U.S. can keep guidelines for quizzing travelers a secret, judge rules

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The government doesn't have to disclose its policies for questioning travelers to the United States about their religious and political views, a federal judge has ruled in dismissing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by two San Francisco legal groups.

The Asian Law Caucus and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the case in February, saying more than 20 people, mostly South Asian and Muslim, had complained of being interrogated repeatedly at U.S. airports on such subjects as their views on American foreign policy, whether they hated the government and which mosques they had visited abroad.

The suit also sought information on customs agents' searches of travelers entering the country. In response, the Department of Homeland Security provided records this summer showing that the Bush administration has authorized customs agents to read and copy documents without requiring evidence that a traveler has done anything wrong, the legal groups said.

... On another issue in the suit, Illston said Homeland Security isn't required to identify the databases that customs agents use in assembling "watch lists" of hundreds of thousands of names of people who are supposed to be stopped at borders and airports.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/02/BAR014FKDN.DTL&tsp=1

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

1. The really sad thing is, they believe this is making us safe.

[izquierdista]

2. Grandparents Jewish?

We need to know this information for our records....move along.

[Leftist Agitator]

3. Indeed. In the same vein:

Are you now, or have you ever been a Communist?

:scared:

[No Elephants]

4. I don't blame Homeland Security. Bureaucrats tend to grab power. That's why we have a

judicial branch, to keep the gubbamint in check, so that it does not bump up against individual rights. I guess the bill of rights does not apply to tourists---unless they are also American citizens.