Muhammad Ali Jr. Detained At Airport, Grilled About Muslim Religion

Muhammed Ali Jr.

Muhammad Ali Jr. Detained At Airport

Muhammad Ali Jr. was reportedly detained by immigration for hours, earlier this month. Reportedly, the 44-year-old, who is the son of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was with his mother, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Ali, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Feb. 7 after returning from speaking at a Black History Month event in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

A family friend and lawyer Chris Mancini claims they were pulled aside while going through customs because of their Arabic-sounding names. Immigration officials reportedly let Camacho-Ali (Ali Jr’s mother) go after she showed them a photo of herself with her ex-husband. However, her son did not have a photo with the late boxer and was not let go. Mancini said officials held and questioned Ali Jr. for nearly two hours, repeatedly asking him, “Where did you get your name from?” and “Are you Muslim?”

Eddie Fernandez, Muhammad Ali Jr.

When Ali Jr. informed them that he is Muslim, the officers kept questioning him about his religion and where he was born.  A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded, writing,

Due to the restrictions of the Privacy Act, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot discuss individual travelers; however, all international travelers arriving in the U.S. are subject to CBP inspection.

Mancini said, referring to President Trump’s executive order signed last month,

To the Ali family, it’s crystal clear that this is directly linked to Mr. Trump’s efforts to ban Muslims from the United States.

Mancini (who is a US citizen and was born in Philadelphia) said he and the Ali family are contemplating filing a federal lawsuit.

Photos: Facebook

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