Detroit Evening Report: Advocacy group reports increase of Muslims detained during border re-entry at DTW

An advocacy group says it’s received an increase in grievances from Muslims detained during border re-entry at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says travel-related complaints received by their office went down in recent years, but this year they make up about 30% of all reported issues.  

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Amy Doukoure, a staff attorney at CAIR Michigan, says Americans returning home should only be asked by border patrol to identify themselves, prove their status and say where they traveled and what they’re bringing back.  

“Questions other than that, if you’re a U.S. citizen, including questions about your social media usage, your political affiliations, your religion, your family members that are not present with you at the border, are all unlawful and you have the right to remain silent and not answer those questions,” Doukoure said, adding that recent detainees weren’t told why they were retained.

Non-U.S. citizens have fewer protections and may be put in removal proceedings if they don’t cooperate. Customs and Border Protection officers do have the right to confiscate devices, but travelers don’t have to give them their passwords, she said.

CAIR recently filed a lawsuit in Federal Court on behalf of American Muslims, including at least one Plaintiff living in Michigan and others with ties to Michigan alleging that they’ve been unfairly targeted by the national terrorist watchlist.

Other headlines for Monday, Oct. 9, 2023:

• The State of Michigan has designated the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that acknowledges the history, legacy and experience of Indigenous peoples.
• The Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Bronson Health Foundation have each received $100,000 grants from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for sickle cell research.
• The City of Dearborn is partnering with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and Google to provide 500 Dearborn residents with Google Career Certificates.
• October is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Month, an occasion to raise awareness and support for those with ADHD — a disorder afflicting nearly 9 million people in the U.S.

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