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Hi friends,
Last Friday I took a Greyhound bus to Cleveland, Ohio. This bus also stopped
in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, NY. When we stopped in Rochester a man
whose uniform and truck said USBP — U.S. Border Patrol I take it, walked
onto the bus and began asking people, including me, what country we were
from (I’m a half-Japanese half-white U.S. citizen). He flashed his badge and
identified himself as “Homeland Security.”
The people who were from other countries he asked for their status and I.D. In this case, the I.D. and status of everyone he questioned on the bus seemed to be in order and no one was taken off the bus, and we went on our way.
1. What other reports have there been of this kind of sweep?
2. Have there been reports of people being arrested off the bus in this kind
of sweep?
3. What are the legal issues relevant to this tactic?
In “know your rights” literature I’ve read that if you’re questioned about
your status you have the right to refuse to answer without a lawyer present.
I would like to know exactly what laws to cite and how best to handle the
situation, both for myself as a citizen and for someone who doesn’t have
citizenship status. I’m personally outraged by this and I would be willing
to take the bus just to be there when this happens again, so I could stand
up and inform everyone on the bus that they have the right not to answer
this man. I’d be willing to risk arrest for this, but I would like to know
exactly what the law is so that I can stay in the legal “right” while still
challenging this outrageous violation of civil rights.
If we can gather more info on when and where this is being done, another
worthwhile thing would be to tell people waiting for buses and distribute
“know your rights” pamphlets at the Port Authority and other bus terminals.
Anyone with info or thoughts, please post and/or email me.
solidarity,
Konrad Aderer
email:
aderkon*at*lifeorliberty.org
