The practice includes DEA special agents or task force officers approaching individuals at airports and then asking for consent to search the individual’s belongings.
The DOJ’s move comes four years after Scripps News Tampa Investigative Reporter Kylie McGivern highlighted the practice of civil asset forfeiture at airports by the DEA.
Civil asset forfeiture allows federal agencies to seize cash and other property suspected of being involved in a crime, even if charges are never filed against the owner.
The Institute for Justice called the move a “pretty significant change.”
“It means that air travelers across the United States, at all domestic airports, will not be subjected to these ‘consensual encounter’ interrogations by DEA,” said Dan Alban, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice.
“Controversial” universally seems to mean “the worst sort of bullshit imaginable, but let’s be polite for some reason.”
This is theft.
The entire concept is theft. They just take shit… and go fuck yourself. I’m aware of the excuses and they don’t matter because they are plainly just excuses. Inanimate objects can’t be plaintiffs and even if they were they’d be presumed innocent.
Even the chosen name for this bullshit is an intolerable lie.
At an airport. Consent does not exist in high security areas. What do people think happens if they refuse? Not in a rhetorical sense, but what do they actually think the consequences of a refusal will be?
This is no difference than a gang asking politely for payment and then hand waiving any concerns, it was a request! They could have refused!
The expectation is punishment for refusal.
I didn’t even know this was a thing. I never carry cash because everything works throughout the US. It’s the international travelers that probably get stopped, right? That’s even worse because they may not know the laws or have anyone to ask or tell.
The Las Vegas tourism board literally warns big players that when traveling to LV with large amounts of cash, avoid x states, do not fly, keep the money in a locked box, and do not answer any police questions about it, but primarily that they will have specific facilities in the casinos to allow large cash withdrawals and will work with your bank to claim the money within their terms, after they have made sure you have the funds to be withdrawn. then front you the cash.
suspends asset-forfeiture
Yay!
targeting airline travelers
Oh, right. Only for richer people.
Rich people aren’t the only people who fly.
Next time it will be everyone with a car, then a bike, then food. No problem, only rich people, right?
… for the next three weeks or so.
Why would anyone say yes to such a request?
People who haven’t done anything wrong and don’t want to miss their flight through arguing with the authorities would probably comply. They know there’s no drugs in their luggage, it’s the DEA.
You should never consent to unlawful searches. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done anything wrong. They’re looking for things to arrest you for, or things to steal, or someone to plant evidence on. They’re definitely not trying to protect you, that’s for sure.
Who would say no?
People who don’t want strangers who are known for thievery and entrapment snooping around in their personal belongings?
Very odd then that I have never ever seen anyone say no to anything at an airport.
