US Citizen and Wife Detained at Canadian Border for Five Hours

A US citizen and his green card holder wife were detained for over five hours at the Vermont-Canada border while returning from Montreal. Bachir Atallah, a naturalized citizen since 2012, and Jessica Fakhry reported being handcuffed, placed in separate cells, and subjected to searches including of Atallah's phone. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials maintain they followed established protocols, while the couple alleges they were given no explanation for their detention.

The incident has raised questions about border search authority and travelers' rights. Atallah, an attorney, expressed concern about potential attorney-client privilege violations during the phone search, though CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham stated officers worked to respect this privilege. Atallah reported being subjected to additional screening at Logan Airport days later before a flight to Lebanon, which TSA confirmed lasted approximately 20 minutes.

Atallah's sister, immigration attorney Celine Atallah, criticized the detention as beyond normal secondary search procedures and stated the family plans to file a lawsuit. She characterized the treatment as harassment and argued that CBP officers do not have unlimited authority at the border. CBP disputed some aspects of the couple's account, including the duration of detention, which the agency claimed was less than four hours.

Despite the experience, Atallah expressed support for certain immigration enforcement policies. He stated he supports President Trump's goals to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records, believing such policies enhance US safety. However, he maintained that his and his wife's treatment violated their rights, stating, "When it comes to immigration, I think maybe the intent is right, but they're handling things completely wrong."