Muslim civil rights group sends letter to CBP documenting targeted harassment of AMP leaders traveling back to United States after international conference.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/1/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, yesterday called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to immediately stop the targeted harassment of leaders of the organization American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) as they travel home to the United States after attending an international conference.
On March 29th, AMP Director of Outreach & Grassroots Organizing Taher Herzallah returned to the United States via Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) after attending a conference in Qatar that brought together activists, scholars, journalists, political leaders and diplomats, including former secretary of state John Kerry and officials from the EU, UN, IMF and State Department, interested in U.S. and Middle East policy issues.
While Mr. Herzallah was waiting in line to re-enter the U.S. at IAD, a CBP agent picked him out of line by sight, pulled him aside for secondary screening and subjected him to four hours of abusive treatment.
In addition to interrogating Mr. Herzallah about his AMP co-workers and activism, the agent confiscated his phone, detained him for four hours without reason, and even asked him, “where did you learn to speak English so well?”
The CBP agent revealed that he had conducted significant research into Mr. Herzallah and his organization and that he had been planning to target Mr. Herzallah in advance of his arrival at Dulles. After four hours, CBP released Mr. Herzallah in response to his complaints.
“We strongly condemn the targeted and racist harassment of American Muslims for Palestine’s leadership, and we call on CBP to immediately stop this misconduct,” said CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw. “If this is the way CBP agents at Dulles treat prominent American Muslim leaders, you can only imagine how those agents may be treating everyday Muslim travelers. Far too many American Muslims experience abusive treatment while traveling home, and it must end.”
In a letter sent to CBP and DHS officials on March 31st, CAIR called on CBP to investigate the incident and prevent local agents from mistreating other AMP officials returning to the United States after the conference in Doha.
READ CAIR’S LETTER TO CBP AND DHS OFFICIALS
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-999-8292, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com