I was held for two hours. The first round of questions was about my views on Hamas. Then the agents wished to know whether I thought Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide and what I think of the slogan “Palestine should be free from the river to the sea”. I said yes, I do think Israel is committing genocide. As to the slogan, I said that in my view people anywhere in the world should be free.

Then the agents interrogated me about who I know in the Arab American and Muslim American community. They asked me to provide them with telephone numbers, took my phone away for quite a long period and asked to wait until they made some phone calls before they let me go.

  • Kaboom@reddthat.com
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    2 months ago

    So basically a foreign national that potentially has connections to Hamas went through customs and got asked questions for two hours. Whats the story here?

        • Thrillhouse@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Idk what you’re trying to say here.

          He’s an Israeli scholar who writes about the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

          • Butt Pirate@reddthat.com
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            2 months ago

            Your assertion that he can’t possibly be connected to Hamas because he’s Israeli doesn’t hold water because Hamas was Israel’s creation in the first place.

            • Thrillhouse@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              Show me where I said “he couldn’t possibly be connected to Hamas?”

              But technically if you want to make the argument that Israel is responsible for Hamas, shouldn’t they be stopping every Israeli at the border in the US?

              No, it seems they’re targeting this guy in particular because he advocates on behalf of Palestine.

  • quindraco@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    The first round of questions was about my views on Hamas. Then the agents wished to know whether I thought Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide and what I think of the slogan “Palestine should be free from the river to the sea”.

    In a situation like this, the only correct answers are “lawyer” and silence.

    • Bluerendar@kbin.social
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      2 months ago

      If you are detained at foreign border security, unfortunately, you don’t have guaranteed legal rights to a lawyer. They can unilaterally ask for statements, seize property given up for search, or deny entry on any grounds.

      • MonkderDritte@feddit.de
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        2 months ago

        Airports are their own legal zones, similiar to embassies, in US? What the hell?

        or deny entry on any grounds.

        I thought that’s the only thing they can do?

        • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          There’s a 100mi border zone around the coast where you have no 4th amendment rights, and CBP likes to abuse that fact.

    • TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Yeah that’s not how CBP works especially for non citizens. I tell Americans this all the time and nobody believes it. Until it happens to them or someone they know.

      You have zero rights. You can be detained without legal representation or cause for 72 hours thanks to the Patriot Act. Even as a citizen. Your electronics seized and spied on. All your social media, email, picture, everything read. It happens daily.

      It happens more often to black and brown people and non citizens. But it shouldn’t happen at all.

  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Wow, there is really some shit going on in USA, we would usually only expect from a totalitarian regime, and absolutely not from a democracy.

    • juicy@lemmy.todayOP
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      2 months ago

      Well that’s what we get for letting Trump win… Huh? What’s that? Biden is still President?

        • juicy@lemmy.todayOP
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          2 months ago

          Presidential administrations have a huge amout of discretion in how they administer the law in our system. Just look at the way border security processes constantly change despite no new legislation being passed. And you know that very well. If Trump was in office, you would absolutely put the blame at his feet.

          • hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Last time trump was in office, people were rightfully blaming him for a lot of shit he publicly acclaimed.

            On his watch, you don’t need to dig for reasons to hate him, he gives quite a lot of those.

      • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        AFAIK the basis for these checks were established under Bush. So mostly designed by Republicans and not democrats.

    • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Wow, there is really some shit going on in USA, we would usually only expect from a totalitarian regime, and absolutely not from a democracy.

      The biggest issue is that the Biden administration is laying the pavement like they are.