Airport Screeners Sue Over US Citizenship Requirement

The Wall Street Journal | January 17,2002

[tom paine 2]

LOS ANGELES (AP)--The new federal law requiring airport screeners to be U.S. citizens is unconstitutional and discriminatory, a lawsuit filed Thursday charges. Nine screeners who could lose their jobs sued Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and John Magaw, the undersecretary of transportation for security, in federal court. Lawyers called it the first such suit in the U.S.

About 20% of the 28,000 screeners in the United States are not citizens.

The law barring noncitizens also could compromise airport security by eliminating experienced screeners, said Ben Wizner of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Transportation security administration spokesman Hank Price said he couldn't comment on ongoing litigation.

"When I learned about this law, I was deeply hurt," said plaintiff Vicente Crisologo, who has worked at San Francisco International Airport for more than two years. He said legislators should remember "their forefathers were once immigrants, too."

Crisologo, a permanent legal resident, came to the United States from the Philippines about three years ago to be closer to his son and two grandchildren. The former pharmaceutical company sales manager won't be eligible to apply for citizenship for another two years.

The citizenship requirements will be felt keenly at San Francisco airport, where about 80% of its 800 screeners aren't citizens, said Andrew McDonald, spokesman for the Service Employees International Union. At Los Angeles International Airport, an estimated 40% of the 1,000 screeners are non-citizens.

The union represents 2,000 screeners in California and several other states.

[tom paine 2]

Why do non citizens have the right to sue?

[m1911]

And why is "Ben Wizner of the American Civil Liberties Union " helping?

[KC_Conspirator]

Let's see the facts about airport screeners:

*25% are not high school graduates
*20% are not US citizens.

I have a big problem with these imbeciles working on the government payroll.

[goodnesswins]

Um...if they win this one.....We either give up....OR....it's going to get mighty uncomfortable in this country.

[jf55510]

Can someone tell me what part of the law is unconstitutional?

[newgeezer]

The new federal law requiring airport screeners to be U.S. citizens is unconstitutional

Er, whose Constitution would that be? And, just how is it "unconstitutional"?

[Rain-maker]

What a crock! Who wants illegal aliens in screening airport security?

Maybe we should let Castro take charge of our Army...geez

[texson66]

It is clear that there are jobs in the US that require US citizenship. Nearly all Federal jobs related to national security require citizenship! But lawyers will do anything for 1) a buck or 2) the publicity!

[hattend]

If you can't get rid of them, what has changed? Other than they hassle you even worse than they did and they make more money.

[Dialup Llama]

Rep Ramstead said that congress is going to pass a bill which overrides Transportation Sec'y Pinheada's ruling that non-high school grads are OK. I mean the whole point of increasing their pay and putting them on the federal payroll is that the qualifications for the job can be upgraded.

One solution. Become a citizen, many of them have been here long enough to apply.

[sarcasm]

United States citizenship is required for most federal civilian employment - this may be the start of an effort to overturn that.

[Dialup Llama]

Some people want us to become the United States of Free Lunch. Or maybe some would prefer the Canadian model where you can be a citizen after a few weeks. Or maybe the Irish model where you can be a citizen by mail. US citizenship should still mean something. It should be gained only through effort and time, not done lightly or with a view to merely financial gain.

[Political Junkie Too]

Where will it stop? Currently, you have to be a natural born citizen to be president. Will that be changed, too?

-PJ

[Dialup Llama]

Of course that has to change we don't want people from outside to feel different? Heck some want to make membership in the US as easy as moving to a new time zone, except you get a huge entitlement of federal $$$. There are some who want us destroyed and overwhelmed. They will never be pleased, they will never be happy with US and will never say nice things about us.

[caisson71]

And once their on the Federal payroll, we'll be buying their lunches for the rest of their lives.

[John R. (Bob) Locke]

*25% are not high school graduates
*20% are not US citizens.

I have a big problem with these imbeciles working on the government payroll.

I'll spot you the non-citizens in your comment, but there are quite a few (read: a LOT of) current and former members of the Armed Forces who never completed high school. If we can issue them automatic weapons and let them operate sophisticated weapons systems, then I see no problem with folks who didn't get a diploma serving as screeners.

But if someone who would raise a flag to most screeners is currently serving as one, well, I'd say we have a problem.

[rebdov]

I used to rail against the ACLU, but then I realized that they are not the real problem. The problem is our leftist JUDICIARY. When we finally get some sense and only elect judges who respect the constitution, then we will find these lawsuits very rarely. Let our judges get some guts and dismiss these suits. The ACLU knows that as a rule the judiciary is in their pocket. THAT is the problem.

[GnL]

I laughed at this article...until I realized it didn't come from The Onion.

[Zathras]

With 100,000 layoffs here in Silicon Valley, we worry about jobs for illegal's?