Friday, June 17, 2011

Some Upset By Bus Station TSA Sweep (KCCI-IA)

Some Upset By Bus Station TSA Sweep

POSTED: 4:27 pm CDT June 17, 2011

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Homeland Security and TSA sweep of the bus station in Des Moines has some civil libertarians upset.

The VIPR operation was held at the Greyhound bus depot. TSA officials said it was designed as a deterrent against terrorists.

Some who witnessed the actions said they questioned what was really going on.

"It creates an environment, an atmosphere at the local level that police and officers are prioritizing the profiling of Hispanics," said Alex Orozco, who witnessed the VIPR operation.

Orozco who also happens to be a board member for the Iowa ACLU said skin color and national origin appeared to be the reasons passengers were being singled out tuesday afternoon.

"I'm Hispanic so I feel targeted. If I go somewhere next time, is there going to be a federal agent start questioning me because I have an accent or I look Hispanic? I don't know," said Orozco.

A TSA spokesperson said the agency has organized these VIPR operations hundreds of times in the past year in Iowa. The operations can be public like at the bus station or less conspicuous, like at a train yard.

The TSA told KCCI that they want people to know the agency is here to protect the transportation infrastructure. The agency is not responsible for enforcement of immigration law, but two agents from immigration and customs enforcement were also at the bus station during the sweep.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman said he understood two people were questioned briefly at the bus station, but said no one was arrested.

The ACLU released a statement about the incident on Thursday.

"No one in America should have to submit to a seizure and interrogation simply because of their race," said Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa ACLU.

1 comment:

Chris said...

Ever notice when reporters cover these stories they only talk to law enforcement or Hispanic people.Why don't they ask Americans of a different race as opposed to the very race that they are rounding up.