The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today strongly condemned the U.S. government’s denial of entry to two Palestinian human rights advocates who were detained for over 24 hours at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and sent back to Amman, Jordan, this afternoon.
The two men, both residents of the village of Umm Al-Khair in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, arrived with valid visas to speak at churches, synagogues, and community spaces across the Bay Area. They were invited by local faith communities, including Kehilla Community Synagogue and the Buena Vista and Los Altos United Methodist Churches, to share their personal experiences living under Israeli occupation and engage in interfaith dialogue.
Instead, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained them upon arrival Wednesday afternoon and denied them entry into the country. Despite widespread outcry and a rally held outside SFO this morning, they were reportedly boarded onto a departing flight at approximately 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time today.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“This is a disgraceful act of political censorship. These men came to tell the truth about Israeli occupation and Palestinian resilience. That the U.S. government would silence them while claiming to support democracy and human rights is both hypocritical and dangerous.”
San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood also condemned the denial of entry and visited SFO overnight to demand their release, calling the incident “backwardness” by the federal government.
CAIR-SFBA calls on members of Congress to investigate this politically motivated denial of entry, demand answers from the Department of Homeland Security and State Department, and ensure Palestinian travelers are not targeted based on their identity or political beliefs.
“This isn’t just about two men being turned away,” said Billoo. “It’s about a dangerous precedent, where Palestinian voices are denied access, stripped of their rights, and erased from public dialogue. Congress must act.”
CAIR-SFBA encourages anyone impacted by discriminatory treatment at airports or ports of entry to contact its legal team at 408.986.9874. The organization also urges members of the community who are traveling internationally to contact CAIR-SFBA or consult with an immigration attorney before travel.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com