Mohammed Tawfeeq is an Emmy-nominated CNN producer and a legal resident of the United States. As part of his duties for CNN, he regularly travels to the Middle East and was shocked to find himself detained over the weekend at Atlanta's Hartsfeld-Jackson Airport. He’s suing over over his “unlawful detention”:
Defendants used Trump's recent executive order to unlawfully detain Tawfeeq, who is a legal permanent resident of the U.S., an immigrant from Iraq, an award-winning Middle Eastern journalist and the current manager of CNN's International Desk, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit, filed against the U.S. departments of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies, seeks a declaration of Tawfeeq’s rights under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The suits states that applying this executive order to lawful permanent residents or green card holders returning after a brief trip abroad violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution.
“The executive order has greatly increased the uncertainty involved in current and future international travel for returning lawful permanent residents like Mr. Tawfeeq,” the lawsuit states.
Good luck, Mohammed Tawfeeq. Thanks for consistently putting yourself in danger around the world to bring us the news.