An ongoing lawsuit is seeking to change policy over the seizure of cash at US airports.
The TSA and the Drug Enforcement Administration agents are allowed to seize traveler’s items or cash due to a maximum limit of $10,000 in cash.
Those exceeding this are required to report it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
But travelers on domestic flights are being stopped even though there is no defined policy for this on travel within the country.
Attorney Dan Alban with the Institute for Justice says TSA searches and seizures in this respect are illegal.
They are effectively ‘treating cash like its contraband’ he said.
“It’s perfectly legal to fly with any amount and travelers should not be subjected to any additional scrutiny because they are traveling with ‘large’ amounts of cash.”
The Institute for Justice filed a lawsuit several years ago and is still ongoing.
The suit cites an incident of a traveler carrying her father’s life savings of more than $80,000 in her luggage.
After a bag search, a DEA agent seized the money.
The agency then held on to the money for seven months, the suit states.
In a response to the plaintiff affidavit, the TSA admitted it does not have any defined rules governing large amounts of cash on domestic travel.
