Border Patrol's Horrific Treatment Of On The Media's Producer, Family & Friends Highlights The Lack Of Accountability From DHS
from the shameful dept
By now we've all heard plenty of stories about ridiculous goings on at the border by Homeland Security's Customs and Border Patrol agents. We've written many times about questionable electronics searches. Still, I urge people to listen to the story that On The Media producer Sarah Abdurrahman did for last week's episode, all about how she, her family and friends were all detained at the Canadian border for around six hours, the treatment they received and the lack of answers that anyone is willing to give when she asked questions (as a journalist) about these actions. Listen to it and try not to get angry at the shameful behavior of these agents supposedly representing our country.
Everyone they detained was an American citizen, coming back to the US after attending a wedding of a cousin. They were treated terribly, put in a cold room with no food or drinks, and no information on what was going on. CBP demanded they hand over their electronics, and made it clear they might not get them back. The thing is, this isn't a unique situation. As the report notes, there's almost no oversight over CBP actions, allowing them to act with impunity. In the report, the story is told of a 4-year-old girl, an American citizen, who was detained for 14 hours, in a cold room, without being allowed to speak to her parents and given no food beyond a cookie. And then she was deported. Even though she was a US citizen. She was allowed to come back weeks later, but now has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Abdurrahman's own story is perhaps not that crazy, but is still ridiculous. She tried to find out information during the detainment, but was repeatedly told "it's not your right to know." She wasn't even allowed to know the names of the CBP agents who detained them. When she asked, agents turned their backs to her so she couldn't see their name tags. Multiple attempts at getting Homeland Security or CBP to respond to questions failed.
She also tells the story of some other wedding attendees who were similarly detained with incredibly obnoxious behavior from CBP agents. The first one they met was quizzing everyone in the car on their names, and the 3-year-old kid in the back cheerily volunteered his name and the CBP agent snapped at him. The agents initially promised that they wouldn't search their phones, but then demanded that people unlock their phones, and even told them the phones would be confiscated and not returned. People complained that they needed their phones for work and were basically told too bad. Abdurrahman notes that three full cars of people from that one wedding all had their phones confiscated, and she notes that DHS claims only about 15 phones are confiscated each day by CBP, and wonders why everyone from one wedding appear to have nearly reached that quota.
Then there's the really ridiculous part: one of the people detained went through mutliple invasive body searches, and then after five and half hours was suddenly handcuffed and locked up in a jail cell with no explanation at all. He asked the officers to let his family know what was going on, but they didn't. Instead, they told his family to leave, and when they asked what happened, his family was told that "an agency" was coming to "pick him up," without giving any more details -- obviously leading to the worst assumptions. Instead, it turned out the guy had an unpaid ticket for a crooked license plate from 2006. CBP called the Michigan State Police to come "get him" over this -- and, again, didn't explain any of this to his family.
Basically, the CBP seems to act like you'd expect pretty much any group in authority with no oversight to act. They seem to feel free to terrorize people just because they can and because there are no recriminations. And there's basically nothing to be done about this. Abdurrahman finds out that they can submit a complaint, but that such complaints rarely lead to anything, other than getting a cursory letter saying that the complaint has been "dismissed."
The stories and quotes from the various individuals who went through this -- all American citizens just trying to get back into their own country -- are heartbreaking. They talk about how dehumanizing this is, how unwelcome it makes them feel in their own country, how it feels like an attack on their dignity, how it makes them feel like an animal. It's horrifying and shameful. It's also depressing. This is not how any country should act, especially towards its own citizens, and when it's my country acting this way, I'm horrified. Yes, all the stuff about America standing for freedom and whatnot can be seen as its own form of propaganda -- and most people realize that the US has never really lived up to the ideals it sets forth, but to have them stomped on so blatantly, and then having no one willing to answer for them is just... horrific. Sarah, her family and friends, all deserved much better. And, we, as American citizens all deserve much better.
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Filed Under: cbp, customs and border patrol, dehumanizing, dhs, homeland security, sarah abdurrahman, us citizens
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I wonder how many have the valors, morals and ethics to wield power without falling into the same abuses we see over an over. I don't include myself in that group but I do think that those who actively seek power for itself are on the far opposite end.
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http://www.onthemedia.org/people/sarah-abdurrahman/
Yeah, woman of Arabic descent, wearing a traditional headscarf? I wouldn't be surprised if the apes running security merely assumed they just had to be foreigners despite all evidence to the contrary. Either that or someone made the wrong assumptions about her work in Libya and the like.
Either way, it doesn't seem like a particularly good way for a country to be treating its own citizens.
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A puzzle?
One has to wonder why things like this don't make a bigger splash.
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Re: A puzzle?
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Re: A puzzle?
All we can hope for now is that more whistleblowers step forward. It's a hard way to go, but every whistleblower who steps forward is a great patriot.
One can only hope that someday the people who have used their power to bully people are held accountable. Hopefully, that can happen before it gets really really ugly.
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A dumb one if so... how much does tourism make for the US economy? I know it's has probably 10's of thousands from me over the years - up to the point where they started shit like this and I haven't been there on holiday since.
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1. put all your important/spy/terrorist crap up on 'the cloud' in dropbox, or whatever (hell, you can hardly turn around these days without somebody offering you 10 gigs of cloud space), that way you have nothing on you...
2. make a live USB stick with puppy linux or similar, and have all your important/spy/terrorist crap on *that*... go into bios of laptop/whatever (and if not already so configured) configure so it boots from USB, do your evil stuff, shut down, put USB in pocket (or more intimate hidey hole), no worries...
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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http://www.onthemedia.org/
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Coming into the US is a pain even if you aren't on any list
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Re: Coming into the US is a pain even if you aren't on any list
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second amendment
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Re: second amendment
You're a lot better off using the First Amendment.
Not all solutions are materialist.
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Re: Re: second amendment
Hopefully something like that never happens.
The Zen Master says, "We'll see."
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Re: Re: second amendment
you mean *that* powerful 1st amendment mojo ? ? ?
(*only states are allowed to have secrets, not mere humans...)
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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Re: Re: Re: second amendment
(stamps visa and passport and returns your phone freshly embedded with stealth(ier) tracking kit)
Welcome to America.
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Her fault
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Re: Her fault
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Re: Re: Her fault
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Re: Her fault
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A) Detain everyone even though they only have a reason to be interested in one person.
B) Confiscate anything at the border from any of the individuals detained even though they only have a reason to be interested in one person and even for that person the items detained have nothing what-so-ever to do with the alleged infraction.
C) Strip search a US citizen over a simple ticket.
D) All of the above.
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Re:
We. We are the authorities.
You. If you are anything at all you are a potential enemy.
We. We decide who lives or dies.
You. You deal with it.
We. We own you and your property.
You. You are free.
Well, I'm pretty fucking disgusted all around but that's just ME. Apparently there is not enough ME to go around so WE get to fuck YOU.
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History was wrong
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No, we don't.
If people want to elect, and reelect over and over the likes of Dianne Feinstein, Mike Rogers, Orin Hatch, Lamar Smith, Chris Dodd (until he jumped ship for a bigger paycheck), Dick Durbin, Barack Obama, George Bush - politicians who pay lip service to whichever of the two philosophies they pretend to espouse while basically bowing to whatever particular corporate interests they've chosen to become beholden too.
If people are too busy watching American Idol, Big Brother, or spend their time paying attention to the like of Honey Boo boo, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus or Paris Hilton that it too much effort to hold their government accountable for the actions they take.
Then no, they don't deserve better. They deserve exactly what they are getting.
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Re:
I heartily agree. Your average American is an imbecile: he/she believes in primitive superstitions (e.g., "gods") yet rejects rejects science (e.g., "evolution"). He/she knows who the Kardashians are but cannot name any members of the Cabinet. He/she wastes money on a car that can go 135 MPH in a nation where the speed limit is about half that and where in many areas one's lucky to drive one third that fast. He/she elected George W. Bush, a first-class moron, not once, but twice. He/she pay far more attention to sports, prime-time television and fashion than to politics, economics and law.
The Americans DESERVE to be beaten, detained, raped, tortured, and killed by their own thugs.
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Good one. I guess the children are just casual afterthoughts after all.
If you don't recognize the rigging then plotting a course becomes challenging at best. Clearly that holds true for arm-chair quarterbacks like yourselves, parent poster included.
And I'll have you know that my car came that way as all the slower models made it necessary that I strap my cat to the roof for fitment.
I'll also have you know that 1/3rd of 135 MPH is less than my vehicles AVG speed while rolling and 2/3rds is a daily threshold. Unfortunately a full 3/3rds is most often prevented solely due to the potential for extreme financial discomfort albeit 90% of your wasted money theory speed total is not unheard of by any measure. While you have valid points your car theory is pretty far off and your 'they all DESERVE..' is indicative of your need for an unlubed fisting. But don't take my word for it. The proof is in the pudding theory.
To say nothing of your religious zealotry theory - like 85% of the global population has no religion, superstition, unfounded belief or similar. You're so special, and unique in your superiority. We are all truly blessed to be able to gain from your profound insight.
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You don't even know what you are saying. If evolution is true, then this is just evolution in action. The strong will survive and you are not one of the strong. So no, science nor evolution will save you. Border detention cannot be wrong as there is no real right or wrong w/o God. Only whatever you can get away with. Right now the government is getting away with a lot.
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Heck, in many ways we believe more in rights and wrongs than ye old religion ever managed "under god."
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You clearly don't understand evolution at all. Hints: god and evolution are not mutually exclusive and evolution does not mean that the stronger oppresses the weaker.
Bringing religion into it does not let you escape from the notion that right and wrong are "only what society decides". Societies decide what religion is the "true one" (and they don't agree), and so are still deciding what is right and wrong in the end.
Saying that without god there is no morality is nonsensical anyway. If you behave in a particular way merely because an authority figure tells you to behave that way, then you aren't acting morally at all. You are only obeying instructions.
To act morally (or immorally) demands that you make the distinction for yourself.
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What? What the fuck is "true" right or wrong? Something decipherable based upon your particular version of your particular religion? Talk about not holding water.
If your beliefs are formed and based merely on the theoretical presence of a superior being I'd dare say that you're not quite ready to dictate what is and what isn't based upon what is or is not "true".
If fact, your last sentence makes no fucking sense at all. Complaining about God instead of evolution vs complaining about being oppressed.. wut?
And "your theory of evolution" - fuck.. is that stitched on all your sleeves? Because you wear it well.
And here's something for your brain to masticate on: God is Man in his infancy thus, we are, in the rudimentary sense, before God. The proverbial Hand, if you will.
Like he's a wizard or something. Fabulous. You just keep doin what you're doing I guess. No harm done.
Christ - who the fuck got me riled up today? Fucking USA.
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This makes us angry -- well, any of us with any sense of justice. It's wrong. It's WAY wrong. It's HORRIBLY wrong. And the worst part is that it's just a microcosm of what's going on every day all around us. Whether it's the NSA or the CBP or the FBI or the DHS or the police, people in positions of power are operating with increasing impunity outside the law, both the spirit and letter.
Given that Americans are more likely to be killed by their furniture than by a terrorist (yes, really: look it up) it is a measure of their unbounded national fear and paranoia that they've inflicted all this on themselves in response to a tiny and unimportant threat. They have spent enough money to provide health care, food, clothing, housing and education for every single one of their less-fortunate citizens...but they've spent on the agencies above and on their military, which has never seen a useless weapons systems that it couldn't spent trillions on.
The US, it is said, has the largest prison population in the world. I submit that's true -- but that the number involved is 300 million: they've built it and now they're all living in it.
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I think we're going to need a bigger boat.
It might also be about that time - time to submit to that qualified American stereotype of becoming a drug user - and then sharpen some sticks.
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What be an american?
Arrogant
Know it all
Wasteful
Stupid
Red Necks
Black Necks
Sophisticated Hicks
Unsophisticated Hicks
Gun Lovers
Left Liberal Leaners
Right Tea Party Leaners
Corrupt Paid Up Politicians
Lovers of three letter acronym freedom hating organisations
Complainers
Invaders
Drug takers
You are right John, Americans are not a uniform stereotype.
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Re: What be an american?
I would add that you should probably visit but I'd rather not suggest subjecting yourself to US Government scrutiny - they don't take kindly to superior, perfect type folks too often, unless you have a lot of money.. or oil.. or maybe drugs.
*People* are not of a uniform stereotype but are continuously subject to myriad stereotypes. Try to stop thinking like a manipulated little bitch and you might find yourself in the company of interesting people wherever you find yourself.
The global politics of governments is slowly being introduced to the voices of more and more people. Governments are douches (globally speaking if not locally) and people are people.
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Re: Re: What be an american?
Substitute X for american and you have anywhere, everywhere. Even my own people lost it in the end and declared war on the universe. It took one to stop us and we were still arrogant enough to think we could still get away with it.
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Re: Getting the government you deserve
We in America have let the bible thumpers do our thinking for us, and this is what we get.
If you want to be a "sheep", expect to get sheared.
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Re: Re: Getting the government you deserve
Exactly. So when are you going to do something about it? If I recall correctly, at the moment, you don't even tax religions. You let these idiots decide your laws, your curriculum, you allow them to own real estate, and meanwhile they're engaged in systematic organized rape of your children (in the case of the Catholics), mass fraud (televangelists and others) and the destruction of scientific research.
I have no idea why you haven't simply slaughtered them en masse. Let them go meet the gods they claim they believe in.
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Re: Re: Re: Getting the government you deserve
You blindly attack Catholicism as being "child rapists" and yet...
"The surveys filtered information provided from diocesan files on each priest accused of sexual abuse and on each of the priest's victims to the research team so that they did not have access to the names of the accused priests or the dioceses where they worked. The dioceses were encouraged to issue reports of their own based on the surveys that they had completed. Of the 4,392 priests who were accused, police were contacted regarding 1,021 individuals and of these, 384 were charged resulting in 252 convictions and 100 prison sentences; 3,300 were not investigated because the allegations were made after the accused priest had died. So in total, out of the 109,694 priests who were surveyed, only 252 were convicted.
Thus, 6% of the 4,392 priests against whom allegations were made (252 priests in total) were convicted and about 2% of the 4,392 accused priests (100 priests) received prison sentences. According to the John Jay report, one-third of the accusations were made in the years 2002 and 2003 and another third of the allegations were reported between 1993 and 2001."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jay_Report
252 convictions total out of over a hundred-thousand priests. Needless to say, not the widescale epidemic you would like to portray it as being. But then such is the case with low information citizens being spoon-fed propaganda from mainstream sources...
As far as televangelists, yeah, they're frauds, but that's in no way is the fault of Christianity. Jesus spoke up against the pharisees of His day who preached one thing yet did the opposite. Correlation does not equal causation.
"I have no idea why you haven't simply slaughtered them en masse. Let them go meet the gods they claim they believe in."
Ah, and so the extremist element shines through. It's rather difficult to preach down upon others while you yourself openly advocate genocide. But par for the course with regards to militant atheism.
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Re: Re: Getting the government you deserve
If you desire people to bend over, forcefully or otherwise, what do you think is the better influence? God or money? "God" can't do shit but give a bible to some cunt with money and .. good luck standing up. Look what Osama did with the Quran and a fucking trust fund. He managed to crush a country with a bunch of fucking religious monkeys in airplanes. (rather caused said country to crush itself is probably slightly more accurate)
This is going downhill fast boys, strap the fuck in.
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I've been wondering
(Posting under my usual name because I figure I'll save Mike the trouble of extra log searches when he receives the subpoena)
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Re: I've been wondering
That said if they continue to treat people like this, I'd say it's a when not if, that someone will return the favor and cause some damage, though hopefully nothing as extreme as a shooting.
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Really Confused
What does one have to do with the other? Is this about profiling or unusual search & seizure? We expect the world to conform to our rights... when you travel you have no rights except those granted by the county you visit.
Yes the treatment was abysmal. Yes it was wrong... Don't dress to fit the terrorist profile.
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Clarification
Customs and Border Patrol
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Re: Really Confused
Couldn't Become Police?
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Re: Really Confused
Read the first sentence!
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Re: Really Confused
Cheers!
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Time to post CBP employee names and addresses online...
I for one would love to see a US Military unit walk up to them, ask them about their Constitutional violations, then public executions of these CBP terrorists for committing acts of treason against the constitution.
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It's ironic
Job security.
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Abolish the Border.
The level of economic differences between the United States and Canada are small compared to those between, say Greece and Sweden. This means that some measures adopted in Europe are unnecessary in North America. For example, the Schengen Agreement has a fallback in the fact that European hotel-keepers are required to check and report identity documents. Obviously, this is justified by Greek unemployment levels, and the tendency for Greeks to seek menial employment in North Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Ar ea
In the United States, you have to show your papers to get a non-temporary job. The kind of work which illegal immigrants can do, without papers which can stand up to extended examination, is extremely restricted. It mostly consists of jobs which Americans will not do, eg. agricultural stoop-labor. Likewise, you have to show your papers to collect certain welfare/social benefits, to establish that you are not collecting twice under different names. And the same for voting. This is a sufficient level of immigration control against the kind of people whom Canada would let into Canada. A Chinese engineer wants a regular job with Intel, or Microsoft, so he needs a proper visa, no matter where his body is.
I would invite comment from Canadians. What are your requirements for dismantling your side of the frontier?
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What is Obama doing about this, is he blind to the fact that his country is being closed down at the borders.
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It's a shame Masnick that you can not live up to those ideals either, your standing for 'freedom' is your own form of propananda, why should we believe what you say, when what you do has so much more impact..
Let me guess, this will be forever 'HELD FOR CENSORSHIP' because it's a form of free speech you don't agree with..
SO YOU CENSOR... !!!!!
so why do you think you are any better ???
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My country is shameless..
American or not, nobody deserves to be treated like that.
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Kind of like what happened to Edward Snowden when his passport was revoked.
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Its clear Americans don't want to be treated like this at home, but do Americans wish to be treated like this when they arrive someplace else?
This has been OK and accepted treatment (on a daily basis) to foreign visitors entering the USA for the last years 12 years or so (since 911).
It's not so much about how CBP treats Americans or their own citizens, its about human dignity and mutual respect. How about some tiny level of courtesy? You want to do a checkup or investigation because of someones surname? It's understandable, you can go right ahead but at least make some attempt to not criminalize and dehumanize the subjects.
PS: In my case, I can still cite all the CBP officer's names from memory, even though it was more then 5 years ago since I had to go trough a "secondary" (whatever that is) and had to wait for 4 hours in a cold waiting room, with no food or drinks, not allowed to stand up and no phone. Those restrictions are even ok compared to not even knowing why or being able to tell my family waiting outside the airport why they can't find me or that I am ok.
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They're not actual law enforcement
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Involuntary Manslaughter
I served as a Captain in the USMC, know excessive force when I see it! My son never got out of his seat belt.
Believe that Involuntary Manslaughter charges should be sought.
Craig Martin
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