Lawyer for Pro-Palestine Protestor Detained at Airport After Family Vacation: 'They're Attacking Attorneys'

A lawyer representing a pro-Palestine protester was detained by federal agents at Detroit Metro Airport after returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic with his wife and children despite being an American citizen.

Dearborn attorney Amir Makled is representing a pro-Palestine demonstrator who was arrested on the campus of the University of Michigan for their involvement in protests advocating for the Gaza Strip, which is being bombarded by Israel.

Federal agents asked Makled to give them his phone and provide them with access to its contents, a request he denied.

"I'm an American citizen. I'm not worried about being deported," Makled recounted the thoughts he had in the airport interrogation room to journalists at Detroit Free Press. "So, I tell them, 'I know you can take my phone. I'm not going to give you my phone, however ... 90% of my work is on my phone. You're not getting unfettered access to (it).'"

Makled, 38, was eventually released from custody after about an hour and a half of being interrogated by federal officials. While they did not confiscate his phone, they did look through his list of contacts before returning his device.

Makled, who is a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, has indicated that his experience is representative of a much larger issue now facing the American justice system; the Trump administration is demonstrating a willingness to target lawyers who handle cases that don't fit into their agenda.

"This current administration is doing something that no administration has done — they are attacking attorneys," Makled said. "This is a different type of threat to the rule of law that I see. They are now challenging the judiciary, or lawyers, they're putting pressure (on them) to dissuade attorneys from taking on issues that are against the government's issues. We have an obligation as lawyers to stand up to this stuff."

However, Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham responded to Makled's claims, defending the airport's policies and operations.

"Claims that CBP is searching more electronic media due to the administration change are false. CBP's search numbers are consistent with increases since 2021, and less than 0.1% of travelers have their devices searched," Beckham said in a statement.

"These searches are conducted to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content, and information relevant to visitor admissibility, all of which play a critical role in national security. Allegations that political beliefs trigger inspections or removals are baseless and irresponsible."