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L.A. City Attorney Said He Was Blocked From Meeting With LAX Detainees
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer says he was unable to meet with detainees or get clear information about the situation at LAX, despite spending several hours at the airport over the weekend. Protestors gathered at LAX this weekend following an executive order issued by President Trump preventing refugees, as well as nationals from seven countries, from accessing the United States. Numerous lawyers also arrived at the airport, volunteering their services for detainees. Information was unclear all around, with one lawyer telling LAist that they and other volunteers were working with the families of about 15 detainees. The L.A. Times reports that a law enforcement source cited 13 detainees, all of whom possessed green cards and were ultimately released. Feuer told ABC 7 he also wanted to know how many people were being detained, but "federal officials were unable and unwilling to provide any information." This mirrors what happened with Rep. Judy Chu and Rep. Nanette Barragán, who were also unable to get information about detainees from customs officials.
Feuer arrived at the airport on Saturday night and remained through Sunday morning, according to the L.A. Times. He said his attempts to communicate with detainees were denied several times, and that he was also unable to access an attorney to speak with about the situation. He addressed several topics, including how federal officials were complying with an emergency stay ordered by U.S. Federal Judge Ann M. Donnelly Saturday night. Additionally, he told ABC 7 that he had concerns that not all religions were being treated equally by the law. Trump had previously mentioned giving priority to Christian refugees.
Feuer said he did speak to a woman who told him that her father, who has Parkinson's disease, was a detainee. He told the L.A. Times that he considered the detainments a "breathtaking violation of rights."
"These are residents of this city who have friends and relatives who have the right to return. And the detainees are in many cases residents of the City of Los Angeles, and have loved ones here in this city, waiting for reunification," Feuer said, according to City News Service.
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FULL STATEMENT from Mike Feuer on the appalling #detainee situation at #lax: https://t.co/s7oRraK714 #MuslimBan #CivilRights #losangeles pic.twitter.com/3Oq5RmlIDJ
— The Office of Mike Feuer, L.A. City Attorney (@CityAttorneyLA) January 30, 2017
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