Bachir Atallah, a real estate lawyer from New Hampshire, stated he and his wife were arrested at the US border without any justification.
On Sunday, US Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted Atallah and his wife, Jessica Fakhri, at the northern border while they were returning after a brief family trip from Canada.
Bachir Atallah and his wife make shocking claims
“I literally drove my car to Canada for the weekend, and on the way back, I was treated like a criminal,” Atallah, who has been a US citizen for 10 years, told NBC10 Boston.
He further claimed that they were forcefully removed from his vehicle by immigration authorities at a border crossing. “He asked me, 'Exit the vehicle right now,' and he reached for his gun,” Atallah recalled the incident. “I said, 'OK, I'm exiting the vehicle, keep your gun at your waist.”
Meanwhile, Atallah spoke to The Independent and said that he and his wife were held in two separate cells, “and neither of us had shoes or a jacket. It was freezing.”
Customs and Border Protection denies allegations as Atallah's wife describes ‘shocking’ experience
CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham rejected Atallah's account as “blatantly false and sensationalized.”
{{/usCountry}}CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham rejected Atallah's account as “blatantly false and sensationalized.”
{{/usCountry}}In a statement, Beckham emphasized that CBP agents followed established procedures.
In an interview with NBC News, Fakhri, Atallah's wife, described the experience as “a shock.”
In an interview with The Independent, the lawyer explained how the incident made him feel quite ill, with his blood pressure rising to 153 over 112, prompting customs officials to request medics to examine him.
Atallah, however, declined the offer after being informed that the medical procedure would cause some delay in the whole procedure. The couple received medical care after arriving back to their house.
When he asked why they were being detained, Atallah claimed he was informed, “We don't know; it's the government.”
Atallah allegedly attempted to deny border officers access to his phone's email, claiming attorney-client privilege.
“So I had to, under duress, give him permission to look through my email, through my privileged information, and he made me write a statement, signed by me, saying that I gave him permission to look through the email,” Atallah said while speaking to NBC News.
Is Bachir Atallah planning to take legal action?
The couple, who was freed after five hours, is now taking legal action.
The real estate lawyer is terrified of what might happen to his family as he will leaved the United States on Tuesday night for Lebanon due to some work commitments.
“I’m scared it’s going to happen again tonight,” he remarked.
The incident comes as President Donald Trump has been given the authority to implement his plans for mass deportations, a major campaign pledge that has won him a sizable portion of the Republican base. Although Trump has made it clear that the majority of deportations will target those with criminal histories, recent reports have raised concerns because detainees have included those with legitimate identification and no previous criminal record.