1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing today about the case of Wilmer Chavarria, a Vermont school superintendent and American citizen. Returning to the states, he was stopped by CBP for unknown reasons, but two things stood out about his story. 1) When asked if he was being detained, he was told no. When asked if he could then leave, he was also told no. I shouldn't need to point out that "You cannot leave" is the very definition of detention. But it seems I do, because CBP apparently doesn't know that. 2) While being detained, CBP threatened him with the FBI, while demanding access to school district files. Why did they need school district files as part of a Customs stop? A Customs Stop of a US Citizen with Global Entry? Department of Homeland Security is out of control; they are kidnapping US citizens (what else would you call a detention that they refuse to call a detention), attempting to extort private information out of them for no reason, and trampling on the rights of American citizens. Are you going to do something about it? Are you so certain that you're useful to the administration that they won't do that to you? Especially after they manhandled a Congressman last month?