Civil rights lawyers from nine states, including New York, are urging the Greyhound bus company to refuse to allow federal officers to question passengers about their immigration status. Agents with US Customs and Border Protection are conducting the checks across large areas of upstate New York and other places in the US, according to New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) staff attorney, Jordan Wells.
Greyhound says it has no option but to comply with the federal government but has attempted to begin discussions with Border Patrol to find a balance between the privacy and dignity of customers and the need to enforce federal law. The company says it is aware of the concerns of lawyers and passengers about the checks, acknowledging that the efficiency of its operation and the travel experience of its customers can be affected and that it will do everything it legally can to reduce negative experiences.
Dave Long, the western New York-based spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, declined to comment on Greyhound’s legal obligation to comply with the immigration checks, stating that enforcement actions taken away from the US border have been carried out for decades and that agents with Border Patrol have the right to question and arrest suspected undocumented immigrants and are not limited to certain areas in the country.
But, Donna Lieberman, the director of NYCLU, says that Greyhound has a constitutional right to refuse to allow border officials who do not have a warrant to conduct checks on its vehicles.