Libyan-American comedian says CBP called him ‘illegal,’ demanded his papers on bus

A Libyan-American comedian over the weekend claimed that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demanded to see his papers as he rode on a Greyhound Bus, at one point calling him “illegal” although he has been granted asylum in the U.S.

Mohanad Elshieky tweeted he was on a bus to Portland, Ore., when officers boarded the bus and demanded to see his papers. When he originally shared the story on Twitter, he claimed the agents were with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but later said it had been pointed out to him that they were likely with CBP.

{mosads}Elshieky tweeted that the border agents “got on my Greyhound bus that was headed from Spokane to Portland. They walked around before they asked me and few others to step outside and took my documents and interrogated me for around 20 mins then claimed my papers were fake and that I’m ‘illegal’.”

This morning, ICE agents got on my Greyhound bus that was headed from Spokane to Portland. They walked around before they asked me and few others to step outside and took my documents and interrogated me for around 20 mins then claimed my papers were fake and that I’m “illegal”.

— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 27, 2019

“I explained to them that I was granted asylum here in the United States, and that the work permit they currently hold and the license are impossible to get unless your presence here is legal,” Elshieky said in a follow-up tweet. “They told me that I was lying and these could pretty much be falsified.”

I explained to them that I was granted Asylum here in the United States, and that the work permit they currently hold and the license are impossible to get unless your presence here is legal. They told me that I was lying and these could pretty much be falsified.

— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 27, 2019

Elshieky claimed the CBP agent claimed there were “no records” of his asylum status and demanded to see his asylum approval. 

“Why would I carry that where I have my IDs?” Elshieky wrote.

“I kept it together and told them that what they are doing now is illegal and that they must hand me my documents back or I will have to call my lawyer and take legal action,” he tweeted. “Another ICE agent then started yelling at me to take my hands out of my pockets and I did which is stupid because it was snowing and they were wearing gloves and my hands were freezing cold.”

He wrote the agents ultimately gave him back his documents, warning him, “Next time, have your papers on you.”

“To be honest, I have never felt as terrible as I did today. I have never imagined that I would have to go through this,” he tweeted.

The tweet thread quickly went viral, accruing tens of thousands of likes and retweets throughout the day.

Elshieky fired off another tweet with a photo of the agents he alleges made the demands as they got back into their vehicle.

Here is a photo of the racist trash Fox News call “heroes”. pic.twitter.com/oXbSfoKvB7

— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 27, 2019

It was an another reminder that even though I have been here for 5 years working my ass off, I was still considered “Other” and I have never felt as alone as I did in that station full of people.

— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 27, 2019

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) retweeted his thread, writing, “One of these days, I hope people realize that the idea that ICE should be scrapped isn’t so crazy after all,” a reference to the left-wing campaign to “abolish ICE.”

“ICE jails children in for-profit detention centers funded by private equity grps,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “Kids are dying w/ 0 accountability. If that’s not totally broken, I don’t know what is.”

One of these days, I hope people realize that the idea that ICE should be scrapped isn’t so crazy after all.

ICE jails children in for-profit detention centers funded by private equity grps. Kids are dying w/ 0 accountability. If that’s not totally broken, I don’t know what is. https://t.co/AlMgLiHVnu

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2019

CBP did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

Greyhound in a statement to Sky News noted that it is legal for border agents to board buses.

“We understand our customers’ concerns about US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducting warrantless, but still legal, searches on our buses,” Greyhound said, according to the outlet. “CBP officers do not ask permission to board our buses. We do not want to put our drivers’ safety or the safety of our passengers at risk by attempting to stop a federal agent from conducting checks.” 

Elshieky moved to Portland from Libya in 2014.