Ali’s son not alone in facing border scrutiny John Bacon
@jmbacon USA TODAY
The detention of Muhammad Ali’s son at a Florida airport has prompted outrage and dismay, but Ali was not the only wellknown person to be caught up in intense scrutiny at the U.S. border in recent weeks. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed over the weekend that it held Muhammad Ali Jr., the son of the late legendary boxer, for questioning earlier this month but said Ali wasn’t singled out because he’s a Muslim.
“We treat all travelers with respect and sensitivity,” agency spokesman Daniel Hetlage wrote in an email to the
Courier-Journal in Louisville, where the Ali family has deep roots.
Just Wednesday, Egyptianborn visiting scholar Henry Rousso was “mistakenly detained,” Richard Golsan, director of Texas A&M’s Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research, told The Eagle newspaper.
Rousso faced being sent back to France, Golsan said Friday. Texas A&M Law School professor and immigrant rights expert Fatma Marou intervened, and Roussa was allowed to stay, Golsan said.