Know Your Rights: Immigration Agents on Buses
Last updated: March 21, 2018 03:15 pm
The government has asserted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers may operate immigration checkpoints anywhere within 100 miles of the external boundary of the United States. With its 600 miles of border shared with Canada, Maine is a hotspot for these types of checkpoints.
CBP officers routinely board passenger buses without warrants, questioning passengers about their citizenship and travel plans. In many cases, agents will demand to see passengers' "documents." The ACLU argues that these warrantless raids are a blatant disregard of passengers' constitutional rights. We also assert that cooperation between bus operators and CBP is not required; in accordance with court decisions stemming from the Fourth Amendment, bus companies may deny CBP permission to interrogate passengers aboard a bus with a warrant or probable cause.
However, many bus operators still allow agents to board their buses and harass passengers. If this happens to you, know that you have rights.
Open the yellow menus below to learn more about your rights as a bus passenger.
Know Your Rights in Motion: Watch our video series to know your rights when interacting with ICE in English, Español (Spanish), Français (French), اُردُو (Urdu), العَرَبِيَّة (Arabic), Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), Pусский (Russian), 普通话 (Mandarin).
Related Know Your Rights Information:
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Know Your Rights: Video Series for Interacting with Immigration Agents
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