The American Civil Liberties Union is applying pressure to one of the largest transportation companies in the country. As our Matt Hunter reports, the non-profit’s concerns center around Greyhound's cooperation with the federal government.

ALBANY, N.Y. – For years, leaders at the New York Civil Liberties Union say federal Customs and Border Protection agents have been conducting what the NYCLU believes are unconstitutional immigration searches on Greyhound buses.

"These searches, we see as a definite violation of those basic rights in America," said Melanie Trimble, the director of the NYCLU’s Capital Region chapter. "They tend to pick out people that look different and that sound different, and that's just downright discriminatory."

Last week, 10 state ACLU chapters, including New York's, sent a letter to Greyhound, urging the company to no longer allow federal authorities on its buses to conduct immigration status checks unless they have a warrant from a judge.

"These are not legal searches, and people are being inconvenienced and at times having their families ripped apart," Trimble said.

Through an emailed response, Greyhound company spokesperson Lanesha Gipson said, “We understand the ACLU’s concerns and those of our customers with regard to this matter. However, Greyhound is required to comply with the law. The company has opened dialogue with the Border Patrol to see if there’s anything that can be done to balance the enforcement of federal law with the dignity and privacy of our valued customers.”

“My agency disagrees with their interpretation and we believe that [CBP] should be applying for warrants in cases where they have high suspicion," Trimble said.

Trimble says this has been issue since 2001. She believes it's grown increasingly concerning under the administration of President Donald Trump, with an increased number of people taken into custody and ending up in deportation hearings.

"When a government agency is rounding up people for no good reason without any kind of judicial oversight, it should be of concern to people," Trimble said.