border Patrol agents have been boarding Greyhound buses and questioning passengers in their attempts to crack down on illegal immigration.
ACLU chapters in California and nine other states sent a letter saying the company “should not be in the business of subjecting its passengers to intimidating interrogations, suspicionless searches, warrantless arrests, and the threat of deportation.”
In response to the letter, Greyhound said in a statement that it understood the concerns of the ACLU and bus passengers but said it “is required to comply with the law.”
The company cited federal laws allowing immigration officers within 100 miles of the border to enter and search any vehicle “to prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States,” and to detain individuals, without a warrant, based on a “reasonable suspicion” that they were illegally in the country, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“We are aware that routine transportation checks not only affect our operations, but our customers’ travel experience, and we will continue to do everything legally possible to minimize any negative experiences,” the company said.
“Greyhound has opened a dialogue with the Border Patrol to see if there is anything that can be done to balance the enforcement of federal law with the dignity and privacy of our valued customers.”
The letter was prompted by several incidents on Greyhound premises or buses in recent months, including at least two in California. In January, Border Patrol agents boarded a Greyhound bus in Indio and asked every passenger for proof of citizenship, the ACLU said.
In February, the ACLU said, agents boarded another Greyhound bus in Indio and seized a passenger as he was boarding. They questioned him and held him for possible deportation, explaining afterward that they singled him out because his shoes looked “suspicious,” as if he had just crossed the border.
The ACLU said Greyhound and its passengers are protected under the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which generally requires officers to obtain a warrant, based on probable cause of wrongdoing, before seizing anyone.
“Greyhound has a Fourth Amendment right to deny (the Border Patrol) permission to board and search its buses without a judicial warrant,” the ACLU said in its letter. “We urge Greyhound to change its policy.”
