A British journalist claims a Customs and Border Patrol agent at LAX questioned whether he was part of the ‘fake news’ media.
James Dyer, who works for Empire Magazine, took to Twitter to describe his ‘chilling’ encounter with the immigration official while passing through customs.
‘Wow. Just…wow. Just went through LAX immigration. Presented my journalist visa and was stopped by the CBP agent and accused of being part of the ‘fake news media,’ he tweeted.
The journalist said the unidentified official at Los Angeles International Airport questioned whether he worked for CNN or MSNBC or other outlets that are ‘spreading lies to the American people’.
‘He aggressively told me that journalists are liars and are attacking their democracy.’
Dyer described his experience as a ‘chilling’ sign of the ‘malignant affect [sic] this presidency has had on what was once a beacon of democracy and freedom’.
He wanted to know if I’d ever worked for CNN or MSNBC or other outlets that are “spreading lies to the American people.” He aggressively told me that journalists are liars and are attacking their democracy.
— James Dyer (@jamescdyer) August 22, 2019
Apparently the only truth now comes from YouTube and the president. All this said under a CBP sign that says “we are the face of our nation.” And with a framed picture of 45 staring down. In fucking California!!! Welcome to Trump’s America!
— James Dyer (@jamescdyer) August 22, 2019
– No I didn’t get his name or make a complaint. As I said, he didn’t mistreat me so while I despair that an official made these comments and that these troubling views have clearly been so normalised, I didn’t take it any further. (I just moaned about it on twitter!)
— James Dyer (@jamescdyer) August 22, 2019
In a statement a US Customs and Border Protection spokesman said it was aware of Dyer’s experience as he passed through LAX and advised him to file a formal complaint.
‘Inappropriate comments or behavior are not tolerated, and do not reflect our values of vigilance, integrity and professionalism. We strongly advise travelers to file a formal complaint so alleged misconduct is properly investigated.’
Dyer said he had not made a complaint as while he had ‘moaned about it on Twitter’ he was not mistreated.
‘No I wasn’t mistreated or detained in any way. Questions at customs are to be expected while fingerprinting is going on. It’s just the fake news/MSM diatribe that was surprising and inappropriate,’ he tweeted.
Earlier this year, CBP officials faced a similar incident when several reporters and immigration lawyers were stopped by agents and asked about their views of the president while attempting to re-enter the country in April.
The agency’s San Diego branch also came under fire for the creation of a watch list that included the names of journalists and immigrants’ rights advocates.