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Concord Coach Lines Will Not Allow Random Immigration Checks On Its Buses

After Concord Coach Line's national competitor Greyhound stopped allowing random immigration checks on its buses, and after pressure from civil rights groups, the New Hampshire-based company says it will no longer consent to such checks on its buses.

ACLU of Maine staff attorney Emma Bond says it was absolutely the right thing to do.

“Refusing consent for these warrentless searches protects the community,” says Bond. “It's what the community has been asking for. We've had enough of these warrantless searches and racial profiling from CBP.”

In a statement, Concord Vice President Ben Blunt said the company's employees have been given cards that will communicate the denial to Border Patrol agents. The statement says it is instructing agents not to physically impede agents from boarding a bus, if they have other lawful grounds or otherwise insist on boarding.

Nora is originally from the Boston area but has lived in Chicago, Michigan, New York City and at the northern tip of New York state. Nora began working in public radio at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor and has been an on-air host, a reporter, a digital editor, a producer, and, when they let her, played records.
Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.