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American Source: British Muslim Family Denied Entry to Disneyland for Security Reasons | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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U.S. officials denied any religion bases


U.S. officials denied any religion bases

U.S. officials denied any religion bases


U.S. officials strongly denied that the Mahmood family was targeted based on their religion, but the case prompted America’s largest Muslim advocacy organization to call for an investigation.

Moreover, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency mentioned in a statement that the law lists over 60 other possible reasons for inadmissibility including “health-related, prior criminal convictions, security reasons, public charge, labor certification, illegal entrants and immigration violations, documentation requirements and miscellaneous grounds.”

A British lawmaker wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron, asking him to press U.S. officials for an explanation on the British Muslim family being denied permission to travel to southern California.

Cameron’s office in turn responded by saying that the prime minister will be looking into the lawmaker’s claim of U.S. officials preventing the family from flying to Disneyland.

British Parliament member Stella Creasy, who represents northeast London, says she is concerned with the growing number of British Muslim families that are being denied entry to the United States for no reason given.
U.S officials said little about the case on Wednesday, citing federal laws protecting the privacy of air travelers. But they emphasized that under U.S. immigration law, a traveler cannot be denied admission into the country due to “religion, faith or spiritual beliefs.”

In addition to Homeland Security issuing a report stating that throughout 2013 the department has granted 120 thousand Muslim immigrants permanent residency, what is known as the “Green Card”, which holds the potential of later on transforming into full American citizenship. In addition to granting 50 thousand other refugees from Muslim countries an entry visa which later can entitle them to permanent residency.