Admin.
Nobody throws in the towel better than him!
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I always see posts about ICE but I have never thought as much about them as I do now. They now feel very real. My dad, an American citizen, was detained by ICE.
These are John Phillips words:
“August 9 at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Gate B16 Delta Flight 0466
I was checked in on the Delta app the previous day for my flight and was boarding zone 4, seat 29D. I am a Gold Medallion member with Delta. I checked a bag and went through security with no issues. I was at my gate at 9:30 AM with a 10:25 boarding time.
Once boarding was announced, I got up to use the restroom as I always do and then went to stand for a while, while waiting for my zone to be called. My name was called to come to the podium. I couldn’t imagine why as my seat had been assigned for weeks and was not flying standby. When I got to the podium, the Delta desk agent told me that I was on the upgrade list and while trying to upgrade me, something went wrong and I needed to wait until all the zones boarded, then they would give me a seat assignment. I did that and then went back to the podium once everyone had boarded, and I was told that they had checked me in and my seat was still 29D.
I walked down the empty jetway and mere feet from the aircraft door, 3 young men jumped out from their hiding spots. The one on my right had handcuffs, the one in the middle shoved a badge in my face and told me they were ICE agents, and the one on my left pushed me backwards against the wall. One of them realized handcuffing me with my backpack on would not work, so stripped me of the backpack and let it drop to the floor with my 2 laptops in it, while the other one cuffed my hands behind my back. After all of that, they asked me my name, which I gave them (John Phillips) and my birthdate, which I told them. I told them I am an American citizen and was born in St. Joseph, MO. One of them asked me what hospital, which I didn’t answer because I didn’t know, probably the only one. It was all very confusing because all three were asking questions and wanting answers. They asked me for my passport and I told them it was at home as I don’t need one to go to Las Vegas. They then asked for ID. I asked them how they expected me to give them ID while handcuffed? They then went into my right front pocket for my wallet, which has my Georgia state issued drivers license. One of them had my phone which I had had in my right hand when they grabbed it and put a handcuff on it. They wanted my phone unlocked. Again, I said how am I supposed to do that while handcuffed? Then he tapped the screen and held it to my face to unlock it. I don’t know what he looked at while he had it unlocked. At this point they said something about me being from England, and I reiterated that I am an American citizen and was born in Missouri. They then pulled up a picture of the guy they thought I was and he didn’t look even a bit like me other than we are both white. I pointed that out to them and they started looking at each other like “what do we do now?”, then one of them started taking the cuffs off of me and giving me my stuff back.
Amazingly, my flight had not left, so I was permitted to board and take off. All of this was horribly embarrassing as about 8 or so of the passengers watched this whole thing go down. They probably wondered what kind of person they were flying with.
After I got to my seat, with assistance in finding it because I was so flustered, I found myself shaking and my heart rate elevated enough that my fitness ring logged it as a “vital sign abnormally” and began tracking my heart rate more thoroughly. It took about an hour of the flight to quit shaking and calm down somewhat.
I am flabbergasted that I can have a KTN number, be approved for Touchless ID, have the new super duper drivers license, have gone through security at the airport, and STILL they don’t know, evidently, who is about to get on the plane and think I am somebody I am not!
I think no matter who a person is, a better way to handle this is to just approach them and ask for ID. There is no reason to be treated like a criminal in your own country when no crime has been committed.”
Everyone please share this!
You would think that ICE would just pull him aside at security considering they KNEW he was coming and Delta was strategizing with ICE to ambush him. It could have been as simple as pulling him aside at security, verifying he is a citizen and sending him on his way, but instead, he was jumped by a group of agents who had false information. After roughing him up and realizing they now look like jackasses, they ran off, probably with no repercussions at all. Something has to change.
THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
These are John Phillips words:
“August 9 at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Gate B16 Delta Flight 0466
I was checked in on the Delta app the previous day for my flight and was boarding zone 4, seat 29D. I am a Gold Medallion member with Delta. I checked a bag and went through security with no issues. I was at my gate at 9:30 AM with a 10:25 boarding time.
Once boarding was announced, I got up to use the restroom as I always do and then went to stand for a while, while waiting for my zone to be called. My name was called to come to the podium. I couldn’t imagine why as my seat had been assigned for weeks and was not flying standby. When I got to the podium, the Delta desk agent told me that I was on the upgrade list and while trying to upgrade me, something went wrong and I needed to wait until all the zones boarded, then they would give me a seat assignment. I did that and then went back to the podium once everyone had boarded, and I was told that they had checked me in and my seat was still 29D.
I walked down the empty jetway and mere feet from the aircraft door, 3 young men jumped out from their hiding spots. The one on my right had handcuffs, the one in the middle shoved a badge in my face and told me they were ICE agents, and the one on my left pushed me backwards against the wall. One of them realized handcuffing me with my backpack on would not work, so stripped me of the backpack and let it drop to the floor with my 2 laptops in it, while the other one cuffed my hands behind my back. After all of that, they asked me my name, which I gave them (John Phillips) and my birthdate, which I told them. I told them I am an American citizen and was born in St. Joseph, MO. One of them asked me what hospital, which I didn’t answer because I didn’t know, probably the only one. It was all very confusing because all three were asking questions and wanting answers. They asked me for my passport and I told them it was at home as I don’t need one to go to Las Vegas. They then asked for ID. I asked them how they expected me to give them ID while handcuffed? They then went into my right front pocket for my wallet, which has my Georgia state issued drivers license. One of them had my phone which I had had in my right hand when they grabbed it and put a handcuff on it. They wanted my phone unlocked. Again, I said how am I supposed to do that while handcuffed? Then he tapped the screen and held it to my face to unlock it. I don’t know what he looked at while he had it unlocked. At this point they said something about me being from England, and I reiterated that I am an American citizen and was born in Missouri. They then pulled up a picture of the guy they thought I was and he didn’t look even a bit like me other than we are both white. I pointed that out to them and they started looking at each other like “what do we do now?”, then one of them started taking the cuffs off of me and giving me my stuff back.
Amazingly, my flight had not left, so I was permitted to board and take off. All of this was horribly embarrassing as about 8 or so of the passengers watched this whole thing go down. They probably wondered what kind of person they were flying with.
After I got to my seat, with assistance in finding it because I was so flustered, I found myself shaking and my heart rate elevated enough that my fitness ring logged it as a “vital sign abnormally” and began tracking my heart rate more thoroughly. It took about an hour of the flight to quit shaking and calm down somewhat.
I am flabbergasted that I can have a KTN number, be approved for Touchless ID, have the new super duper drivers license, have gone through security at the airport, and STILL they don’t know, evidently, who is about to get on the plane and think I am somebody I am not!
I think no matter who a person is, a better way to handle this is to just approach them and ask for ID. There is no reason to be treated like a criminal in your own country when no crime has been committed.”
Everyone please share this!
You would think that ICE would just pull him aside at security considering they KNEW he was coming and Delta was strategizing with ICE to ambush him. It could have been as simple as pulling him aside at security, verifying he is a citizen and sending him on his way, but instead, he was jumped by a group of agents who had false information. After roughing him up and realizing they now look like jackasses, they ran off, probably with no repercussions at all. Something has to change.
THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
