Greyhound will no longer allow Border Patrol to conduct warrantless searches on its buses

(CNN) — Greyhound will not allow US Customs and Border Protection agents to conduct searches on its buses without warrants, the company announced Friday.

Greyhound will give its drivers and employees updated training in response to the policy change, it said in a statement, and put stickers on its buses making its position clear.

The company will also notify the Department of Homeland Security in a letter that “we do not consent to warrantless searches on our buses and in terminal areas that are not open to the general public,” the statement said.

“Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and team members,” it added, “and we are confident these changes will lead to an improved experience for all parties involved.”

US Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment.

Greyhound had faced pressure from critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, who wanted the company to stop allowing federal agents on its buses, arguing the agency had a history of subjecting passengers to racial profiling in unjustified interrogations.

The change is a shift from Greyhound’s previous policy. The company publicly called for an end to the practice in 2018, saying it “negatively impacted both our customers and our operations.” But it conceded at the time that the searches were legal.

Friday’s announcement came a week after the Associated Press reported on an internal Customs and Border Protection memo that said Border Patrol agents must have consent from the company to conduct searches.

Greyhound said Friday that it welcomed “the clarity that this change in protocol brings, as it aligns with our previously stated position which is that we do not consent to warrantless searches.”

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