British Student Detained After US Entry Refusal

Laith Alani, a British law student, says he was profiled and unlawfully removed from the United States after being held for nearly 24 hours on arrival at Orlando international airport.

Alani, 20 and from Oxford, said he had planned a one-week trip to visit Florida theme parks and relatives, including a relative in California. He was detained by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after arriving on 3 July, before being sent back to the UK on a British Airways flight.

Detained At Orlando Airport

Alani said he was questioned for nine hours and then kept in a holding cell for a further 14 hours. He said the process left him feeling “as if he had been kidnapped”, and he described being threatened with handcuffs during the interview.

He said officers searched his electronic devices and looked through his social media accounts. Alani said he was interrogated about his relatives, neighbours, hobbies and travel history before being escorted out of the airport and placed on the outbound flight.

A CBP document he received, Alani said, showed a signature bearing his name and stated that he had withdrawn his application to enter the country.

CBP has said the handling of the case was based on an assessment during inspection, and that Alani withdrew his application for admission after inconsistencies were identified in his travel history.

Visa History And Device Searches

Alani said his case followed earlier difficulties obtaining entry clearance. He said he was previously refused a fast-track ESTA visa waiver after disclosing travel to Iraq, where he has relatives. He later received a 10-year, multi-entry B1/B2 US tourist visa, which allows entry for tourism and for visiting family.

In his account, Alani said his prior travel was examined in detail, particularly a trip to Tunisia taken in July last year, a month after he obtained the visa. He said CBP staff implied he needed permission in advance to travel there, despite the trip being arranged at short notice and without plans made before receiving the visa.

Alani also said that correspondence seen by The Guardian following a complaint included CBP’s explanation of its decision-making. In that correspondence, CBP said an officer determined that Alani, who holds a British passport, was inadmissible because he was “unable to overcome the presumption he was an intending immigrant”.

Alani, who studies law at the University of West London, said he is autistic, has a heart disorder, and is legally disabled. He said he informed the officer and believed his health and vulnerability were not considered during the interrogation.

A US CBP spokesperson told The Guardian that “inconsistencies were identified” in Alani’s travel history “during inspection” and that he “withdrew his application for admission”.

UK MP Raises Case With Foreign Office

Alani’s local MP, Anneliese Dodds, said she raised the matter with the Foreign Office. Muslim and Arab organisations have also expressed concerns about the treatment of travellers at US airports.

The Muslim Council of Britain said such outcomes were a “regular occurrence” for British Muslim families, with detainees being held for hours, questioned, and having devices confiscated and searched, it said, often on disputed grounds.

Alani said he believed his detention reflected his faith and that he was profiled because he is Muslim. He said he was only returned to the UK after being told he would be deported, and that the circumstances made him feel at risk throughout the process.

Join the discussion?

18 August 2026