Civil rights group pleads for woman denied entry to the US at Metro Airport

Dearborn – A civil rights group called for an investigation into the conduct of border patrol agents in an August 16 incident at Detroit Metro Airport in which a woman from the United Kingdom was stopped for “harsh and unjustified interrogation” and sent back to the United Kingdom.

Taiba Elgattani, 53, flew to Detroit with her sister and caregiver Zenib Ali to visit family in Melvindale. Ali is Yemeni-American and was excited to introduce Elgattani to her two young grandchildren.

Elgattani has nerve damage and is in a wheelchair. She also suffers from fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes pain and fatigue. Their travel plans were thrown into disarray when they arrived at Metro Airport and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained Elgattani for questioning.

Mariam Charara, executive director of the Arab American Civil Rights League, said Elgattani was subjected to more than three hours of “harsh and unfair interrogation” by CBP officers.

“Despite her full cooperation and efforts to explain the simple and innocent reason for her visit, she was met with hostility, bias and blatant disregard for her rights,” Charara said. “Miss Elgattani, a woman with significant health problems, was denied contact with her caregiver, her sister, who was on the same flight as her. Her phone was taken away, her DNA was forcibly taken without explanation and she was left isolated and alone.”

When asked about the incident, CBP spokesman Youssef Fawaz said the organization's mission is to protect U.S. borders and enforce laws at ports of entry.

“All international travelers arriving in the United States, including all U.S. citizens, are subject to inspection and screening,” Fawaz said.

Ali said she accompanied Elgattani for questioning but was escorted out when officials learned her sister spoke English.

“Her family, waiting in fear at the airport, were left in the dark, not knowing what was happening to her or if there was anything wrong with her,” Charara said. “After enduring hours of this unfair treatment, she was put on a plane back to the UK without her family being informed, despite her health condition being serious.”

Ali wants an apology and for her sister to continue her visit.

“We demand justice. We demand an apology. We want my sister to visit us again and there is no reason why she shouldn't come back here,” Ali said. “She is sad, you know, that she didn't have the opportunity to be with her family.”

Elgattani was excluded from the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 41 countries, including the United Kingdom, to travel to the United States without a visa for up to 90 days, Charara said.

It was Elgattani's first trip to the United States since 2018. She planned to leave in the first week of November, Ali said.

“Both the ACRL and Ms. Elgattani's family have filed federal complaints against CBP,” Charara said. “We have also reached out directly to the CBP Field Operations Division Chief, informing him of the case and urging immediate action.”

CBP officials did not answer specific questions about the waiver program as it relates to Elgattani or whether or why Elgattani was deported.

Charara and ACRL founder Nabih Ayad said what happened to Elgattani was part of a larger pattern. The only reason Elgattani was treated the way she was was because she is of Arab descent, Ayad said.

“CBP should be ashamed of the way they treat this community,” Ayad said. “What happened to them is just one example of the many incidents that come into the ACRL office and the complaints we deal with on a daily basis.”

Ayad called for the firing of the officer responsible for Elgattani's interrogation and threatened a class action lawsuit against CBP if the treatment of people of Arab descent continued in a similar manner.

“My aunt was intimidated and mistreated by Customs and Border Protection upon arrival in the United States. We strongly believe her experience was based on racial bias,” said Amal Ali, Zenib Ali's daughter, who was at the airport on August 16. “My aunt is obviously Muslim and of Arab descent, so the officer initially assumed she did not speak English. We cannot help but believe this played a significant role in the way she was treated.”

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