Neal Bakshi, an Indian-American author, has claimed that he was detained and questioned by US border officers after returning from Greenland. Bakshi explained that being randomly selected for additional screening was not new to him, but this experience felt ‘drastically different’
Neal Bakshi, an Indian-American author, entrepreneur and spiritual life coach, has alleged that he was detained and questioned by American border officers while re-entering the United States after a holiday.
Bakshi shared an Instagram video about being questioned after landing in the US from Greenland. Despite being enrolled in Global Entry, Bakshi said he was pulled aside for further screening, with officials telling him the check was random.
Who is Neal Bakshi?
Bakshi, the son of Indian immigrants, was born and raised in America. He is a US citizen. His parents moved to America decades ago, and he grew up there before going on to build a career around writing, entrepreneurship and spirituality.
His work mainly focuses on personal growth and self-awareness. Bakshi is the founder of Awaken Mind Sciences, where he explores themes including spirituality, mindfulness, meditation and personal development.
His work has earned him a following among people seeking to fathom everyday life, relationships and personal well-being through a more spiritual lens. He is also an author and regularly uses social media to share his ideas, views and personal experiences.
“I was randomly selected”
Bakshi explained that being randomly selected for additional screening was not new to him; however, this recent experience felt “drastically different”.
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He said he was travelling through Global Entry when a border officer stopped him and told him he had been “randomly selected” for additional questioning.
Watch the video here:
“The agents would not reveal to me why I was being taken to the back for processing until the very end of the encounter. They took me to a large waiting area where other people, only of colour, were waiting to be processed. The windowless room was lit with a sallow yellow light,” Bakshi explained in the video.
The author claimed he was subsequently taken to a separate and smaller room, where officials sought detailed personal information and questioned him about his affiliations with various groups.
“The cushions on the benches were ripped, and there was no lock on the bathroom door. In a smaller room, I was asked for every piece of personal information, interrogated about my affiliations to certain groups, and ultimately told that this was for my own safety,” he added in the video.
The experience left him unsettled. However, he was later released and allow to leave. During the questioning, Bakshi said he overheard an officer speaking to an elderly Hispanic woman who was also being questioned.
According to him, the officer told her to sit down and think about “what lie she would tell him next.”
“While I’m sure some nefarious people are stopped with these tactics, it’s hard to dismiss the assumption of guilt placed on a clear subset of the population. This encounter reminds me of the question: are all Americans being treated fairly, or is this just part of the price some have to pay for their own freedom?” the author added.
US Customs and Border Protection has yet to issue an official response on Bakshi’s allegation.
The incident comes amid intensified immigration enforcement under the US President Donald Trump administration.
The US government has introduced and pursued a series of changes affecting immigration, visas and entry procedures, while its broader crackdown on illegal immigration has sparked growing debate over the treatment of travellers and immigrants at US borders.
With inputs from agencies