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Delta Pax Forced to Show ID Before Deplaning Take Legal Action

The incident occurred late last winter on a domestic Delta flight which had just landed in NYC. Customs and Border Protection agents say they were searching for an illegal immigrant.

Nine travelers who were asked to show identification on a domestic Delta Air Lines flight say that they were subjected to an unconstitutional search and are taking legal action against the government, reports the Washington Post.

The incident occurred last February, when Customs and Border Protection agents boarded Delta Air Lines Flight 1583, which had just arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from San Francisco. Once on the ground, the agents demanded to see identification documentation before allowing passengers off of the flight. The officials were searching for an illegal immigrant who had been served with a deportation order.

When queried, the officials told passengers that their request was a standard procedure. One traveler, Kelley Amadei, told the outlet that cabin crew had told passengers that “nobody would be allowed to deplane until they showed government-issued identification.”

Reflecting on the request, Amadei said, “That was alarming to me, because that’s not something I had heard before. My initial instinct was, ‘Has something happened? Are we in danger?’”

The nine unnamed passengers who are lodging the suit are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU has petitioned a federal judge to expressly forbid authorities from asking passengers to show ID prior to disembarking from a domestic flight.

Commenting on the incident, Cecilia Wang, the ACLU’s deputy legal director said, “There was no lawful justification for detaining every single passenger on this domestic flight.”

Spokespersons for both the Justice Department as well as Customs and Border Protection have declined to offer comment. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told the outlet that the actions of the agents on DL1583 were ‘normal’.

“When we’re asked by our law enforcement partners to assist in searching for a person of interest, we are able to, and will, help,” the official was quoted as saying.

[Photo: Shutterstock]

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17 Comments
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Annerk October 24, 2018

The ACLU helped me get a public school bus driver removed 20 years ago. She insisted that the children on the bus--who were from a very gentrified neighborhood with very mixed faiths including at least Atheist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim--learn Bible quotes and pray during the 60 minute r/t ride every day. She gave them prayer cards and leaflets containing information on an extremely conservative Christian organization. I found it patently offensive, and my child was deeply upset by it. I took the proper steps, first speaking with the transportation department, then the District Superintendent, then the Board of Ed, and the activity continued. After three months of this nonsense and getting nowhere fast, I reached out to ACLU and with one letter the driver was fired. I would reach out to them again in a heartbeat for assistance. By the way, I'm a white middle-aged lady living in the suburbs and listening to U2 on Alexa right now, to put it into perspective.

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jrpallante October 17, 2017

What a bunch of whiners. It is very clear that everybody on the secure side of the airport is subject to search at any time. If you are not sure whether a lawsuit is frivolous, just look for "ACLU." Nine times our of ten, they are on the wrong side.

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PapaJack October 17, 2017

I think I was on that flight. Yeah I should she because of the 14 seconds of my life I lost getting off a plane. These people should have the court fine them for timewasting, and the lawyers disbarred.

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dlflyer2 October 17, 2017

Welcome to the police state. Their stated "purpose". Everyone was detained and subjected to examination. What is to stop police agencies and their agents from stating a purpose and then using it for intimidation or other reasons.

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respawn October 17, 2017

"I like knowing that the people who are on a plane, are the ones who are suppose to fly..." Too bad for your sense of safety. They were already on the plane and had already flown.