Civil rights attorney says he was harassed by federal agents at Metro Airport

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Dearborn civil rights attorney says he was stopped and questioned at Metropolitan Airport in Romulus.

Amir Makled, returning from a family vacation to Punta Cana with his wife and twin daughters, claims federal agents were trying to intimidate him.

The backstory:

"This wasn't a random selection - it was designed to target me and to intimidate me," he said. "And in my belief, designed to intimidate me.

"The passport agent after taking my ID and passport, was asking another agent for a TTRT team member."

The term stands for Tactical Terrorism Response Team.

"So I looked at my wife - I said - this is no good," he said. "They are going to do something here. We're probably going to be detained and they're going to ask me some questions."

Makled says they did let his wife and terrified children leave - but he was detained and questioned for an hour and a half.

"The very first thing he tells me is, "We know you're an attorney and we know you are handlng some high profile cases,'" he said. "He said 'Do you have your phone with you?' And I said yeah, I have my phone with me, and he says "Can I see it?' I said for what?"

Makled is a civil rights and criminal defense attorney and represents a University of Michigan student activist accused of resisting and obstructing police at the encampment protesting the war in Gaza last year.

He is handling numerous other cases - all privileged information in his phone - and he refused to give it up.

"I said brother - this is privileged - you're not getting access to content on my phone,  I'm not giving it to you," Makled said. "I'm not giving them access to my phone - I'm an attorney. I have to safeguard the interest of my clients, I'm not doing that."

He says they went back and forth for some time - telling him they have the right to confiscate his phone.

"He says to me 'Look, the number one thing is, we want to see your contact list if you show us your contact list - we'll give you the phone back. Otherwise, we're taking it,'" Makled said. "And so I acquiesced to that request."

Then - he says - they proceeded to ask him about contacts in his phone - he refused to give them anymore information.

"The new approach of coming after the attorneys is really a chilling effect and is done to dissuade people from taking up these cases," he said.

Makled referred to President Donald Trump's well-publicized attacks on large law firms involved with people or cases investigating him - now it seems local attorneys are also under scrutiny.

"Our civil rights are being tested and this administration is really challenging and testing how far they can push," he said. "And unfortunately, for the times we're in - we're going to have to keep pushing - we're going to have to keep fighting."

Customs and Border Patrol called the accusations blatantly false and sensationalized  - saying it was a routine lawful process.

"This lawyer’s accusations are blatantly false and sensationalized. Upon entering the country, he was flagged and referred to secondary inspection — a routine, lawful process that occurs daily, and can apply for any traveler.

"During the approximately 90-minute screening, officers worked to ensure attorney-client privilege was respected during electronic media search. He provided written consent to a limited search of his electronic device, and all actions were conducted in accordance with established protocols.

"He was then promptly released. Claims that this was an attack on his profession or were politically motivated are baseless. Our officers are following the law, not agendas."

Attorney Amir Makled