Above photo: George Bush airport, Houston. Wikimedia.
Muhanad J. M. Alshrouf, a 22-year-old Palestinian man, was detained by immigration authorities at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport for nine days.
Attorneys say his detention is just one part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown.
The Attorneys of a 22-year-old Palestinian man say their client was detained by immigration authorities at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport for nine days.
According to a statement from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muhanad J. M. Alshrouf obtained a U.S. immigrant visa before flying to Houston to visit his father on a flight from Dubai on July 5.
Alshrouf reportedly spent days in a secondary screening room at the airport before being released on the evening of July 14. He was not allowed to obtain legal counsel, a change of clothes, or proper food, and authorities gave no reason for his release.
The airport has yet to address the allegations publicly.
“We welcome the release of Muhanad J. M. Alshrouf, who should never have been detained in such an unjust manner,” said CAIR-Texas Houston and attorney John T. Floyd in a statement. “No immigrant – particularly one who went through a rigorous legal process – should be treated in such an inhumane way.”
Maria Kari, a lawyer who has been working with Alshrouf’s family since his release, told Houston Public Media that his detainment is just one part of the Trump administration’s wider crackdown.
“Palestinians, even those with lawful status like Muhanad, are being systematically profiled, they’re being detained, they’re being humiliated, they’re being completely dehumanized by this administration,” said Kari. “I can’t think of how many other Muhanads there are in holding cells, in waiting rooms, around the country right now that we just don’t know about.”
Earlier this month, Ward Sakeik, a 22-year-old Palestinian woman and Dallas resident, was detained by ICE for 140 days while returning from her honeymoon.
Sakeik was issued a deportation order a decade ago, but was allowed to stay in the country through an”order of supervision” that required her to check in with immigration authorities.
“We thought the American government didn’t recognize Palestine as a country. Apparently, that was not an issue that they felt was a hindrance to Ward’s deportation there,” said Eric Lee one of Sakeik’s attorneys, at a press conference after he release.
“But more importantly, Palestine is experiencing a genocide at the moment, and the idea that someone who had lived in this country since she was 8 years old would be sent to a place where there’s no water, where people are dying of disease and starvation, dying under Israeli bombs, is something that should shock everybody,” he added.
The targeting of Palestinian travelers comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing suppression of students who have protested the Gaza genocide.
Last week, Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University student and Palestinian activist, launched a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the State Department, accusing the agencies of malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Khalil was arrested by ICE agents at his New York City apartment on March 8 and held in a Louisiana detention facility for 104 days.
“There must be accountability for political retaliation and abuse of power,” said Khalil in a statement. “And I won’t stop here. I will continue to pursue justice against everyone who contributed to my unlawful detention or spread lies in an attempt to destroy my reputation, including those affiliated with Columbia University. I’m holding the U.S. government accountable not just for myself, but for everyone they try to silence through fear, exile, or detention.”
