US citizen says he and his wife detained without explanation after returning from Canada

An American national says helium and his woman were detained for hours by US borderline agents erstwhile they returned to the United States aft a abbreviated travel to Canada.

Bachir Atallah told CNN helium and his wife, Jessica, were driving backmost into the US Sunday evening aft visiting household successful Canada for the play erstwhile U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents stopped them for a secondary inspection astatine the Highgate Springs checkpoint successful Vermont.

Atallah, who is primitively from Lebanon, said helium was told to parkland his Range Rover and manus implicit his keys. When helium asked the serviceman why, the serviceman placed his manus connected his weapon and told him to exit his vehicle, Atallah said. He said helium was past handcuffed and led into a cell, wherever his belongings were confiscated. He said his woman was enactment into a compartment crossed from his.

“Seeing my wife’s mascara moving due to the fact that she was crying, it was heartbreaking,” Atallah said. “It wasn’t humane.”

While detained, Atallah said helium gave CBP agents the passcode to his telephone aft they asked for it. Despite his pleadings, agents ne'er told him wherefore helium and his woman were being detained, helium said. He said helium was ne'er work his rights.

“The traveler’s accusations are blatantly mendacious and sensationalized,” CBP officials said successful a connection to CNN affiliate WMUR. “CBP officers acted successful accordance with established protocols. Upon accomplishment astatine the larboard of entry, the traveler was appropriately referred to secondary inspection – a routine, lawful process that occurs regular and tin use for immoderate traveler.”

A wide deportation run by the White House has sparked fearfulness arsenic it aims to dilatory arrivals astatine the borderline and region undocumented immigrants. President Donald Trump has besides threatened to nonstop definite US citizens to offshore prisons, a conception experts accidental has nary ineligible basis.

“I feared for my life,” Atallah said.

Without answers arsenic to what was going on, Atallah said helium started to person thorax pains and felt dizzy, and told CBP to telephone an ambulance. A grounds reviewed by CNN shows Emergency Medical Services evaluated Atallah astir 8 p.m. Sunday night.

Atallah said helium was told by CBP if helium went to the exigency room, an serviceman would travel him and past instrumentality him to the compartment to commencement the full process from the beginning. He said helium chose to stay, to not to permission his wife.

Atallah said aft helium was archetypal handcuffed, helium told officers to telephone his lawyer, his sister Celine Atallah, who works arsenic an migration attorney.

A idiosyncratic identifying himself arsenic an serviceman astatine US Customs and Border Patrol near a voicemail connection connected Celine’s telephone adjacent to 9 p.m., informing her Atallah and his woman were astatine Highgate Springs CBP, they were “safe” and they would “be present for a small while,” the connection said.

“He wanted my help, not to cognize that he’s fine,” Celine Atallah said successful an interview.

Bachir and Jessica near astir 11 p.m. Sunday, helium said.

“Thank God we’re safe,” they said successful Arabic erstwhile they got into their car to thrust home.

When reached by telephone connected Friday, Atallah said helium was successful Lebanon visiting family. He told CNN aft his and wife’s attraction past week, he’s disquieted astir returning to the US.

“I anticipation they don’t retaliate due to the fact that I’m speaking out,” Atallah said.

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