‘Told He Could Not Fly’: California-Born Muslim Man on No-Fly List Forced to Re-Enter U.S. on Foot
- Posted on June 9, 2012 at 9:00am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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Kevin Iraniha walked across the U.S.-Mexico border after being told he was on the no-fly list. (Image source: XETV-TV)
A 27-year-old California-born Muslim man reentered the U.S. on foot Thursday after learning he was on the government no-fly list and barred from getting on the plane.
Kevin Iraniha had tried to fly back to California on Tuesday from Costa Rica following his graduation from a Costa Rican university, San Diego’s XETV-TV reported. Instead he was told he was on the no-fly list and would not be allowed to go back with his family.
“Basically, he was told he could not fly,” Iraniha’s brother, Johan, told KCBS-TV. “They didn’t give him any information, they said to go to the U.S. Embassy.”
That’s where officials told Iraniha that in order to get home, he would have to fly to Tijuana, Mexico and then cross the U.S. border on foot. The no-fly list, meant to keep suspected terrorists out of the U.S., does not block people from entering the country by other means.
Iraniha’s father told XETV that his son was in Egypt last year during the Arab Spring protests, but insisted he is not the “revolutionary type.” An interview with the Huffington Post described him as a “known pro-Palestinian and anti-war activist.”
According to the Huffington Post, Iraniha contacted the Council on American-Islamic Relations and was told what happened to him is an FBI tactic used to pressure Muslim-American men into becoming informants.
An FBI spokesman told XETV he couldn’t comment on the case because of privacy laws, but said no one is added to the no-fly list “based solely on their religious affiliation or other personal characteristics.”
When Iraniha finally crossed the border checkpoint on Thursday, his family was there waiting for him.
“I’m just happy to be in my hometown where I was born and raised,” he told XETV.
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COFemale
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 2:09amIt is also comforting to know they can’t fly, but they can walk, ride, take a train?, bus into the United States. That makes totally sense.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 2:07amOkay if this guy is on the no-fly list because he was in Egypt during Arab Spring who happens to be a Muslim American citizen, why the hell did we allow those Code Pink idiots fly back into the country. Can’t we put them on a no-fly list?
Report Post »hawkeyez
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:21pmIf no Muslims were allowed to fly, we could get rid of TSA.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 5:21pmAnd the TSA is doing such a fine job. Amazing, the U.S. Embassy gave him instructions on how to get into the country from TJ, just like all the other terrorists do. Our government, and I use that term loosely, is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. But, then again, look at who the captain is.
Report Post »BobtheMoron
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:16pmIran iha, huh? Isn’t Iran an enemy of America?
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:43pmIf he is 27 years old and was born here, I’d guess that his family feels the same way about the current leadership of their home country as the rest of us do.
Report Post »dadsrootbeer
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:13pmImagine what the press would have done if this happened under President Bush. Since its Obammy they give him a complete pass.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:28pmThe Left has the media in their pocket. Thus, the free pass . That is where conservatives should focus their fight. The media.
Report Post »Dougral Supports Israel
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:59pmI don’t like that list as it pertains to US citizens. Someone who is on the list is given only one piece of information, that they are not allowed to fly. They are not told that they are on a list, why they might be on the secret list, or how to correct their problem. They can fill out a form and will be given no feedback as to their status. That is like something out of the Soviet Union.
Imagine if you found yourself on this list and were stranded overseas, or denied the chance to visit family. Imagine if the list is extended to buses and trains, no more public transportation for you! Perhaps a future administration will extend it to driver licenses as well.
Secret lists lists like this have no place in a free country.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:13pmneither do “civilian ” enemies like al Qaeda .
Report Post »Ron Staiger
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:55pmHe ain’t on the no-fly list for being muslim so…………
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:54pmIraniha’s father told XETV that his son was in Egypt last year during the Arab Spring protests, but insisted he is not the “revolutionary type.”
Report Post »~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They should have shot him at the border or sent hin to Egypt forever!
disenlightened
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:48pmWe should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.
Report Post »–Ann Coulter
barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:45pmI liked the guys’ reaction. He actually didn’t play the Blame Game. But there were Red Flags in his actions which made me happy that agents were looking for him . Though I don’t know about that “ you can walk but you can not fly ” into the US business . ( What about the flights that got him to TJ ? )
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:41pmIf your a supporter of terrorists you are a terrorist. So, my conclusion is tough. Good for the F.B.I. and thank you. By the way, the no fly list was created to keep between 25 and 250 people safe, not to keep a thousand or more safe from weapons of mass destruction. A pity, but a fact. Keep up the good work H.L.S. you never fail to disappoint.
Report Post »Jezcruzen
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:51pmHere’s the weakness of your argument – anyone, and I mean ANYONE can now be labeled as a “terrorist” by DHS and that **** in charge of it. Do you understand THAT? How many just regular Americans do you think is on the “no-fly list”? LOTS! Any of us could be on that stupid assed list and wouldn’t know it until we tried to fly someplace. Think about that!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:25pmJEZ: How do you know there are “LOTS” of “regular ” Americans on the no fly list ? I’m not crazy about any of this but unsupportable statements do not win any arguments. Remember WWII ? They actually locked up “regular” Japanese Americans . We won the war. But those people suffered. War is hell. One of it’s worst aspects is what it does to rights during it. The terrorists have made regular Americans suffer in many ways. One of sad result is the tendency of Americans to blame their government for the chaos , economic loss, and the restrictions these slimy terrorists have created. But not to worry, the Obama people refuse to even close our southern borders so you must be happy with that ? Me ? I prefer a Harry Truman approach to terrorism.
Report Post »korbin
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:36pmDONT MISS the main POINT…. If you can’t fly because your a suspected problem all you have to do is “walk across” the border. This whole terrorist war we are having seems a little slippery slope if you ask me. They pay attention to the wrong things and are so focussed on airlines they are overlooking the enemy in plain sight. oathkeepers.org
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:47pmAlready caught that portion; and the part for the kid to be in the Middle East during the Arab Spring. Now the part of his timing over there could be coincidental; yet he still managed to come back via footpower across the border. Now the portion in which he mentions of the FBI tactics to put pressure on muslims I have to agree do happen, I am on the no-fly list, and am a Christian who has family that are muslim (including an uncle who is, active in the Brotherhood).
There is more going on here than anyone is saying though; as how many of the POTUS allies in Hamas and other terror groups have just walked across w/o anything being said or done.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:50pmOpen Borders…ring a security bell ? Duh.
Report Post »Chet Hempstead
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:39pmThe guy was born in California, you can’t keep him pt of the country altogether. He’s an American citizen. And you can’t hijack feet.
Report Post »beckwill
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:35pmIs it bad that I’m having trouble mustering any sympathy here?
Report Post »AUsername
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:34pmdon’t forget to put skinheads on there to they attack people more than anyone now a days.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:21pmWell, if he is “pro-Palestinian”, then he is a terrorist sympathizer – this alone should prevent him from flying. Anyone who supports the terrorist state of Palestine should not be allowed to fly into the U.S..
Report Post »AUsername
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:36pmyeah anyone who supports another country besides their home inside their home is a traitor and shouldn’t be allowed in unless visiting. Americans should be supporting America and that’s it inside our country.
Report Post »TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:17pmKevin Irihana just answered the question… “what would you do for a Klondike Bar”….
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:13pmThat’s awesome.
Report Post »Bruce P.
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:14pmMore abuses of an un-Constitutional and unlawful secret database.
Report Post »SacredHonor1776
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:30pmhttp://www.no-fly-list.com/
It’s not exactly secret, as far as I know… Unless that’s not the complete list?
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:47pmAs long as there is a Democrat and the New York Times, there is NO such thing in America as a ” secret database ! “
Report Post »momrules
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:12pmIf you cannot fly into America you can always walk into America.
This story just proves how stupid the TSA and DHS is with all their rules to keep America safe from outside threats.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:27pmBad Joke isn’t it … until the dirty b o m b or something else happens .. then they will be making all kinds of excuses.
Report Post »Dale
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:40pmMom;
You failed to point out that the same government that prevented his air travel told him how to get back home. The tsa does no good, is a waste of time and money, and makes no one happy; aside from a few perverts.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:42pmExactly. Especially with the Democrat’s Open Border / We Have An Election To Win policy! Just another example of our New Age / Third World PC Thinking…..
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:10pmOnce again, MOM, exactly! Apparently, Homeland Security is only concerned about a plane full of people and not the entire U.S. population.
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 4:11pmAnd excellent observation, DALE!
Report Post »SacredHonor1776
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:08pm“That’s where officials told Iraniha that in order to get home, he would have to fly to Tijuana, Mexico and then cross the U.S. border on foot. The no-fly list, meant to keep suspected terrorists out of the U.S., does not block people from entering the country by other means.”
I wonder, is this is true… If the government extends this to non-Americans as well who visit the Embassy, and tells them how and where to get into the US easily?
Report Post »