A Moroccan-Canadian woman says she was turned back from the Vermont border after four hours of interrogation, including questions about her mosque attendance, thoughts on the Quebec City shooting and opinion about U.S. President Donald Trump.
Fadwa Alaoui, who has lived in Canada for more than 20 years and holds a Canadian passport, said she was on a day trip with her children and a cousin on Saturday when she faced the intense questioning.
When grilled about Trump, the Montreal woman said she told the guards “it's not in my interest -- he has the right to do whatever he wants in his country.”
Alaoui said she was forced to hand over her phone and the guards inquired about a prayer on her phone written in Arabic.
She said she was eventually told she could not enter the U.S. due to “videos and concerns.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said Alaoui’s experience is evidence of racial profiling and discrimination by border guards, a phenomenon that has become more common since Trump became president on Jan. 20.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency would not comment on the specific case but issued a statement saying it “does not discriminate on the entry of foreign nationals … based on religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.”
The NCCM is encouraging Muslims to report incidents to them.
Alaoui said she’s now worried that she will not be able to visit family, including her parents, who are American citizens living in Chicago.
With a report from CTV Montreal’s Stephane Giroux
