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Iconic boxer Muhammad Ali's son, Muhammad Ali Jr, at Granada Studios in Manchester. 2009 SplashNews

Son Of Boxing Great Muhammad Ali Detained By Immigration Over Muslim Name

This is some real bullisht here. If you’re not already disgusted by Trump’s #MuslimBan this should definitely help you put things into perspective.

Earlier this month, on Febrauary 7, Muhammad Ali Jr., the son of boxing great Muhammad Ali, and is mother Khalilah Camacho-Ali who was the boxer’s second wife were returning to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after visiting Jamaica for a Black History Month speaking engagement in Montego Bay when customs officials pulled them aside because of their “Arabic-sounding” names.

USA Today reports that the officials let Camacho-Ali go after she showed them a photo of herself and her former husband, but family lawyer Chris Mancini says Ali Jr. was held for almost two hours and repeatedly asked questions about his name including:

“Where did you get your name from?” and “Are you Muslim?”

After Ali Jr. responded that he is a Muslim, he continued to be barraged with questions about his religion and place of birth — stupid because they had his U.S. passport which lists Philadelphia as his birthplace.

“The line of questioning is indicative of profiling and designed to produce answers that corroborate what officials want to hear,” Mancini said. Neither Camacho-Ali nor Ali Jr. have ever been subjected to detainment before, despite extensive global travel experience, he said.

“To the Ali family, it’s crystal clear that this is directly linked to Mr. Trump’s efforts to ban Muslims from the United States,” Mancini said, referring to President Trump’s executive order signed Jan. 27 that instituted a ban for citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Mancini said he and the Ali family are contemplating filing a federal lawsuit and are currently trying to find out how many other people have been subjected to the same treatment as Ali Jr.

“Imagine walking into an airport and being asked about your religion,” he said. “This is classic customs profiling.”

Just INSANE!!! The son of a national hero detained over his NAME! In AMERICA! The place of his birth!

The saddest detail Mancini added to the story is how Ali Jr.’s mother desperately ran around the airport while he was detained asking “Where’s my son?” and begging for help but local police were unable to intervene.

So upsetting. Can you even imagine?

SplashNews

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