Wilmer Chavarria, a Vermont school superintendent and U.S. citizen, was detained for over five hours at Houston's airport upon returning from Nicaragua with his husband. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers questioned his citizenship, employment, and relationship legitimacy while denying him access to legal counsel and seizing his devices. Chavarria asserted his rights during the treatment, described it as psychological terror, and expressed concern about attempts to access sensitive student data from his school-issued computer. The incident sparked condemnation from his local school board, labeling the treatment as inhumane and unjust.
Chavarria stated CBP officers seized his phone and laptop, denied him access to counsel, and interrogated him in four separate rooms, questioning his citizenship and employment status.
Chavarria noted that officers falsely claimed he, as a U.S. citizen, had no constitutional rights at a point of entry, increasing their agitation when he asserted his rights.
Describing the ordeal, Chavarria characterized it as surreal and a definition of psychological terror, emphasizing the emotional impact of the questioning.
In an interview, Chavarria expressed concerns about CBP agents attempting to access his school-issued computer, which holds sensitive data about students.
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