Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi stopped and interrogated at LAX
Lisa Visentin
Reporter
akistani-born NSW Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi was detained at Los Angles airport for an hour by immigration control Photo: Ben Rushton
NSW Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi says she was racially profiled at Los Angeles International Airport after she was detained and interrogated by immigration officials before being permitted to enter the country.
Dr Faruqi, who was travelling to the United States on self-funded trip to investigate drug law reform, said she and her husband were passing through immigration control at LAX when they were stopped as they handed over their passports on Friday morning (Australian time).
"[M]y husband and I were questioned about how 'we got' our Aussie passports, then sent off to the interview room and interrogated separately about why we were in the US and my links to Pakistan," Dr Faruqi said via a statement.
Dr Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan but migrated to Australia in 1992 with her young family, said she and her husband were forced to hand over further identification in an incident she has criticised as "racial profiling".
They were then fingerprinted and interviewed by immigration officials before they were allowed into the country. The whole process took about an hour.
"There is no excuse for racial profiling anywhere. I can only imagine this is only a glimpse of what goes on routinely.
"I have lived in Australia for over 24 years so while this line of questioning is going on, you feel a mix of emotions from indignation to humiliation to fear. No one deserves to be treated with such suspicion for no reason."
Correction: an earlier version of this story said Dr Faruqi was interviewed for an hour by immigration officials. Rather, whole process took about an hour and the article has been updated to reflect this.
After fingerprinting etc, we were asked how we 'got' Aussie passports & marched off to the interview room for grilling. Welcome to America.
Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/nsw/greens-mp-mehreen-faruqi-stopped-and-interrogated-at-lax-20160115-gm6xup.html#ixzz3xJ0Vt1QR
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posted by Satish Sharma at
15:30
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