US Department of Homeland Security Strengthens Entry Screening for Iranian Americans... "Screening Takes Over 5 Hours"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has intensified entry screenings for Iranian Americans, sparking controversy over inequality within the United States. However, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI stated that the enhanced screenings are intended to monitor the activities of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, which are either Iranian or backed by Iran, raising concerns that discrimination against immigrants may escalate.

According to foreign media outlets including The New York Times (NYT) and CNN, on the 5th (local time), over 100 Iranian Americans returning home after visiting Canada were held up for more than five hours undergoing entry inspections at the border checkpoint. Nega Hekmatiran, a software engineer of Iranian descent who was affected by the intensified screening while returning home from a ski trip in Canada that day, told CNN, "Customs and Border Protection officers questioned not only my parents but also the identities of my siblings and cousins," adding, "My 5-year-old daughter couldn’t sleep, asking if she was going to jail."

The NYT reported that John Ghazvinian, a historian and expert on U.S.-Iran relations, was subjected to additional questioning at Kennedy International Airport on the 5th while returning from a visit to Egypt due to his travel history to Iran. Ghazvinian was asked whether any close relatives live in Iran and about his views on the current situation in Iran and Iraq, saying, "It was unsettling." The increased entry screening of Iranian Americans followed news of the U.S. eliminating Qasem Soleimani, a powerful figure in the Iranian military. On the 4th (local time), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI announced plans to strengthen entry screening and cybersecurity measures.

Hina Shamsi, Director of the National Security Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), criticized the measures, stating, "U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not required to answer questions about their political or religious views, and entry cannot be denied on that basis," adding, "Some of these questions violate the First Amendment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.