PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A New Hampshire bus line will consider changing its policy of allowing Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks aboard its buses.
Concord Coach Lines decision follows Greyhound’s announcement it will no longer allow warrantless checks aboard its buses, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Greyhound sent a letter last week informing the Department of Homeland Security and plans to implement training for employees on the new policy.
The policy changes follow a memo from the Customs and Border Protection that says agents must demonstrate they gained access to the bus with the consent of both the company’s owner and an employee.
Benjamin Blunt, vice president of Concord Coach Lines, said in a written statement Monday that the change came in concern for passengers who are transferring to or from a Greyhound bus.
Blunt previously defended allowing Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks, saying the company did not want drivers responsible for determining when law enforcement does and does not have probable cause.
The American Civil Liberties Union has been pushing for bus companies to deny searches for fear that passengers with foreign accents or darker complexions will be singled out.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.