Customs Officers Accused Of Abuse In ACLU Complaint

By Mónica Ortiz Uribe
May 17, 2016
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
Millions of people cross daily between the international ports of entry between the U.S. and Mexico, like this one in El Paso, Texas.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico wants the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate 13 cases of alleged abuse by customs officers. The organization filed a formal complaint on Tuesday.

The accounts detailed in the complaint allege U.S. customs officers subjected people to invasive searches, prolonged detention and verbal abuse. They also claim officers revoked people's visas on false pretenses. One case involves a 52-year-old social worker who was accused of coming to the United States to prostitute herself.

"These cases are not uncommon and historically complaints have gotten ignored," said Cynthia Pompa with the ACLU of New Mexico.

The 13 cases allegedly occurred at ports of entry in El Paso and southern New Mexico. The ACLU launched a campaign last year to collect the experiences of frequent border crossers.

Pompa said Customs and Border Protection (CBP) needs to be more transparent about how they handle investigations of abuse. Disciplinary action taken against CBP officers is currently kept secret under the Privacy Act.

CBP headquarters did not immediately respond to a email regarding the ACLU's complaint.

Since the appointment of CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske in 2014, the agency has taken steps toward greater transparency, including releasing information about use-of-force incidents.