ICE Redefines Detainment For Wikileaks Helper: You're Not Being Detained, You Just Can't Leave

from the our-government-at-work dept

Earlier this year, we wrote about computer security expert, Tor developer and Wikileaks volunteer Jacob Appelbaum, who was regularly being detained and intimidated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials each time he (a US citizen) traveled into the country. If you follow Jacob's Twitter feed, you get detailed descriptions each time he flies back into the country of the hassles he has to go through. Every time he's detained and never once given an explanation for why or what is being searched for. He's often lied to and frequently told that it's a "random" search. He certainly knows enough that he wipes all of his electronic equipment before traveling across the border.

In the latest case, upon returning from a conference in Europe by flying into Houston, Appelbaum again asked his detainers why he was being detained, and was once again not given a straight answer. He knows that there's something on the screen that they pull up on their computers, but they refuse to provide him with any info. This time, they even went so far as to redefine detainment, telling him that he wasn't being detained, but that he just couldn't go until they were done with him. Perhaps he should send Homeland Security a copy of a dictionary with the definition of "detained" highlighted.

Of course, this is also the same Jacob Appelbaum whom the US government has been secretly requesting information on from various online service providers, as the US government seeks to make its case against Wikileaks. Is it really so difficult for the US government to be upfront with Appelbaum about why he's being detained? Is it really a matter of national security that they can't say "hey, look, the Justice Department is frantically trying to find something -- anything -- that can be used in a case against Wikileaks, and we're coming up blank, so we're going to search your computer equipment based on nothing, just in case you might have something in there that we can use to prosecute Julian Assange."
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: airport, detention, homeland security, ice, jacob appelbaum


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • icon
    Chris Rhodes (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 8:53am

    Police Officers Everywhere Rejoice

    I'm not illegally assaulting you, I'm just putting my fist into your face at high velocities.

    No need to get all dramatic about it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Chris Rhodes (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:04am

      Re: Police Officers Everywhere Rejoice

      I asked why I was detained this time and one of the CBP agents said: "You remember 9/11? That's why!"

      This it what my country has become. So very sad.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 11:29am

        Re: Re: Police Officers Everywhere Rejoice

        I asked why I was detained this time and one of the CBP agents said: "You remember 9/11? That's why!"

        So now they're accusing him of being involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That's what exercising freedom of speech will get you these days.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        The Declinator, 13 Apr 2011 @ 4:24am

        Re: Re: Police Officers Everywhere Rejoice

        I received once the same crap answer from an overstressed brittish customs agent: 'remember 9/11' while holding our mobile phone in hand: 'These hare yoused has dhethonethors !'

        http://fadingpulse.yellowcouch.org/vagina

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    PaulT (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 8:57am

    "Is it really a matter of national security that they can't say..."

    Maybe they're still under the delusion that people believe the American government's "free country" propaganda and can't admit that rights are violated as much there (if not more) as any other developed nation? I'm sure they can't actually admit to having violated numerous rights of one of its own citizens without some comeback, even if said violations are nakedly obvious.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:23am

      Re:

      "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission" - Grace Hopper.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:00am

    BUT...BUT...

    BUT...BUT...PIRACY!

    Wait - wrong story. Let's try that again.

    BUT...BUT...TERRORISM!

    There we go.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    lavi d (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:02am

    Redefining

    DHS - Department of Homeland Stasi

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:54am

      Re: Redefining

      First time I read the "DHS" acronym, I thought it was "DHL", the shipping company...

      I guess at least of them is efficient at what they do...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:07am

    Papers, please.

    Welcome to the Fourth Reich.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:50am

      Re: Papers, please.

      Honestly, this could not be farther from the truth. The more you learn about our dealings with the 3rd world, the nations we are at war with, the foreign slave labor done for our corporations, the domestic slave labor done in our private prisons (in which we cage more people, mostly nonviolent drug offenders, than any other nation), the crazy amount of religious indoctrination at every corner, the privacy violations of innocents, the human rights violations of prisoners, the amount of ignorant nationalism pushed through airwaves, speaking of which, the amount of propaganda pushed through by corporate media is nowhere close to that of state-owned/public channels elsewhere...

      What freedom does anyone speak of? Don't tell me I'm free to say what I've just said, I've met locals who've said far less than this and have gotten a hold of over-100 page fbi files detailing surveillance of their homes and guests. Big, Fascist, Corporatist, Militarist Brother is watching you.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ima Fish (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:23am

    Obligatory Eagles reference: You can checkout any time you like... but you can never leave!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:25am

    The terrorists don't need to do anything to destroy our country. We're doing a fine job of it ourselves.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:35am

    Falling Down quote

    "Freedom! I'll give you freedom..."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    coldbrew, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:44am

    how did it happen?

    How did we let out country get so ff track? How did we let these pretenders get into power positions? How are we going to escape the clutches of these assholes moving forward?

    "If you're not outraged, you are not paying attention!"


    I'm extra pissy today. These people just put me in a bad mood.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Liz, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:14am

      Re: how did it happen?

      You start by boiling a frog. The water is nice and cool. Then you slowly turn up the heat. The frog never notices that it's being cooked until it's too late.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    MrWilson, 12 Apr 2011 @ 9:53am

    "Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control again...You are free to do as we tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!"

    - Bill Hicks

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:08am

    American imperialism, still going till the empire collapses. USA is pretty much the definition of hubris.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:16am

    First, ICE is dead wrong, but this is about typical for this administration.

    Second, if this guy had assisted Manning, he would already be in the klink awaiting trial.

    If they thought he helped him but didn't have hard evidence, then this is not the way to develop it if it exists. I'll let those 250 expert lawyers explain how the rules of evidence and investigations work. I have a feeling that any evidence generated would be tainted now.

    Third, if this guy did assist Manning, the charges would probably be:

    Aiding & abetting espionage.
    Aiding enemies in time of war.
    Accessory to murder. (The information released has gotten people killed)

    Of course, we have the keystone kops running the justice department now and blowing cases is something they're demonstrating true competence in.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:28am

      Re:

      Accessory to murder. (The information released has gotten people killed)

      [citation needed]

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Vincent Clement (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 12:35pm

      Re:

      What war would that be?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Killercool (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 12:43pm

      Re:

      Cannot charge with wartime specific crimes, since the President is the one who declared a "War on Terror." It's about as meaningful as the "war on drugs." Unless congress declares war on a real entity, there is no real war. EVERYTHING that is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan is a "police action" only sanctioned by the Whitehouse.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Killercool (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 12:47pm

      Re:

      Also if any of our agents were killed in their duties, they knew it going in. Spying is illegal everywhere, including the good ol' USA. Meaning, our spies in other countries are breaking our laws, too.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 1:18pm

      Re:

      Second, if this guy had assisted Manning, he would already be in the klink awaiting a trial that will never, ever come.

      FTFY

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Any Mouse (profile), 13 Apr 2011 @ 3:50am

      Re:

      Was this even about Manning? I thought this was about a guy that helps Wikileaks.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Michael, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:22am

    Search Him!

    "He knows that there's something on the screen that they pull up on their computers, but they refuse to provide him with any info"

    It brings up a big red X, says "DETAIN AND SEARCH HIM!", and displays a picture of him naked from one of his previous scans. Apparently, he has quite the body.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:43am

    Other DHS helpful redefinitions

    War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 10:58am

      Re: Other DHS helpful redefinitions

      I want to click funny, but it would just make me more sad.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Beta (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 12:23pm

    don't feed the animals

    Who can come up with the best thing he could carry through customs but really shouldn't?

    A few ideas that have crossed my mind:

    • A cheap cell phone with a long contact list of numbers chosen at random from the Washington D.C. telephone book, with code names like "Moose", "Beggar Man", "Pink Oboe"...
    • The chemical formula for coffee with sugar, written on mulberry paper, folded up very tightly and hidden in a cigarette case behind the cigarettes. Chinese cigarettes.
    • 10,000 repetitions of "All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy" on microfiche. Israeli microfiche.
    • A floppy disk. A 5-1/4 inch floppy disk. Unformatted. Dusted with iron filings.
    • A flash drive containing a compressed file which expands to an exabyte of zeroes.
    • A copy of the birth certificate of the senior DHS officer on duty (requires considerable preparation or blind luck).
    • An Arabic fortune cookie.
    • A small obsolete travel alarm clock, mechanical. Some internal screws painted purple.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Killercool (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 12:39pm

        Re: don't feed the animals

        Just add toothpaste (previously opened) to that list, and you're done.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        The eejit (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 1:45pm

        Re: don't feed the animals

        A nuclear wessel.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        The Groove Tiger (profile), 12 Apr 2011 @ 3:07pm

        Re: don't feed the animals

        Photoshopped (or are they?) pictures of the ICE official's wife in lingerie, signed "Thanks for a wonderful night".

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        aldestrawk (profile), 13 Apr 2011 @ 11:26am

        Re: don't feed the animals

        He is a security researcher and so could have a valid reason to possess the following.

        A thumb drive and cd containing a virus that infects in multiple ways; Autoplay, Autorun, containing a straightfoward executable, a self-extracting zip file containing a virus, containing a GIFAR etc. The virus could be written to identify and bypass a virtual OS and install a root kit, spread itself only to other ICE devices and erase the hard drive after a couple of days.

        He could warn them before hand: "You shouldn't look at that!"
        disclaimer: I am not suggesting he or anyone actually do this, I'm jus sayin.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          Beta (profile), 14 Apr 2011 @ 4:02pm

          Re: Re: don't feed the animals

          "A little souvenir from the old home town. I've spared no expense to make you feel right at home."

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 12 Apr 2011 @ 5:29pm

      Fourth amendment? What fourth amendment?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      FuzzyDuck, 13 Apr 2011 @ 6:50am

      sad

      It's sad to see a country that I once admired turn into shit like this. Fascism is just around the corner.

      If you ever wondered how German soldiers did what they did, you just need to look at your ICE agent, Quantico guard, or other government goon.

      Just like their German colleagues at the time, they have the ability to follow orders without questioning them, and to serve the interests of the state above all else.

      The tools to make the fascist state a reality are right there in those uniforms.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Froster, 9 Aug 2012 @ 10:08pm

      Gladly

      Gladly I can say that it is a useful article which I was looking forward to get. I am so pleased to know about this article. Thanks...
      fun restaurants in houston

      link to this | view in chronology ]


    Follow Techdirt
    Essential Reading
    Techdirt Deals
    Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
    Techdirt Insider Discord

    The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

    Loading...
    Recent Stories

    This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
    Close

    Email This

    This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.