NEWS

Customs: Muhammad Ali Jr. wasn't stopped because he's Muslim

Kirsten Clark, and Danielle Lerner
The Courier-Journal

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Saturday that it held Muhammad Ali Jr., the son of the late legendary boxer, for questioning in a Florida airport earlier this month, but said Ali wasn't singled out because he's a Muslim.

A family friend of Muhammad Ali Jr. told the Courier-Journal Friday that the son of the legendary boxer was detained by U.S. Customs at a Florida airport and questioned about his religious faith. Ali Jr. is shown here in 2016 at his father's funeral in Louisville.

Ali Jr., 44, and his mother, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the second wife of Muhammad Ali, were pulled aside for questioning at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Feb. 7 while returning from a speaking engagement in Jamaica, Chris Mancini, a Florida lawyer and friend of the Ali family, told the Courier-Journal on Friday.

Mancini said the pair were detained because of their Arabic-sounding names, and Ali Jr. was repeatedly asked, "Where did you get your name from?" and "Are you Muslim?"

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Daniel Hetlage declined to provide details of the incident, citing policies that protect travelers' privacy, but he wrote in an email that the agency does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

"We treat all travelers with respect and sensitivity," he said. "Integrity is our cornerstone. We are guided by the highest ethical and moral principles."

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Reached by phone, Hetlage said it's not uncommon for customs and border protection officers to pull travelers aside after initial passport inspection for a secondary screening, which can consist of additional questions and verification of a traveler's identity. What is asked in these interviews varies depending on the situation, he said, but "we have no interest in questioning anyone for two hours about their religion."

Questions about religion can and do sometimes come up, he said, but it isn't something officers — who process more than 1.2 million international travelers daily — routinely ask about.

"With the number of Muslims flying in and out internationally every day, the math doesn't even support it," Hetlage said.

Ali Jr., who was born in Philadelphia and holds a U.S. passport, told customs officers that he is Muslim, said Mancini, who added that the questions asked of Ali Jr. are indicative of profiling.

"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 said Friday, referring to President Donald Trump's executive order signed Jan. 27 that barred people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days.

Mancini also said he and Ali Jr.'s family are considering filing a federal lawsuit following the incident. In an email later Saturday night, though, Ali family spokesperson Bob Gunnell said the Muhammad Ali family is not planning on taking legal action.

"Mr Mancini is representing Muhammad Ali Jr.," Gunnell said in the email. "He does not represent the Muhammad Ali family. The Muhammad Ali family is not considering filing a federal lawsuit in this matter."

The recent immigration order also halted the refugee program for 120 days and prohibited Syrian refugees from the U.S. indefinitely. A U.S. appeals court has since blocked enforcement of the travel order, upholding an earlier decision by a federal judge in Seattle.

Mancini could not be reached by phone or email Saturday for further comment.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, said in a statement Saturday that the incident "clearly shows President Trump's travel ban was being used for racial and religious profiling."

He continued: "In this case, a Muslim man, born and raised in the U.S., was returning home from Jamaica for a Black History Month celebration. That he is the son of one of our nation's most famous and revered citizens only brings more attention to the injustice facing many trying to live their lives in peace. Freedom of religion is one of the core founding principles of the United States, and with a new travel ban expected next week, we as a nation must not accept any further assault on that principle."

Kirsten Clark can be reached at 502-582-4144. Danielle Lerner can be reached at 502-582-4042.

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