Leaked memo directs US border officials to question Iran travellers’ faith 

A leaked internal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo orders US border officials to detain and question travellers of Iranian descent arriving at American ports of entry based on heightened threat alerts in the wake of the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month.

Officials are also expected to vet people with links to Palestine and Lebanon, but have singled out in particular Iranian and Lebanese nationals, or those who have visited those countries.

Contacted by 3 Shia Scholars and Academics who have had their visas revoked within past few days. US Embassy calls them in, asks them to bring their visas, and stamped it revoked. This isnt the same as CBP issues, these people are having visas revoked by State in home countries. pic.twitter.com/XajgvTkCRm

— Abed A. Ayoub (@aayoub) January 18, 2020

READ: Iran’s flag businesses on fire as anti-US, Israel protests continue

The document also refers to a “High side vetting criteria”, which involves questioning an Iranian’s connection to the military or extremist ideologies and terrorism links. The memo also states that they are to be vetted “even if they are not of Shia faith” as “anyone can state they are Baha’i” referring to the discriminated religious minority in Iran. Such individuals are to be questioned further to establish if this is the case.

Remember when CBP said there was no directive? Take a look at this. Profiling people of Iranian, Palestinian and Lebanese origin & ppl of Shia faith. Stay with @GlobalBC as we talk to those impacted by this and with Iran expert and journalist @NegarMortazavi for analysis. pic.twitter.com/AIyt02ng6y

— Negar Mojtahedi (@NegarMojtahedi) January 30, 2020

Earlier in the month, the CBP agency denied reports of Iranian Americans being detained and refused entry to the US. One such incident involved officers taking passports belonging to Iranian Americans and keeping them waiting for five or more hours after determining they were of Iranian ancestry, a procedure that a leading Seattle immigrant rights attorney deemed illegal.