Posted on 12/30/2004 2:08:16 PM PST by Marine Inspector
Carloads of Muslim New Yorkers, all U.S. citizens, were detained for hours by federal agents after they returned from an Islamic convention held in Toronto over the weekend. A Pace University student said she was asked by a border patrol officer at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge crossing whether the wire in her bra was a weapon. A white Flushing resident said U.S. officials refused to tell her why she was being held for eight hours.
"It's just appalling," said Jean Tassi, 53. "If I didn't have on a head covering, I would have never been stopped."
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said agents acted on intelligence that conventioneers may have terrorists in their cars.
"We understand that most of these conferences are legitimate, but it is our duty, it is incumbent on us to verify the identity of everybody entering the U.S. - even citizens," said Kristi Clemens, a Washington spokeswoman. "I understand their frustration."
More than 30 people had attended "Reviving the Islamic Spirit" convention at the Skydome that was billed as a spiritually uplifting event.
"I refuse to be treated like this in my own country," said Miriam Soliman, 20, a Brooklyn-born finance major who said she was interrogated about her underwire bra.
"Yes. The US Constitution does not prohibit identity checks for supposed US citizens entering the USA."
I didn't realize where the US Constitution ALLOWED any identity checks either -- so anything specifically not prohibited is OK ?
Actually, if you notice, it is Marine Inspector that is whining on behalf of these muslimin trying to enter the United States without these checks.
I find that rather odd.
Too bad this was not an identity check.
True, and some of the best document fraud experts are CBP officers.
And yes, fingerprints can be forged. Well not forged, but altered.
I am not a Constitutional expert, but since this is required for passports, drivers' licences, military ID's, and in some states work and college ID's, it seems to me that complaining that this is unconstitutional is a bit late.
I don't want to curtail people's rights, but it seems to me that when you leave the country and attend a suspect organization's rally, coming back is going to be inspected a little more closely, especially during a time of war. No one was asking for their fingerprints until they left the country and attended this convention. Free speech doesn't exend to other countries.
The physical condition at the II academy was a joke.
You appear to make a distinction between American and Muslim, indicating an interest in the idea of Pan Arabism, in which "Arabia" is the ground on which a Muslim stands, no matter where in the world that Arab happens to be. Or it's a typo. You seem to make those a tad too regularly for them to be simple typos though.
Those are Muslims whining to American news outlets, which publish it. They also happen to be American citizens.
I know, and I use it 9 times out of 10.
They are muslims...
I say take blood samples and family histories too.
Islam must be removed from the classification of 'religion' and moved to the column of subversive death/murder political cults... like its counterpart in the last century... fascist nazism.
bye now.
And BTW, I sleep through the academy and got a 92 average.
It was the Spanish that kicked my butt.
Miss Maple, he was probably one of the students' who graduated by the grace of God from the Immigration Inspectors Program. I call inspectors like him (Hotdogs) They run around popping off at the mouth and know diddly squat. I would have a problem with him being placed in a position of trust. He knows all, has done all and will say all. In reality he doesn't know his standards of conduct and the useage of his (title/agency) outside the lines of employment. He could be terminated for this for misrepresenting the CBP he is not their spokesperson. I think he should change his handle to, (Sir Talks Alot) Oh wait maybe he is insecure and is trying to impress us all with his vast knowledge. He should have listened to Abe Lincoln," Better to be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt. NSNR
Who are you going to sue yourself. You know the standards of conduct my friend abide by them!
Good idea, especially since as members of a totalitarian movement, they would be ineligible to immigrate to the USA. As it stands now, our brilliant Congress and President are importing about 100,000 alien muslims yearly as green-carded legal immigrants.
This was an identity check.
I'm not quite there on how taking somebody's picture violates their rights or oppresses them in any way.
WRT being muslim and (I gather) between the ages of 18 to 30... this isn't mere profiling. It's a description of the suspect. IMHO it would be irresponsible to NOT give them a little extra attention. It doesn't mean that innocent muslims can't freely travel. But if they don't understand why they get a few extra questions and get their picture taken, then maybe they should open a newspaper once in a while.
For starters... what was the curricula of the conference? I'd ask about that.
It has nothing to do with Muslims, it's about American Citizens.
Apparently, Citizenship means nothing to some folks here. As a CBP Officer, I have zero authority to fingerprint US Citizens arbitrarily, which is what happened in this case. If CBP can do this, there is nothing stopping them from pulling anyone aside and fingerprinting them, just because.
It's also funny to see the same folks (not you specifically) that call all us anti immigration folks racists, posting things they would cry foul to the Mods about.
All we really know about him is what he writes ?
It could be the ACLU for all I've read of him.
If these people presented NO acceptable ID, they could have been presented with the option of giving fingerprints and photos to be checked BEFORE entry, or to simply turn around and go back.
Through checking of their ID does NOT entail taking photos and fingerprints AFTER they have proved their right to entry, no matter where they have been.
Osama bin Laden just got top muslim clearance to use a nuclear weapon on Americans.
CAIR and the rest have not repudiated islamist terror acts, being too busy whining about "civil rights violations" witness the extant article.
WWMMD? What would Micelle Malkin do?
Having just written in defense of internment of Japanese in WWII she would have no qualm about fingerprinting and photographing.
See also "holy city of Fallujah" for more on "the religion of peace".
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