'Treated me like a criminal': New Hampshire man recalls 'detention' by US agents while returning from Canada

A real estate attorney from US' New Hampshire has alleged he and his wife were detained by agents of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while returning from Canada on Sunday, and accused the border patrol officials of treating him as if he was a "criminal."

Bachir Atallah , who is American, told NBC10 Boston he and his wife, Jessica Fakhri, were returning after celebrating Palm Sunday with their family in Canada. However, CBP officers stopped them in Vermont, from where the couple had re-entered the United States.

Atallah, who has been a US citizen for 10 years, said, "I was treated like a criminal. He (a CBP agent) asked me, 'Exit the vehicle right now,' and he reached for his gun. I said, 'OK, I'm exiting the vehicle, keep your gun at your waist'."

The real state attorney added, "They handcuffed me, they twisted my arm, my wrist. They walked me inside, and I was looking at my wife in the car."

Further, the New Hampshire resident claimed when he questioned CBP agents why he was being detained, they replied, "We don't know, it's the government."

Atallah also said he began to feel sick and requested medical attention, but refused treatment when agents explained what they would "do next."

The agents, he suspected, would escort him to the hospital, have an officer guard him, bring him back, and "start from zero."

He also claimed the agents "requested to look into my email on my phone," but he refused citing his attorney client privilege.

Finally, after multiple attempts, the CBP allowed him to call his sister, an immigration lawyer.

Celine Atallah, Bachir's sister, told News10 Boston, "It's not about the immigrants. It's coming to us Americans, and it's going to go after all of us."

Bachir Atallah and Jessica Fakhri were released after five hours and are now pursuing legal action. The former plans to leave for Lebanon in a few days, despite being unsure "what will happen" when he returns.

CBP says accusations 'blatantly false and sensationalized"

In a statement, the US Customs and Border Protection called Atallah's charge "blatantly false and sensationalized," and defended the officers' actions, saying they acted "in accordance with the established protocols."

The statement read, "Upon arrival at the port of entry, the traveller was appropriately referred to secondary inspection — a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveller. Officers worked to ensure an attorney-client privilege was respected during the electronic media search. The traveller provided written consent to a limited search of his electronic device."