On Sunday, I woke to a series of emails and posts from legal groups, reporting that American citizens who had been born in Iran or had Iranian ancestry, including children and the elderly, were being denied entry into the US and held at a United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at the Peace Arch in Washington State. Everyone was seeking information about how many people were affected. They also wanted to know whether there was new guidance to the CBP about how to treat Iranian-Americans and whether the problems were isolated to the Peace Arch border station or were happening nationwide. Group members were reaching out to lawyers in Seattle, elected officials, newspapers, and others, trying to get credible first-hand information. I spent a portion of the morning connecting these groups to each other and sharing information as it came in.
I joined these groups when they formed in 2017 to assist travelers affected by the “Muslim Ban.” During the early days of that ban on travelers from several Middle East countries, thousands of people boarded planes with all of their necessary paperwork in order and landed in America only to be told they couldn’t enter the US. Those affected included Iraqis who had acted as translators for the US Armed Forces and were afraid for their lives, and lawful permanent residents (green card holders) returning home. While protesters descended on airports, lawyers mobilized within hours to help.
When people are scared, they tend to be more willing to sacrifice the rights of others. Lawyers across the country, including me, have devoted countless hours of pro bono (free) legal work to protect civil rights, which are at the core of our democracy. The issue that developed on Sunday was a civil rights issue that had nothing to do with immigration law and policy. US citizens were being denied entry to their country. It was easy enough to believe our country might respond to the threat of war with Iran by violating the civil rights of American citizens akin to what we saw with the confinement of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps during World War II, a chapter of our history that Americans now overwhelmingly condemn.
By Sunday evening, the situation at the Peace Arch Border Crossing was largely resolved, and people had been released and allowed to enter the US or were getting assistance. The CBP denied they were detaining people based on Iranian origin, and the allegations appeared isolated to one crossing. Members of Congress and Washington Governor Jay Inslee had also announced they were investigating to learn what happened.
I know the current situation with Iran has left many people unsettled. I appreciate the need to keep our borders secure, but even when we are scared, we can’t go the way of authoritarian regimes. I am proud to be active with groups of lawyers and elected officials who are committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. I will continue to fight to protect everyone’s rights when I am representing the Hoosiers of Indiana’s 2nd District.
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Photo credit: Good Free Photos