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L.A. city attorney demands list of people detained at LAX under Trump’s travel order

Abeer Abdelrahman, left, hugs her sister Areej Ali at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX on Monday after Ali, who has a green card, was able to come through the arrivals area with the help of an attorney after being detained and questioned.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer is demanding that the Department of Homeland Security turn over a list of travelers detained, questioned or returned to their country of origin under President Trump’s travel ban executive order.

Feuer on Friday sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan and Los Angeles Area Port Director Mitchell Merriam seeking to verify that the federal agencies operating at Los Angeles International Airport complied with two court restraining orders last week.

The restraining orders issued by courts in New York and Los Angeles enjoined federal agents from removing individuals with approved refugee applications or valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas from the seven nations named in Trump’s executive order.

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Feuer said he was denied access to the incoming immigration area on Jan. 27 and was told a high-level federal official would provide answers, but he said he was never provided with information.

The city prosecutor asked for a detailed accounting of those who landed with passports or legal status and were questioned, confined or subject to surveillance from Iran, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Feuer also wants to know any who were sent back or who voluntarily returned. The prosecutor is also requesting details of those persons’ travel and whether any documentation or passports were confiscated.

Feuer has been a vocal opponent of the executive order. The Democratic city attorney’s letter is the latest move in a legal battle over the travel directive.

richard.winton@latimes.com

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