New Hampshire’s Concord Coach Lines Won’t Allow Immigration Checks Without Warrant
Going forward, immigration officers must have a warrant in order to check passengers on Concord Coach Lines' buses, according to WMUR. The report says agents from Customs and Border Protection will not be able to "board private buses without the consent of the bus company." Bus drivers who work for the New Hampshire company now have cards they can give to Border Patrol agents which spell out the new policy.
The move reportedly comes in part as a response to the American Civil Liberties Union call to action for transportation companies to refuse the immigration checks to protect the rights of people of color.
Concord's vice president Benjamin Blunt is quoted by WMUR as saying:
The safety of our passengers is not something that we take lightly. We have understood the arguments for making this change, but have worked to fully understand the implications that a change would have on law enforcement's ability to prevent all forms of criminal behavior. We are confident that this is the right thing to do.