Florida libertarians: TSA agents should be arrested

A political party in one of the nation's largest swing states is calling for Transportation Security Administration officials to be arrested.

The Florida Libertarian Party wrote a letter on July 4 to the sheriffs of all 67 counties in the Sunshine State demanding TSA officials at Florida airports be taken into custody for controversial hand searches.

TSA hand searches, commonly referred to as pat-downs, and other airport security techniques are "egregious violations of the United States Constitution," the Libertarian Party said.

"Every single day, TSA employees conduct electronic and bodily searches upon tens of thousands of Florida citizens and visitors at airports, and more recently at bus terminals, rail stations, and highways," the Libertarian Party said. "They are searching the persons and seizing the effects of travelers without warrant or probable cause. Specifically, they are in blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution."

TSA pat-downs break Florida law as well, the Libertarian Party said, citing a specific provision of the state constitution.

"As Sheriff, you have the absolute duty to enforce the law uniformly and without prejudice," the letter said. "You are, at best, engaged in selective enforcement by choosing to further ignore these flagrant violations of federal and state law. At worst, you are complicit.

"If you have TSA agents within your county that are violating the law, then you must act," the letter continued. "Warn the TSA agents that they are subject to arrest if they continue to violate the law. Should they continue, then you must begin making arrests.

Also over the Independence Day holiday weekend, Rep. Ron Paul said the TSA should be abolished. Paul (R-Texas) said he was introducing a bill to clarify that laws regarding personal contact applied to TSA agents. 

TSA has generally defended pat-downs as being consistent with the agency's procedure.