Muslim U.S. citizen's Encounter with CPB upon Reentering the US
Aug 8, 2018, 7:15 am
#1
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Muslim U.S. citizen's Encounter with CPB upon Reentering the US
Here's a recitation of an encounter between a Muslim U.S. citizen's re-entry into his country and CPB:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...160139783.html
I couldn't find the thread I thought existed on this sort of topic so I put it here.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...160139783.html
I couldn't find the thread I thought existed on this sort of topic so I put it here.
Aug 8, 2018, 5:02 pm
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Here's a recitation of an encounter between a Muslim U.S. citizen's re-entry into his country and CPB:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...160139783.html
I couldn't find the thread I thought existed on this sort of topic so I put it here.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...160139783.html
I couldn't find the thread I thought existed on this sort of topic so I put it here.
Aug 8, 2018, 5:13 pm
#3
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I am pretty sure that is not the typical experience of GE members who happen to be Muslim. I am also pretty sure this kind of thing being done to GE members who aren’t Muslim has happened before. That said, GE being revoked from “Muslims” on the basis of perceived religion and probable bias related to that did increase at some point in and after the first quarter of 2017 when compared to the comparable time periods in 2016.
Aug 8, 2018, 5:27 pm
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Aug 8, 2018, 5:43 pm
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He got what he is deserved. End of story.
1. As a lawyer, he should understand that CBP works under the border exception of the 4th Amendment. So yes - regardless target or random, CBP's search at the border, regardless how invasive, is legal.
2. Food is supposed to declare. If he failed to declare his chocolate, it is a solid ground for revocation.
3. GE, as always, does not give a traveler carte blanche.
1. As a lawyer, he should understand that CBP works under the border exception of the 4th Amendment. So yes - regardless target or random, CBP's search at the border, regardless how invasive, is legal.
2. Food is supposed to declare. If he failed to declare his chocolate, it is a solid ground for revocation.
3. GE, as always, does not give a traveler carte blanche.
Aug 8, 2018, 5:57 pm
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Aug 8, 2018, 7:30 pm
#7
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Who carries a CBP card? I got one, -- I think that I still have it at home. But failure to declare the chocolate is a valid ground for tossing him from the program. It's happened to others, as well. There has been lots of publicity about the strictness. Failure to declare food is looked on as lying on your arrival form (or electronic version); and failure to tell the truth means automatic ejection from the program.
Aug 8, 2018, 8:10 pm
#8
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Did he fail to declare the chocolate?
There's nothing in the article that indicates that, unless you conflate the question about smuggling fruits and vegetables into a question about declaring food. And in fact judging by CBP reaction as stated, it seems he must have declared he was carrying food.
If you take the report at face value (and what's the point of not doing that - just to make up your own version?) the guy was profiled and given the business. It's not the end of the world, but it does happen. Why try and deny it or excuse it?
There's nothing in the article that indicates that, unless you conflate the question about smuggling fruits and vegetables into a question about declaring food. And in fact judging by CBP reaction as stated, it seems he must have declared he was carrying food.
If you take the report at face value (and what's the point of not doing that - just to make up your own version?) the guy was profiled and given the business. It's not the end of the world, but it does happen. Why try and deny it or excuse it?
Aug 9, 2018, 12:20 am
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Lots of GE members who are US citizens carry such cards while traveling internationally at least. Some even use it as primary ID when dealing with TSA TDC checks in the US for domestic travel too; and many who go to Canada use it on their transits in/via Canada or on returns to the US; and many keep it around as a way to present to airline staff to make sure the KTN field in the booking has the correct number in it; and many keep it around on person during trips as a form of secondary ID; and many just put it in their wallet or purse and take it along with everything else just because the card fits in the wallet/purse.
The chocolate should have been declared and the failure to do so is grounds to have GE pulled, but I doubt that is why this incident happened as it did.
I wouldn’t rule out anti-Muslim prejudice by DHS (including by those involved with CBP’s IAP) for why he faces what he faced. There’s a substantial history of DHS/CBP wanting and using racist profiling and wanting to also discriminate based on perceived race/religion..
Not true. Not all border searches by CBP are legal regardless of how invasive.
Lots of US persons carry their GE card in the first place on flights back to the US from abroad.
The chocolate should have been declared and the failure to do so is grounds to have GE pulled, but I doubt that is why this incident happened as it did.
I wouldn’t rule out anti-Muslim prejudice by DHS (including by those involved with CBP’s IAP) for why he faces what he faced. There’s a substantial history of DHS/CBP wanting and using racist profiling and wanting to also discriminate based on perceived race/religion..
Lots of US persons carry their GE card in the first place on flights back to the US from abroad.
Aug 9, 2018, 5:46 am
#11
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I am pretty sure that is not the typical experience of GE members who happen to be Muslim. I am also pretty sure this kind of thing being done to GE members who aren’t Muslim has happened before. That said, GE being revoked from “Muslims” on the basis of perceived religion and probable bias related to that did increase at some point in and after the first quarter of 2017 when compared to the comparable time periods in 2016.
Aug 9, 2018, 6:06 am
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What I will share is this: that of the last 100 entries done by a dozen or so Muslim Americans with GE who traveled with me at times this year, none have had any such problem at US airports of entry this year or ever before.
I have enough acquaintances, friends and even family who are perceived to be Muslim and have GE that if the encounter recited in the link was typical, then I would have heard about it or seen it. Are there Muslim Americans who get hassled by DHS/CBP due to racist/tribalist profiling? Yes. Is it common for Muslim Americans at US airports of entry? Far from it on average, although it does happen to some extent.
I have enough acquaintances, friends and even family who are perceived to be Muslim and have GE that if the encounter recited in the link was typical, then I would have heard about it or seen it. Are there Muslim Americans who get hassled by DHS/CBP due to racist/tribalist profiling? Yes. Is it common for Muslim Americans at US airports of entry? Far from it on average, although it does happen to some extent.
Aug 9, 2018, 6:48 am
#13
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I travel almost weekly and use US Global entry lanes at airports many times per month.
The kiosks ask if you are bringing back FOOD. not just produce nuts or meats but food. (the PAPER forms are ususlly more specific and omit the word 'food'
I load up any chocolate, candy, breath mint, granola bar, airline bag of pretzels I may possibly have in a plastic bag and answer yes to that question. The X or circle gets the officers guard up since it so unusual. But, I found that holding the bag half open while showing the officer avoids secondary screening.
Many times the officer groans and scolds me for checking the box saying "that's not what we mean by food". But I know that is a trap and lying on the kiosk result in Global Entry being revoked. A few officers have commended me and said "see this stack of forms, I can assure you that nearly every person had undeclared food and you were honest."
I know one person who got a 5 year Global Entry/Nexus/Trusted Traveler suspension because of a forgotten granola bar. I know another whose wife got a ban (can be appealed in 5-7 yrs) because she exceeded the duty free merchandise allowance by $15 once all receipts in her bag were added up.
The kiosks ask if you are bringing back FOOD. not just produce nuts or meats but food. (the PAPER forms are ususlly more specific and omit the word 'food'
I load up any chocolate, candy, breath mint, granola bar, airline bag of pretzels I may possibly have in a plastic bag and answer yes to that question. The X or circle gets the officers guard up since it so unusual. But, I found that holding the bag half open while showing the officer avoids secondary screening.
Many times the officer groans and scolds me for checking the box saying "that's not what we mean by food". But I know that is a trap and lying on the kiosk result in Global Entry being revoked. A few officers have commended me and said "see this stack of forms, I can assure you that nearly every person had undeclared food and you were honest."
I know one person who got a 5 year Global Entry/Nexus/Trusted Traveler suspension because of a forgotten granola bar. I know another whose wife got a ban (can be appealed in 5-7 yrs) because she exceeded the duty free merchandise allowance by $15 once all receipts in her bag were added up.
Aug 9, 2018, 7:12 am
#14
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As a GE member, I have received an apparently random X on my GE printout, which got me sent to secondary. Not sure if that happened to the author, as he lacks specifics on his "random selection" and doesn't describe a Global Entry experience there--sounds like a regular entry process.
Aug 9, 2018, 7:27 am
#15
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What I found odd from the events describe is how the traveler was released by one agent only to be intercepted by additional agents. That's the part that I find very odd. I have no idea why he received the attention he did although if he thought his rights were violated why not make a case of it? Complaining certainly won't change things if there was profiling in play.
