Indian entrepreneur Shruti Chaturvedi has said that she was detained for eight hours at a US airport and “physically checked” by a male officer because airport security found a power bank in her luggage “suspicious.”
In an X post shared this morning, Chaturvedi opened up about the “worst” experience at Anchorage airport, Alaska, where she was stripped of her warm clothes, made to wait in a cold room, questioned by the police and the FBI, and even denied a phone call - all over a power bank in her handbag.
Chaturvedi, the founder of India Action Project and Chaaipani, said she was also denied permission to use the restroom and made to miss her flight. Her mobile phone and wallet were also taken from her.
She took to social media to register her frustration at the treatment meted out to her.
Indian founder's post
“Imagine being detained by Police and FBI for 8 hours, being questioned the most ridiculous things, physically checked by a male officer on camera, stripped off warm wear, mobile phone, wallet, kept in chilled room, not allowed to use a restroom, or make a single phone call, made to miss your flight - all because the airport security found your powerbank in handbag ‘suspicious,’” she wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}“Imagine being detained by Police and FBI for 8 hours, being questioned the most ridiculous things, physically checked by a male officer on camera, stripped off warm wear, mobile phone, wallet, kept in chilled room, not allowed to use a restroom, or make a single phone call, made to miss your flight - all because the airport security found your powerbank in handbag ‘suspicious,’” she wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}“I don’t have to imagine, already past the worst 7 hours. And we all know why,” Chaturvedi added, tagging the Ministry of External Affairs.
In a conversation with HT.com, Chaturvedi claimed racial profiling was the reason behind her detention.
(Also read: Stripped, isolated and accused: Indian woman alleges racism after US airport detention)
Shruti Chaturvedi's case highlights how US immigration policies have become increasingly stringent under President Trump's administration and policy changes.
This environment has fostered apprehension among international travelers, with reports of tourists and visa-holders being detained for extended periods, prompting countries like Germany and Canada to update their travel advisories to the US.
(Also read: He arrived in US for a seminar - was handcuffed and thrown into prison: ‘Treated like worst criminal’)