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Thursday, November 14, 2024

Dems Demand Answers on CBP Border List of Reporters and Lawyers

House Democrats are demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security about a list of 59 mostly American reporters, attorneys and activists who have been targeted for questioning and searched when crossing the U.S-Mexican border.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), who chairs the border subcommittee, wrote Thursday to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, expressing “great concern” about reports of the list, which they said the agency was “using to stop, detain, question, and search reporters, attorneys, and advocates at the southern border.”

“This troubling practice … raises serious legal and constitutional questions,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The appearance that CBP is targeting journalists, lawyers, and advocates, and particularly those who work on immigration matters or report on border and immigration issues, raises questions about possible misuse of CBP’s border search authority and requires oversight to ensure the protection of Americans’ legal and constitutional rights,” they went on.

The lawmakers asked for a copy of the list, “any dossiers of those on the list, and the reasons why individuals were placed on the list.”

Read the letter here.

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The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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