zonzi

Gov. agency with court order can go through your SMS, locations and voice data without touching your phone. It's all on the network level and phone id.

Android has many applications for "free" that serve as a base for ads, mailware etc. If you are concerned I would go with factory reset (after storing your contacts and photos.

So, I would just try to chill out. CBP concern end at the border.

Unfortunately the reasons for red flag on any event will be described simply as a security concerns and you will never know the true reason.

yandosan

I asked the OP if the CBP officers here had a certain last name, based
on my horrible experience in Miami customs a few months ago. My post
and the two surnames copied on the OP's response have since been deleted by moderators.
Are we prohibited from mentioning officers' names here? If so, why?
They wouldn't being wearing name tags if they wanted zero accountability.

janetdoe

It sounds like you have really serious issues, my first instinct is to tell you to call the ACLU or to look at what non-profit groups have been involved in the Ibrahim case, and see if you can find any recourse or someone who can help you through this mess. But obviously you have bigger problems than getting your cell phone searched at the border - there is some information entered somewhere that someone has decided makes you dangerous.
It's pretty simple and clear to me... typing your password gives them single-use access to your device. If they want more access, you would need to type it again. Giving them your password gives them personal information that you may want to keep secret for obvious reasons. Beside the obvious problem that most people (not you, obviously, but the average person) probably reuse passwords or some variations of their passwords for multiple accounts, what if the password is something like, "ilikerapingyoungboyz!!"

ahhodro2001

Thank you !! It made me feel better until I read janetdoe's reply (Below).... I am pissing in my pants all over again

janetdoe

It sucks, but lots of people have been caught up in this BS. Go to http://www.papersplease.org/wp/
and read through their blog of the recent Ibrahim trial. You might see some facts that trigger more memories or connections of things you have experienced.

The fact that Global Entry was revoked, bank accounts were shut down, etc means that something you did (or something someone with a name similar to yours did) got you on some list that people pay attention to.

Did you make any charitable contributions to Islamic charities in late 2012 or early 2013 when the problems all started? What reason did Chase cite for closing your account? You may be able to press them and get some information... I don't think banks can just shut down accounts for no reason. If they won't provide a reason, you might see if you can put together a plausible chain of events showing discrimination on the basis of race or religion - I know that, at least, is highly regulated and might get a response from a different department. I would honestly think the banking aspect is the weakest link, most susceptible to pressure from your Senator / US Rep, etc, to actually extract some information. We know DHS is a black hole, maybe banking will be more accessible.

Also, the fact that bank accounts were shut down might actually be of interest to the ACLU, or lawyers fighting cases like Ibrahim, in demonstrating that being on the no-fly list or a "watch list" administered by DHS or the FBI is causing actual harm (other than to your right to travel). Whatever is the alleged "redress process" for traveling, is there any way that it will allow you to get your bank accounts reopened? That in itself might open up new avenues of legal attack.

Please, please get in touch with someone about this. I understand it is stressful for you, but perhaps it would help to try and fight back.

squeakr

The FT rule specifically prohibits posting names of employees of ANY company mentioned on FT unless the name has been publicly shared or the employee is a public figure. I would hope that even with the tensions around TSA behavior, FT members can understand that naming specific people especially when we only have one side of any event is inappropriate.

squeakr

co Mod TS/S

FlyingHoustonian

Not to go too offtrack, I get the policy and do not necessarily disagree. However it should probably read entity or organisation and not "company". TSA is not a company, and it can be argued (rightly or wrongly) their frontline employees are public figures.

As to the OP again I think reaching out to your congressman is a good first step.

RandomBaritone

No, this is a twisting of the meaning of that phrase. While they are public employees, they are in no way "public figures."

GUWonder

It depends on the locality/circumstances. In some places, government employees are considered public figures for reporting purposes when it comes to perceived inappropriate behavior and/or suspected misuse of government resources/authority by those on government payrolls. Some of these places even have English as an official language. That is all I'll say on the matter.

ahhodro2001

Thank you for your answer sir. I never contributed any money. Even though I do have a muslim name and was born in a semi-muslim house, I do not practice islam.

I have talked to an attorney about the bank closure, the lawyer smiled and said, welcome to being Lebanese living in the US ! He currently has a long list of names of innocent individuals that lost their accounts with Chase Bank. So, I signed up on a class action lawsuit against Chase because they refrain from giving us any information on why they closed the accounts and without proper notice. The only answer we got was: When you first open an account, the bank holds the right to close it anytime they wish to do so !

Now, I am being treated like a king at another bank; so its their loss !

Is there an office for the ACLU here in Michigan ? How do I go about that and take the first step ?

Thanks in advance.

SpaceCoastBill

Ahhhh the benefits of a class action suit (once filed).

The attorneys make a bundle and the others make pennies.

Let me know how it comes out when its settled in 2027.

Andrea Waters

Here is the link for ACLU in Michigan:

http://www.aclumich.org/get-help


I know you are not a practicing Muslim but be sure to mention you have a Muslim name, your ethnic origin, etc. when contacting them. I am guessing that with Detroit have a huge Muslim population the ACLU will likely be familiar with your sort of case. I echo the sentiments of other people here. There's definitely a reason your name has been flagged. I'd file a FOIA request immediately. Also, you have my sympathies. I was wronged by the CPD years ago and I had PTSD for YEARS after the incident. I hope you find a resolution soon.

yandosan

http://www.airlinequality.com/Airpor..._forum/mia.htm

Here are Skytrax reviews for Miami airport.
The word "nightmare" seems to be one the most common descriptions.
A class action suit would be great.

ahhodro2001

Thank you sooooo much. I will definitely contact them and try to get to the bottom of this. I am not sure how to file a FOIA but I will try to look it up on the CBP site.

janetdoe

You need to start here for a primer. The government agencies will try very hard to ignore or deny your requests:
https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/foia-how-to

Example of the type of runaround you may get:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...out-them.shtml

This is a nice little summary of how to avoid some of the runaround you might experience by knowing the names of the records you want:
http://www.papersplease.org/wp/2013/12/10/
http://hasbrouck.org/blog/archives/001607.html