The US government has denied arresting an Australian writer because of his political beliefs, saying he was turned away from the border for giving false information on an entry form.
Alistair Kitchen, 33, said he was refused entry to the US last week after being grilled about his views on the Gaza conflict and articles he wrote about pro-Palestinian protests.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the ABC claims Mr Kitchen was arrested for political views were “unequivocally false”.
“The individual in question was denied entry because he gave false information on his [Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) application] regarding drug use,” a DHS spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Mr Kitchen said he admitted to previously taking drugs after a border agent searched his phone and claimed to have found evidence of prior use.
He said he told the officer he had used cannabis in New York, where it is legal. However, federal US law still prohibits the drug.
Writer maintains he was detained due to reporting
Mr Kitchen was travelling from Melbourne to New York to visit friends when he was pulled out of the customs line during a layover in Los Angeles.
He maintains he was initially interrogated about blog posts he penned on protests at New York’s Columbia University against the war in Gaza.
Gaza protest at Columbia University. (Supplied: Alistair Kitchen)
“Customs and Border Protection (CPB) specifically and proudly told me I was detained because of my reporting on the student protests at Columbia University, before they proceeded to interrogate me on my views on Gaza,” Mr Kitchen told the ABC on Wednesday.
DHS did not specifically deny that Mr Kitchen was questioned about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
‘Lawful travellers have nothing to fear’
The agency said the US had the “most secure border” in American history “under the leadership of the Trump Administration and Secretary [Kristi] Noem”.
“This has allowed CPB to focus to actually vet and interview the people attempting to come into our country,” the DHS spokesperson said.
“Lawful travellers have nothing to fear from these measures, which are designed to protect our nation’s security.
Australian denied entry to US after being grilled on Israel-Gaza views
“However, those intending to enter the US with fraudulent purposes or malicious intent are offered the following advice: Don’t even try.”
Mr Kitchen said there was nothing new about travellers being denied entry for past drug use but suggested the practice was now being used to bar foreigners for other reasons.
“What is new is the politically-motivated weaponisation of these policies to keep out forms of speech the US government does not want to hear,” he said.
Adding to Mr Kitchen’s distress, after 12 hours of detention in LA, his phone was not returned until he landed in Australia on a Qantas flight on Saturday.
CPB said it was “standard practice” that the phone and travel documents of a person being removed from the US were “placed into a packet and given to the airline”.
Mr Kitchen previously said he was told by the Australian consulate the airline had discretion over whether to return the passenger’s belongings once on board.
Qantas declined to comment.
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