British Student Detained and Deported at US Airport

On 3 July, Laith Alani, a 20-year-old British law student, arrived at Orlando International Airport on a 10-year multi-entry B1/B2 tourist visa. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) placed him in “secondary inspection,” where he was interrogated for nine hours and then held in a holding cell for an additional 14 hours. After nearly 24 hours in custody, he was escorted onto a British Airways flight back to the United Kingdom and asked to sign a document indicating that he had voluntarily withdrawn his application for admission. Alani says the process left him feeling “kidnapped” and that he was profiled because he is Muslim.

The Guardian

Alani’s visa history includes a prior refusal of the fast-track ESTA waiver after disclosing travel to Iraq, though he later received a standard tourist visa. He had booked a one-week, £2,500 trip to Florida’s theme parks and intended to meet a relative in California. During the inspection, CBP officials examined his electronic devices, social-media accounts, and asked detailed questions about his relatives, neighbours, hobbies and travel history, including a trip to Tunisia taken in July of the previous year. Similar incidents have been reported involving other British nationals, such as Rebecca Burke, who was held for 19 days in an ICE detention centre in February 2025, and Karen Newton, detained for six weeks in September 2025.

The Guardian

CBP said “inconsistencies were identified” in Alani’s travel history and that he “withdrew his application for admission.” A CBP spokesperson added that staff “adhere to strict protocols,” that Alani was “monitored throughout,” and that the length of custody was “due to limited flight availability.” The UK Foreign Office confirmed it had provided consular assistance and advised British nationals to review the latest U.S. travel advice. British MP Anneliese Dodds has raised the case with the Foreign Office.

The Guardian

• “I would never have signed it if I understood,” — Muslim. Laith Alani

The Guardian

• “It’s now a regular occurrence for many British Muslim families to hear of travellers to US airports holding British citizenship being detained, interrogated for multiple hours and devices being confiscated and searched, often on spurious grounds.” — Muslim Council

The Guardian

• “Accusations of CBP personnel racially profiling are false. All persons arriving at a US port of entry are subject to inspection by CBP officers.” — spokesperson

The Guardian