Increasing tensions between Iran and the United States have created some unpleasant situations for Iranian-Americans who are seeking to return home after a visit to Canada. On January 5, 2020, social media sites reported that there were a number of Iranian-Americans detained at the border between the United States and Canada in Blaine, Washington. Some of the Iranian-Americans detained stated that they were questioned extensively and held for extended periods of time before being allowed to return to this country. One woman, Negah Hekmati, indicated that she was questioned for five hours before being allowed to continue on her journey home. Her story demonstrates the need for an experienced and knowledgeable New York immigration lawyer in managing issues that could arise when entering or leaving the country.

Incident Under Review

The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties operates under the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and is currently reviewing the allegations and the incident to determine precisely what happened and why. Immigration advocates, however, have speculated that the Iranian-Americans detained were held specifically because they were of Iranian descent or heritage. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), however, has denied that it instructed officials to hold Iranian-Americans or to block entry for these individuals based on the country of origin or the perceived heritage of the individual.

Targeting Rules a Guarded Secret

Because the targeting rules used by CBP are considered to be sensitive law enforcement information, immigration advocates and representatives are not able to access these directives to determine whether the detentions of Iranian-Americans and the delays in processing their entry into the United States were part of a concerted and systematic effort to prevent them from entering this country. Given the attitude expressed by the current administration, however, it is difficult to give CBP personnel the benefit of the doubt when their actions appear to target Iranian-Americans in such an obvious and deliberate manner.

For families attempting to navigate the immigration system in our area, working with a qualified New York immigration lawyer is a practical step toward resolving visa issues and ensuring the best outcomes for citizenship and green card applications. The friendly and knowledgeable attorneys at Pozo Goldstein can help you to deal with these and other immigration processes. To learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation with our New York immigration legal team, call us today at 212-201-9031. We look forward to the chance to serve you.