Originally Posted by
3Cforme
CBP isn't TSA. Border is the operative word - courts have been pretty generous (an effective 100-mile border zone) and a domestic flight is certainly a new test of discretion. It may be worthy of a legal challenge. Good on the ACLU for looking.
Does it matter if the two CBP officers were acting on behalf of ICE, which doesn't have the 100-mile border limit?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at John F. Kennedy Airport was contacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) yesterday, February 22, 2017, to assist in locating an individual possibly aboard Delta flight 1583 from San Francisco International Airport to JFK. This individual was ordered removed by an immigration judge. To assist our law enforcement partners, two CBP officers requested identification from those on the flight in order to help identify the individual. The individual was determined not to be on the flight. CBP often receives requests from our law enforcement partners to assist in various ways, including identifying a person of interest. CBP will assist when able to.
The situation is worth investigating, but I don't think this is anything unusual. Law enforcement agencies provide assistance to each other all the time without incident.
Would the ACLU still care if ICE agents had met the plane?