Originally Posted by
Often1
TSA Officers do not have the authority to make arrests, but they may certainly detain an individual whom they have a reasonable suspicion to believe has committed a crime and hold that person for a brief period of time for a law enforcement officer.
False. They are operating as screening agents. In that capacity they actually have *less* authority under law than any other citizen to detain anyone. If they try to detain *anyone* under colour of authority then they are breaking the law. They have the legal authority to screen you and/or forbid you from entering the sterile area. That is *all* they can legally do.