U.S. Government Wrongfully Detaining Citizens and Tourists
// August 23rd, 2008 // No Comments » // Gender, Human Rights, Immigration, Racism
I came across an outrageous article today that reminded me of a caller I spoke to when I staffed the National Lawyers’ Guild 9-11 Hotline. He was a dual-citizen of Bulgaria and the United States who was apprehended by Homeland Security at the San Francisco Intl. Airport for practically no reason (His name was probably on the DHS ‘watch list’ again for no particular reason). Homeland Security sent him paperwork to fill-out a few weeks later where he had to answer nonsensical questions such as “What is the purpose of your dual citizenship?” and “What country are you more loyal towards, Bulgaria or the United States?” Needless to say, the guy was frustrated, confused and enraged at this treatment–He is a U.S. citizen!
The case below is not of a U.S. citizen but involves a German of Syrian descent whose wife and children are U.S. citizens nonetheless. He was mistreated and detained by U.S. Immigration officers. Who knows how many stories from other citizens, immigrants and tourists never made it to press.
(Does anyone scoffing need to be reminded of the Italian tourist that was wrongfully detained because Immigration officers had no interpreters that could translate Italian)?
