GUWonder

There has been at least one relatively recent thread on FT about CBP having seized money from relatives who jointly, but not severally, exceeded 10k.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

A few folks have disagreed with my comments and have focused mostly on the race issue. My comment was based on the totality of the incident.

As stated, I am no expert in CBP but at Ports of Entry searches of persons and personal effects in their possession are reasonable per se. However, it is unclear whether this rule also applies to CBP efforts to interdict outgoing traffic of persons who are leaving the United States.

So unless someone can find something to contrary I'll stand by my statement that in the totality a complaint is warranted.

seawolf

Those CBP folks are a bunch of discriminatory a**holes. They discriminate against Russians by searching a flight going to Moscow, Indians on a flight going to Mumbai, Germans on a flight to Frankfurt, Chinese on a flight to Shanghai.....

This point I can agree on. OP could have refused to sign as declaration is not required unless OP exceeded the limit.

pinkblanket

OP, when you cross the border, you can forget about the Constitution. That's high school civic class, not the real USA. Just think that you are guilty until proven otherwise. All of your properties belong to US govt and they can randomly search you or your bag just because you stare at the agent.

The agents are doing that so they can say that they harass x amount of passengers per day. It's like job report so they can show that they are doing something and not just eat donuts all day at Dunkin Donuts. They can careless about your skin color. Just be glad that your name is not on the TSA black list.

RTW1

That's a bit debatable as well..... the outbound check is not standard, but the regulations do stipulate it can be executed. And for the inbound check you always need to make a declaration, either that you have less than $10k or that you carry more (two different forms).
And you can always use your "right" to debate with a CBP officer what you aren't required to do. It's always a good thing to tell others how to do their job, increases the entertainment value. However the more practical inclined among us would simply make the declaration and be done with it :-). After all it's a simple declaration, not something you can avoid on the rest of your journey either.

If you simply accept that when traveling by air these formalities exist your travels will be so much better. I still fail to say what all the commotion is about here, it's rather BAU for most of us that travel.
Having a baby with you or thinking of yourself as respectable who isn't breaking the law isn't really relevant here. It's just among the many inconveniences life offers....

FlyingUnderTheRadar

RTW1 - I would be interesting in the regulations that you state ...

That said one needs to pick their battles and when to do it. Especially, when dealing with anyone in the position of power. But the bottom-line is one should not just roll-over when someone exceeds their authority.

GUWonder

Export controls are enforceable under U.S. law. Amongst allowable export controls are those involving declaration requirements for export of goods, inclusive of cash and certain other physical financial instruments.

If you are seeking a US legal requirement to sign a form to declare to the CBP cash export amounts under $10,000, there is no such requirement; however, refusal may not necessarily be free of consequences from the petty, little Napoleon segment of the CBP making an issue over such matter -- especially when the segment is already prejudiced against the passenger as evidenced by search selection that hassles the innocent who fit a so-called profile.

FateSucks

I had something similar to me happened twice in ATL and CDG. Being of multi-ethnic descent, I do become the victim of profiling and mistaking my ethnicity, frequently.


The former when I was returning from a holiday in Spain with my old non-biometric US passport nearing the expiration date and I was quite tanned at that time in my old passport photo (high school soccer and being outdoors a lot) that the CBP thought I was Malaysian (hence: Muslim) because of my somewhat slanted/almond shaped eyes and dark skin tone based on my old passport photo and he searched my bags and insisted I was Malaysian and Muslim which I am neither (my parents come from Mexico with my dad being of Spaniard/French descent while my mother is of native Mexican mix with some Chinese and Spaniard throughout the years) and questioned why I look so much lighter now than back when my passport photo was taken....I was quite upset that I refuse to fly through ATL.

In CDG, with my new biometric passport reflecting my current complexion (olive/light tan), the border control officers made a remark about my past travel destinations looking at my stamps in my visa pages and remarked if I was Jewish.....I am not.


And asked if I have any money to declare...for real this time. Yes, the border control officer said something like that judging by my appearance and going by stereotypes that Jews are liars, rich, and try to cheat border inspections when it comes to declaring items or cash.

I was annoyed but not as upset compared to my experience in ATL, to give him credit, he did not search my bags nor ask a lot of personal questions (other than how long will I be in EU).

brettalb

I've had the same search done on me while leaving the country. I hate it, but I don't believe it to be racism (due to my ethnicity).

trini19

Getting searched is a normal process. However, I did not know about having to sign a form stating the amount of money you are carrying. I would of questioned this part but in the end done what was required to get on board quickly (mainly for lack of overhead space).

Counsellor

I realize English may not be your first language, so this is not meant as criticism but rather information.

There is a distinction between "racial" profiling and "racist" profiling. What you're describing in the above paragraph is "racial" profiling. Perfectly legal in this circumstance. And not all "discrimination" is illegal, only discrimination without a rational basis (the legal term would be "invidious discrimination") or that specifically prohibited by law.

GUWonder

English is my first language; and it's the only language which I speak with a native-born, local accent -- as I'm a US-born American whose family has been in the US for multiple generations which attended only schools with English as the primary medium of education.

"Racial profiling" is a euphemism for what is fundamentally racist profiling, but the objection you make is not surprising. Nor is the objection new. It's expected that those who advocate for "racial profiling" don't like having it noted for what it is: racist profiling.

I'm well aware that neither all discrimination nor all racist behavior is illegal. It's not news to me either. There is a reason I supplied a link here about the DHS lobbying to keep racist profiling alive at our airports.

You want to go where?

I find the term cash "mule" interesting, but not necessarily appropriate in cases where CBP is trying to enforce the reporting of transfers of cash (or equivalent) in amounts of more than $10,000. A mule is someone who carries something for someone else. While I have little doubt that cash mules exist, I would presume that many of the people who violate this regulation are carrying their own cash and that CBP is equally interested in these people as the mules.

RTW1

Not really, most that need to smuggle large quantities of cash really have something to hide and use others to do the work where there is a risk of detection.

GUWonder

After stripping out the electronically-flagged individuals singled out for search, most of the remaining US common carrier passengers whose unlawfully underdeclared/undeclared cash is discovered by DHS at US airport departure gate/jetbridge areas probably had nothing to hide prior to getting stopped at the airport by DHS.

Those that most need to smuggle large quantities of cash internationally don't generally use common carrier passengers as cash-carrying mules. Rather they use other vehicles/means to get large quantities of cash abroad, vehicles/means which don't rely upon (ignorant or informed) mules.