- Washington AG Bob Ferguson reached a settlement with intercity bus company Greyhound Lines Inc. (“Greyhound”) to resolve allegations that Greyhound allowed U.S. Customs & Border Protection (“CBP”) agents to conduct immigration sweeps on its buses in violation of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.
- The complaint alleged that Greyhound allowed CBP agents to board its buses and conduct warrantless and suspicionless sweeps and that, as a result, Greyhound’s passengers experienced multiple harms, including travel delays and missed connections, questioning, search, and detention, and discrimination on the basis of race, color, and/or national origin, among other things.
- Under the terms of the consent decree, Greyhound will pay $2.2 million, which will be used for restitution to passengers who were detained, arrested, or deported after the CBP sweeps, and to partially cover attorney’s fees and costs. Greyhound also agreed to change its corporate policies and procedures, including creating a clear corporate policy denying CBP agents permission to board its buses without a warrant or reasonable suspicion. In addition, Greyhound agreed to report to the AG’s office on a semi-annual basis on whether immigration agents have boarded Greyhound buses in Washington for a period of three years.