Originally Posted by
cbn42
What law does it violate?
The SPOT program was designed to identify terrorists. Regardless of its effectiveness (or the lack thereof), its purpose is within the paramaters of the DHS's budget allocation. If TSA staff come across potential illegal activity they can, just like you or me, report it to law enforcement.
The GAO investigated the SPOT program and recommended that Congress cut funding for it, but Congress failed to do so. I believe there were some amendments proposed to prevent TSA from hiring additional BDOs, but they weren't passed.
Beside operating a dragnet/fishing expedition of a legally questionable nature, there are things like the Misappropriation Act and other purpose statutes which may be applicable in determining the legality and illegality of use of resources for purposes other than which Congress apportioned them. Interdicting human trafficking -- unlike the purpose of even the ridiculous SPOT/BDO program -- doesn't have as it's purpose a minimally intrusive administrative search to interdict contraband WEIs or even "hazardous to flight" passengers.