T.S.A. Expands Duties Beyond Airport Security
By RON NIXON
Published: August 5, 2013
WASHINGTON ? As hundreds of commuters emerged from Amtrak and commuter trains at Union Station on a recent morning, an armed squad of men and women dressed in bulletproof vests made their way through the crowds.
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?The problem with T.S.A. stopping and searching people in public places outside the airport is that there are no real legal standards, or probable cause,? said Khaliah Barnes, administrative law counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington. ?It?s something that is easily abused because the reason that they are conducting the stops is shrouded in secrecy.?
T.S.A. officials respond that the random searches are ?special needs? or ?administrative searches? that are exempt from probable cause because they further the government?s need to prevent terrorist attacks...
