STRIP SEARCH POLICY

Two Illinios senators are calling for a federal investigation into how U.S.
Customs agents across the country conduct strip searches, saying authorities
unfairly target black women.

Sens. Carol Moseley-Braun and Dick Durbin, both Democrats, were responding
Tuesday to a report by the U.S. Cutoms Service at Chicago's O'Hare
international Airport that showed black women were commonly targeted for
strip searches even though illegal drugs were more often found on men.

Data showed that of 104 strip searches at the airport last year, 77 were of
women. Manf of the women were subjected to body cavity searches, handcuffed
and X-rayed.

Customs agents said they found drugs in nearly half of the 25 men who were
striped searched in 1997. Among the women, 14 of the77 strip searched had
drugs.

Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"