Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles Warns Travelers After Citizens Were Questioned and Deported at Honolulu Airport
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles issued a reminder on November 5 advising Chinese citizens planning to travel to the United States to choose carefully whether to enter through Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The consulate said that in recent years, multiple Chinese citizens entering through Honolulu's airport were subjected to unwarranted questioning and harassment by U.S. border enforcement officers and were deported after their visas were revoked. During questioning, their electronic devices were searched, their freedom of movement was restricted for long periods, they were barred from contacting others, and while awaiting deportation flights they were transferred to custody at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center. The consulate said it has lodged repeated solemn representations with the U.S. side, and warned that the port of entry carries a risk of unwarranted questioning and arbitrary detention for Chinese citizens entering lawfully.
The consulate also advised travelers who are questioned by U.S. border officers to stay calm and respond rationally; those who do not understand a question may ask for translation assistance, should avoid answering questions they do not understand, and should contact the consulate for help promptly.
According to the Global Times, one traveler who had held a U.S. visa for 12 years and entered the United States nearly 20 times was still questioned for nearly an hour when entering through Honolulu in late October. Honolulu's airport is Hawaii's largest and one of the U.S. ports of entry most commonly used by travelers from China.
Source: Consulate General of China in Los Angeles
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：从离港航班上俯瞰夏威夷檀香山的丹尼尔·K·井上国际机场（资料图）。照片：Famartin，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, seen from a departing aircraft (file photo). Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
