Getting Padilla-ed

A friend's coworker got stopped by the TSA after returning form over seas. This is the email I got.

One of the MDs that has an office two down from mine just returned from a trip to Italy Egypt, and apparently Turkey. If memory serves, he was taking his mom and sister there for two weeks.

Any ways, he came back through Washington Dulles. Landed there 3pm Friday. Had connecting flight to Chicago after that. Coming through customs he was grabbed by the TSA / Homeland Security. His name came up on a watch list and that they were interested as to why he spent time in Egypt and Turkey. Long story short, until I get a chance to ask him more, but he was held for 26 hours. Ton of questioning on all his travels (Which are many) and then checking facts, and then doing the whole thing over again.... and again..... and again. Outside of being stuck in Gitmo (and I am sure other places), how long can Homeland hold you for questioning? When they finally let him go with an apology, the flights were booked and he had to get a hotel. Point is, Homeland detained him for 36 hours, missed his flight, and had to get a hotel room. Seems odd....

Ron the MD seems to me to be a candidate for least likely to be a terrorist. I am guessing that Homeland and TSA are on extra high alert with 9/11 anniversary coming up.

This is exactly what Shrub and his cronies have been arguing for. The total dismantling of legal protections. As Sully has been pointing out for a couple years, Shrub has pushed for the ability to declare anyone, including U.S. citizens, enemy combatants and strip them of all legal protections granted by our Constitution and U.S. laws (The Geneva Conventions).