Greyhound, the largest bus company in the United States, announced that it will no longer allow Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks on their buses without a warrant.
The major bus company revealed in an email statement on Friday that it no longer consents to any Border Patrol agents or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducting unwarranted searches on its buses or terminal areas that are not open to the public, the Associated Press first reported. Such non-public areas would include company offices or places where a ticket is required.
“Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and team members, and we are confident these changes will lead to an improved experience for all parties involved,” read a Greyhound statement.
The company said it will provide bus station employees and drivers with training on the updated policy, and it will also put stickers on each of its buses stating that it does not consent to immigration searches.
The decision comes after Greyhound has faced heavy criticism from progressive and immigrant-rights groups for allowing Border Patrol officials to board its buses to verify customers’ immigration statuses. The agency has long maintained that these checks are an efficient way to crack down on narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal immigration.
Illegal alien advocates, nevertheless, rejoiced at the announcement.
“We are pleased to see Greyhound clearly communicate that it does not consent to racial profiling and harassment on its buses,” Andrea Flores, a spokeswoman for the ACLU, stated to the Associated Press. “By protecting its customers and employees, Greyhound is sending a message that it prioritizes the communities it serves.”
It appears that an unearthed memo may be what sparked Greyhound to change its policy.
The company — despite receiving criticism from immigrant-rights advocates — previously argued that it had no choice but to allow Border Patrol agents conduct these checks. However, an internal Border Patrol memo, signed by then-Border Patrol chief Carla Provost in January, confirmed that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited agents from searching private buses without their consent or without a warrant.
About a week after the memo was leaked to the Associated Press, Greyhound came out with its policy change.
CBP did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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