The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine is seeking more information about a Border Patrol traffic stop that it says may have overstepped the agency's constitutional authority.
The administrative complaint filed Thursday stems from a traffic stop in May near Presque Isle. The ACLU said Border Patrol agents pulled over two Hispanic people for speeding, then allegedly detained a bystander who had stopped to film the interaction.
ACLU staff attorney Anahita Sotoohi said Customs and Border Protection agents do not have the authority to stop people solely based on their race or for traffic violations.
"Just being Hispanic does not create reasonable suspicion or probably cause," she said. "Nor does CBP have the authority to pull people over for speeding."
The stop did not result in any arrests. The ACLU is seeking documents relating to the incident and to CBP's authority to conduct traffic stops in Maine.
A Border Patrol spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
