Greyhound requiring employees to screen for illegal immigrants

[Newsjock]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002513607_webgreyhound22.html

By Elliot Spagat
Associated Press Writer

SAN DIEGO — Greyhound Lines Inc., the nation's largest intercity bus company, has threatened to fire employees who sell bus tickets to illegal immigrants under an internal policy that some Hispanic advocacy groups are calling an invitation to racial profiling.

The "Transportation of Illegal Aliens" policy warns Greyhound's customer service employees to beware of people in large groups, moving in single file and traveling with little or no luggage. It says other telltale signs include people "trying to hide or stay out of plain view" or large groups led by a "guide" who holds everyone's tickets.

... Greyhound notes that while the policy prohibits profiling based on "race, national heritage, gender, age, religion, disability, etc," federal law also makes it a crime to knowingly transport an illegal immigrant.

more

[MsConduct]

1. I doubt that they get paid enough to do "Homeland Security's"

job for them. What a steaming pile.

[alarcojon]

2. These Latino spokespeople have it right

They participated in a conference call with Greyhound attorneys.

"When the standard is that you should know who is in the U.S. illegally, it is a recipe for singling out Latinos," said Cecilia Munoz of the National Council of La Raza in Washington, D.C., who participated in the call. "You're not going to go after the Irish-looking guy."

John Trasvina of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Los Angeles, who also joined the call, took issue with Greyhound's requirement that employees deny tickets to "anyone you know or believe to be an illegal alien."

"On what basis does someone know it or believe to know that?" Trasvina said. "There's a great risk that the employee will go overboard."

Large Hispanic groups are more likely to be targeted than a Japanese or German tour group, he said.

[NYC]

3. Are we heading for national identification cards?

It may be illegal to transport illegal aliens, but once the illegal aliens are in the U.S., and remain within the U.S. borders, why should any form of public transportation be involved in this?

This will create a need for either profiling or national identification cards.

I think it is an unnecessary requirement. Let INS track them down, not bus drivers.