A 71-year-old Los Angeles native, a longtime political consultant, wonders if an Obama-Biden T-shirt in his packed luggage might have been the reason he was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after returning from vacation abroad, the L.A. Times reported.
Rick Taylor, who has worked on the campaigns of local and state politicians, including Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla and L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, was returning from a trip to Turks and Caicos with his wife and daughter when he was flagged by CBP and held for nearly an hour.
The 71-year-old told The Times he was “freaked out” even with knowledge of the system and connections to officials within the government.
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After deplaning their American Airlines flight in Miami, the family each took different lines through customs.
When the agent who spoke to Taylor confirmed he was from L.A., an orange sticker was placed on his luggage, and he was ordered to follow a green line that led him to another CBP agent and then a holding room that was predominantly filled with Latino people speaking Spanish.
Passengers wait in line to use the Automated Passport Control Kiosks set up for international travelers arriving at Miami International Airport. (Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
He described the lack of communication for the detainment as “intimidating,” though his cellphone was not confiscated and he was able to text updates to his family.
According to The Times, the political consultant, who is currently working on the campaign to reelect L.A. City Councilwoman Traci Park, had been more concerned about his wife who is a U.S. citizen born in Vietnam.
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Both she and his daughter have global entry, something Taylor does not, and had no issues clearing customs.
After about 45 minutes in the holding room, an agent requested his luggage for inspection, and he was released a short time later.
A spokesperson for CBP in Florida told The Times in a statement that the 71-year-old could file a complaint on the agency’s website.
The incident comes as L.A. remains a target of the Department of Homeland Security, where federal agents with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, CBP and other federal agencies have been conducting immigration enforcement operations across the region.
“I have no idea why I was targeted,” Taylor, who admitted he’s rethinking international travel while this administration remains in power, told The Times. “They don’t talk to you. They don’t give you a reason. You’re just left confused, angry and worried.”
