Posted on 01/07/2020 7:34:31 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Mona Zabihian, an Iranian American, attempted to return to Washington state from Canada late Saturday after attending a concert — a trip she said she makes several times a year with no issues. This time was different, Zabihian said, as she and dozens of others were questioned and held for hours.
“We went inside, we saw a bunch of other Iranians, pregnant woman, children. I saw one of my friends from Seattle,” she told NBC News.
Immigration authorities asked her about her social media accounts and the last time she had been to Iran.
“They asked if I was in the military or had anything to do with guns,” she said, adding, “We were there from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Sunday.”
Zabihian’s account comes as other Iranians, Iranian Americans and advocates claimed they were held and questioned by immigration authorities amid tensions between the U.S. and Iran following the high-profile killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.
Kiara Vaziri, an Iranian American, said she and her family were also traveling back to Washington from Canada on Saturday when they were held for questioning “without explanation.”
“Some people got their phones taken away and were told to give their iPhone, Facebook, and Instagram passwords,” she said.
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that social media posts claiming the agency had issued any kind of national directive to detain Iranian American and “refusing their entry into the U.S. because of their country of origin are false.”
"Based on the current threat environment, CBP is operating with an enhanced posture" at its border crossings to safeguard national security and protect the American people "while simultaneously protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone," the agency said in a statement.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Yeah, so?
A sound policy given we are at war with this country.
Compare and contrast how an American entering Iran would be treated.
Some dink reporter looking to blame America.
When I apply for a credit card they ask do I have dual citizenship with any other country. Obviously people can hide assets or skip out to the other country.
I think we can accept the logic of questioning people as they enter the country when we’re in the middle of a friggin war and possibly expecting a terror attack.
Under the circumstances even I can’t blame the border personnel, and I have very little stomach for nosy authorities.
You’re just in from Iran? You got some splaining to do.
I wouldn’t want to go thru that but the alternative is to live in Iran. Just don’t cross the border.
Substitute the word “claimed” with “observed”, and it becomes a non-story. Heck, even I was detained at the Canadian border once. Have to admit I was looking a little rough around the edges back then, but even with all docs in order, I got the thrice over...
I’ve been held up that long at the Canadian border over business papers.
Boo f’g hoo.
Happened the same way after Iran took over our embassy and the libs went nuts then too about harassment.
I’ve read the five paragraphs posted and none of them says that the person featured is a US citizen.
I guess I’ll have to read WAY down to the end to see if that’s mentioned.
The INS is doing a stellar job!! Keep it up!!
Good, they are finally doing their jobs.
Concur.
L
On Laura Ingraham last night - this a totally made up BS story. It was posted without the networks “fact checking”. The US Border Officials said they did not detain anyone with an Iranian Passport.
Tough toenails.
So wha (n)bc?
Aren’t they lucky that after 9/11 America didn’t treat all of them like the Japanese were after Pearl Harbor.
Good.
Well, I can imagine that this sort of thing happened under Carter in 1979-80.
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