A U.S. citizen has come forward claiming he and his wife were detained without cause after re-entering the United States from Canada. Bachir Attalah, a real estate attorney from New Hampshire, says he and his wife, Jessica Fahri, were held for hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the Highgate Springs border crossing in Vermont.
According to Attalah, the couple was returning from a brief personal trip when they were taken aside for secondary inspection. He alleges they were separated, denied access to legal counsel, and given no clear reason for the detention. CBP officers reportedly demanded access to his phone and email accounts, which included confidential client information. Under pressure, he says he signed a consent form allowing officers to search his devices.
Attalah also stated that he experienced dizziness and chest pains while in custody, which prompted a visit from a medical technician. He was later released without charges but described the experience as traumatic and dehumanizing. “We were treated like criminals,” Attalah said in an interview with NBC Boston.
CBP has responded by stating that the actions taken were part of standard border enforcement procedures. According to the agency, any traveler entering the U.S. is subject to search and inspection, regardless of citizenship.
Attalah now plans to pursue legal action, claiming that his constitutional rights were violated during the incident. The case has raised concerns among civil rights advocates about the scope of authority exercised by CBP and the protections afforded to U.S. citizens at border crossings.
