Amarillo Greyhound Buses Will Now Deny Searches For Immigrants

I was not aware that Greyhound Bus allowed federal agents to board their fleet of buses without warrant for any undocumented persons traveling. In a stunning company announcement Greyhound is taking a stand, nationwide.

“Greyhound Lines will no longer allow Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks on its buses without warrants”, the company announced on Friday one week after a leaked government memo revealed that agents could not board buses without consent.

The memo appeared to take Greyhound by surprise. For years, the company, the largest operator of intercity buses in America, had been allowing border agents to board its vehicles without warrants, citing a law that it said it didn’t agree with.

The Associated Press has reported that bus companies such as Greyhound do not have to allow Border Patrol agents on board to conduct routine checks for immigrants in the country illegally, which is contrary to the company’s long insistence that it has no choice but to do so.

Greyhound, the nation’s largest bus carrier, has said it does not like the agents coming on board, but it has nevertheless permitted them, claiming federal law demanded it, which is not factually true.

The company said that it would place stickers on its buses clearly displaying their position and that it planned to send a letter to the Department of Homeland Security formally stating they do not consent to warrantless searches on their buses and in terminal areas that are not open to the general public.

The changes are to take effect immediately. The American Civil Liberties Union applauded Greyhound’s announcement.