Report: Newark airport screeners targeted Mexicans

[ElNono]

Report: Newark airport screeners targeted Mexicans

NEWARK — A special unit of airport screeners, charged with detecting su ious behavior, engaged in racial profiling so frequently at Newark Liberty International Airport that their resentful colleagues called them "Mexican hunters," according to an internal federal report.

Officially known as behavior detection officers, or BDOs, the screeners were supposed to focus on nervous, erratic or evasive gestures or speech and other indicators to single out passengers for extra scrutiny, but instead they concentrated on whether Mexican or Dominican passengers had proper visas or passport stamps, the report said — all at the direction of their managers.

If not, those passengers would be subjected to bag searches, pat downs, questioning and referrals to immigration with bogus behaviors invented by the screeners to cover up the real reason the passengers were singled out.

"It became a joke in the unit, these individuals were called the great Mexican hunters," Newark BDO Paul Animone told investigators, according the report. "I did not agree or did not go along with these types of referrals, but if I was teamed up with one of these BDOs, I would go along with the referral and perform the bag check. When I disagreed with these referrals and brought it to the attention of the BDO managers, I was told by the BDO managers that I was not a team player."

Known as the "Boston Report" because it was compiled by a pair of TSA inquiry officers brought in from Boston Logan International Airport, the do ent is dated Jan. 25, 2010, and addressed to Newark’s federal security director at the time, Barbara Bonn Powell.

Copies of the Boston report and several related TSA do ents were obtained by The Star-Ledger.

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[Wild Cobra]

Is it that they inadvertently sense cultural differences?

[InRareForm]

Karl Malone works a TSA agent?

[ChumpDumper]

Is it that they inadvertently sense cultural differences?

Do you ever read anything you pretentious ?

Officially known as behavior detection officers, or BDOs, the screeners were supposed to focus on nervous, erratic or evasive gestures or speech and other indicators to single out passengers for extra scrutiny, but instead they concentrated on whether Mexican or Dominican passengers had proper visas or passport stamps, the report said — all at the direction of their managers.

[Wild Cobra]

Do you ever read anything you pretentious ?

I have worked with several Traveling Wave Amplifier Tubes, but have never been called one.

I did read what the journalist said. Do you forget how I regard most journalists?

[ChumpDumper]

I have worked with several Traveling Wave Amplifier Tubes, but have never been called one.

And you still haven't.

[ChumpDumper]

I did read what the journalist said. Do you forget how I regard most journalists?

Did you understand the words?

[Wild Cobra]

Did you understand the words?

I intentionally never understand your words.

[ChumpDumper]

I intentionally never understand your words.

Then how did you know what I posted?

[ElNono]

I did read what the journalist said.

Did you read what the BDO whistleblower said?

[Trainwreck2100]

wtf what a waste of taxpayer money, these assholes are supposed to be focusing on the damn ragheads