US officials have apologised to a Canadian cabinet minister who says he was repeatedly asked to take off his turban by security agents at Detroit Metro Airport despite having already passed security checks.
Navdeep Bains, a Liberal party MP who serves as minister of innovation, science and economic development in the cabinet of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, went public last week about the incident, which occurred in April last year.
Bains had “already gone through additional security screens, as per US policy that allows Sikhs to keep their turbans on when going through airport checks,” CTV reports. He was waiting to board his flight when a security agent asked him to remove his headgear.
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The MP refused to do so. “As a Sikh, wearing the turban is considered one of the most dutiful acts for a person of the faith,” he told La Presse, describing the request to remove it as “an intrusion”.
“They would never ask me to remove my clothes,” he said. “It’s the same thing.”
The airport officials were “very insistent and very difficult” during the encounter, he added. “It made me feel uncomfortable.”
Bains was finally able to board the flight to Toronto without removing his turban by “reluctantly” showing his diplomatic passport.
The MP said he usually travels on a standard passport in order to understand “what happens to ordinary people who sometimes have difficulties with people in positions of authority”.
He said he was astonished by the agents’ response to the incident. “We can’t compromise on security,” he told La Presse. “But once you find out my diplomatic status, you say everything is fine. It’s not a satisfactory response.”
In a statement to CBC, a spokesman for the US Transportation Security Administration said that a review of CCTV footage of the incident determined that the officer “didn’t follow standard operating procedures”.
“The officer subsequently received additional training,” the government agency said. “We regret the screening experience did not meet the expectations of Mr Bains.”
