A federal court in Pittsburgh is weighing a class-action showdown that could reshape how much power federal agents have over travelers’ wallets at airport checkpoints. At the center of the case is a 2019 encounter at Pittsburgh International Airport, where a Drug Enforcement Administration agent took $82,373 in cash from a passenger who says the money was her father's life savings.
Judge Hears Arguments In Pittsburgh
Plaintiffs say that a single seizure sparked a years-long legal fight and are asking the court to bar airport cash confiscations that happen without probable cause. The complaint, filed on behalf of Rebecca Brown and other travelers, comes from the national public-interest law firm Institute for Justice.
Attorneys presented arguments earlier this month before federal Magistrate Judge Kezia O.L. Taylor, who told both sides she will take the testimony under advisement and then prepare a report and recommendation for U.S. District Judge Marilyn Horan. Government lawyers urged the court to toss the lawsuit, arguing that agents followed existing agency guidance. Plaintiffs’ counsel countered that there is no reliable, uniform standard for what counts as “suspicious” cash, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
What Plaintiffs Are Asking The Court
The lawsuit asks the court to rule that the Transportation Security Administration has no statutory authority to seize luggage or steer law-enforcement investigations based only on the discovery of cash. It also challenges the DEA’s practice of taking travelers’ money without probable cause as a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief that would wipe out current cash-screening policies under the Administrative Procedure Act, along with individual claims for the return of seized funds and damages, according to the Institute for Justice.
Watchdog Findings and DEA Changes
The case is unfolding in the shadow of a November 2024 management alert from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, which found that DEA transportation-interdiction activities lacked required documentation and training and created substantial legal and operational risks, according to the DOJ OIG.
After that alert, DOJ leadership restricted consensual airport encounters, and later reporting indicated the DEA scaled back its Transportation Interdiction Program the following year. Those developments now play into the government’s argument that parts of the lawsuit should be dismissed as moot, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
What Travelers Should Know
For now, it remains perfectly legal to carry any amount of cash on domestic flights. Travelers who are entering or leaving the United States, however, must declare currency or monetary instruments over $10,000 using FinCEN Form 105, according to FinCEN.
Attorneys involved in the Pittsburgh case say the real risk lies in what happens if screeners or agents decide to question you after security. They advise travelers carrying large sums to keep receipts or other proof of where the money came from, a point echoed in local coverage that has focused on both the rules and practical tips for flyers, per CBS Pittsburgh.
What’s Next
Magistrate Judge Taylor will now prepare her report and recommendation for the district judge, and a final decision could still be months away. In the meantime, the DEA has asked the court to dismiss portions of the lawsuit as moot in light of its recent policy shifts. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say they plan to keep pushing, both to secure injunctive relief in this case and to drive broader changes to federal forfeiture and airport screening practices, as reported by USA TODAY (via Yahoo).
