April 2, 2008, 5:01 pm
A Protest Over Bus and Train Citizenship Checks
By Jennifer 8. Lee


Protesters chanted in front of Pennsylvania Station before marching to the Port Authority along Eighth Avenue. (Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)Can you be asked to demonstrate your citizenship or residency if you are riding on Amtrak or Greyhound inside the United States?
The answer, apparently, is yes — according to the United States government’s border and transportation officials.

But the frequency of this practice in New York State has raised protests from immigration advocates, who demonstrated in a march on Wednesday afternoon between Pennsylvania Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal.
It used to be a practice that was heard about only once in a while near upstate cities like Buffalo and Syracuse, said Maria Muentes, a spokeswoman with Families For Freedom, a group that helps people fight deportation. “Now we’re seeing it several times a week.â€