• 
• 
  • Arts & Culture
  • City Hall
  • Environment
  • Housing & Displacement
  • Immigrant Rights
  • LGBQT
  • Poverty
  • Youth & Schools
• 
  • Features
  • News Briefs
  • Newswire
  • Headlines
• 
  • Mailing Lists
  • PhillyIMC's Wiki
  • LAVA
  • Contact us
• 
• 
• 
• 

Recent Similar Articles

• > 2nd Plaintiff Files in USA DOJ v. Arpaio
• I Dream of Freedom (From U.S.A. Police State) - Music Video


• Double-talk on FOI: Philippine gov’t long on promises, short on political will


• U.S. Government Target (rock music video) Released


• Civil Rights Screening & Event

• Brazil-Paraná-Curitiba: The creation of a new transport company in the big city.


• Taxi Strike Gathers Support


• > Ministra de Salud de Bolivia del MAS discriminó a destacado médico especializado en el exterior
• > Ministra de Salud de Bolivia del MAS discriminó a destacado médico especializado en el exterior
• > Ministra de Salud de Bolivia del MAS discriminó a destacado médico especializado en el exterior

I am writing regarding civil rights violations that likely will occur in Philadelphia tomorrow, July 21.
 
It has been announced that a TSA VIPR unit consisting of dogs, federal air marshals and TSA screeners will be conducting operations at two PATCO transit stations on Thursday.  TSA's VIPR units have been gaining a notorious reputation for abusive & unconstitutional behavior at these operations.  The most notable recent events have involved:
 
1.  Harassment of Hispanics at the Des Moines bus terminal.
 
2.  Deportation of 3 minor children on the their way to school at a San Diego trolley stop.  These deportations were done without benefit of parental or legal consultation.  The kids just left for school on the trolley & ended up in Tijuana.
 
3.  Searching & groping of arriving passengers & their baggage at the Savannah train station.  TSA initially attempted to lie & deny that these screenings had taken place, but a video had been made & posted of a child being groped during these searches.  As a result of this incident, TSA's VIPR units were banned from further operations at Amtrak facilities.
 
This special harassment is planned for passengers at the following two PATCO stations on Thursday:

• 6 to 9 a.m. Thursday at PATCO's 12/13th and Locust Station
• 3 to 6 .p.m. at PATCO's 8th and Market Station

I would hope that Philadelphia residents send a message to TSA that VIPR's unconstitutional & abusive practices are not welcome in Philadelphia.

I will paste in below additional links & information for your further reading regarding the three incidents referenced above.

Best regards,

Mike Vollmer, Executive Director
Travel Underground
http://www.travelunderground.org

VIPR's recent noteworthy successes:

1. Savannah, GA: Searched passengers & luggage on an arriving train. As a result, they were banned by Amtrak police from conducting any further operations at Amtrak facilities.

• What? TSA Pats Down Little Boy AFTER His Train Trip
• TSA Harasses 9-yo Boy and Other Train Passengers After Their Trip
• TRAINS exclusive: Amtrak police chief bars Transportation Security Administration from some security operations
• Amtrak police chief bars TSA

2. Des Moines, IA: Harassed Hispanics at the local bus terminal

• Some Upset By Bus Station TSA Sweep
• The surreal world of U.S. Homeland Security

3. San Diego, CA: Deported children (including a 16-year-old girl on her way to school) to Tijuana from a trolley stop

• Teen on Way to School Is Deported
• Surprise! TSA Is Searching Your Car, Subway, Ferry, Bus, AND Plane
• Why did San Diego TSA authorities and border patrol conduct an immigration raid and deport three students on their way to school?

No decent people should allow these thugs to operate in their communities