US Citizen Detained for Hours at Border Without Explanation
It’s hard to imagine returning from a peaceful family weekend only to be treated like a criminal in your own country — but that’s exactly what happened to Bachir Atallah, a U.S. citizen and real estate attorney from New Hampshire.
Bachir and his wife Jessica were coming home from Canada on a Sunday night after celebrating Palm Sunday with family. Everything seemed normal until they reached the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoint in Vermont. That’s where the trip took a sudden, disturbing turn. According to Bachir, a CBP agent reached for his gun and ordered him out of the vehicle — no explanation, no warning. He recalls saying, “OK, I’m stepping out,” but the atmosphere quickly shifted from routine to alarming. “I really felt like a criminal,” he said.
Also Read:- Married Student Loan Borrowers Can Breathe Easier Amid SAVE Plan Confusion
- First-Ever Footage of a Colossal Squid Captured Alive in the Wild
From there, he was handcuffed, had his arms twisted, and was escorted into the facility while his wife remained in the car. He says he was held in a freezing cold cell with no shoes, no jacket, and no answers for hours. His request to call his sister — an immigration lawyer — was denied for several hours, and when he began experiencing chest pain, he refused medical treatment out of fear he’d be taken to the hospital, guarded, then forced to start the process over again.
Things got even more invasive when officers reportedly asked to access his emails. He declined, citing attorney-client privilege, but he says they continued pushing until he was able to contact his sister. She later called the ordeal “an abuse of power,” questioning what message it sends to Americans who believe in their rights.
CBP, however, has a different story. In a public statement, they called Atallah’s claims “blatantly false and sensationalized,” insisting officers followed protocol and that the secondary inspection he underwent is a standard process. They also stated that any search of electronic devices was done with written consent, and that they were mindful of attorney-client boundaries.
Still, the experience left Atallah shaken — and now he’s considering legal action. He’s planning to leave for Lebanon soon, but admits he’s unsure what will happen when he returns.
The real question lingering now is: If a U.S. citizen can be detained, held without answers, and made to feel like a criminal at the border — what does that say about where we’re heading? This isn’t just a story about one man. It’s about the bigger issue of accountability, transparency, and what rights really mean at our borders.
Read More:
0 Comments