Originally Posted by
whirledtraveler
I'd like the know the answers to these questions, but I doubt we ever will because of secret laws.
I suspect that if you were ever approached for questioning at an airport and you refused, you'd be arrested for trespass, disobeying a police officer, failure to comply or something else. Maybe some lawyers here can correct me.
It's not really a question of "secret laws" but the same 4th Amendment jurisprudence that applies everywhere, but sadly, most Americans are unaware.
Here, my guess that after all the posturing and posing (on both sides), you would be escorted to the nearest exit.
Your right to refuse a search ends at the entrance to the sterile area. You may refuse, and just simply leave. Consent, and the ball is in their court.
The murkier issue is what happens if, after passing through security, you are asked for yet another screening.
I would suspect that "reasonable suspicion" (once inside the promised land) would allow a LEO to question you, at least. If you refuse, or if your answers don't line up, that may morph into the requisite "probable cause" for a further search (relying on the diminished expectation of privacy at airports and border crossings), arrest, or escort to the exits.