Consulate: Mexicans Also Held For Hours At O’Hare

mexican flag file
Jason Rosenberg / Flickr
mexican flag file
Jason Rosenberg / Flickr

Consulate: Mexicans Also Held For Hours At O’Hare

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The Consulate of Mexico in Chicago has confirmed travelers from Mexico have been held for a longer-than-normal time at O’Hare International Airport in recent days.

Citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries were held for hours over the weekend after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday employing so-called “extreme vetting” of citizens from the seven countries.

Marcelino Miranda, consul for legal affairs at the Consulate of Mexico in Chicago, said Mexicans were also held for hours.

“We have reports of Mexicans who have been held for more than 12 hours …We have a case of a family who were held for more than 10 hours and we’re looking into that,” Miranda said.

Miranda said he believes the stringent questioning by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents has nothing to do with Trump’s executive order on extreme vetting. 

Trump issued a separate executive order about protection of the U.S. southern border and tightening restrictions on illegal immigration, including using local and state law enforcement to act as federal immigration agents. 

Miranda said Mexican travelers are concerned, but the consulate is available for assistance.

“They need to remain calm, but they need to be aware,” he said. “They need to contact the Consulate of Mexico if they feel they are finding mistreatment or an unnecessary stay at the airport.”

Customs and Border Protection did not return requests for comment.