The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.30           September 2, 1996 
 
 
Youth Returning From Cuba Detained At Chicago Airport  

CHICAGO, Illinois - On August 6, twenty-one young people returning from Cuba with the U.S.-Cuba Youth Exchange were detained by Immigration and customs officials at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Although the 21 youth were fully-hosted by the Federation of University Students (FEU) and legally visited Cuba, they were held under the pretext of having traveled to an enemy country.

Officials brought out a drug-sniffing dog and body searched a participant who is Black, Damon Tinnon, for illegal substances. After being held for two and a half hours, customs agents made photo-copies of everyone's passports and letters from FEU that explained the trip was fully-hosted. Before releasing the youth, customs agents informed them that the U.S. State Department will carry out an investigation.

In response to this harassment, the Chicago Cuba Coalition put out a media alert to inform newspapers, radio and television stations that Youth Exchange participants are available for interviews about the trip and to protest the harassment by government officials upon their return.

The Twin Cities Cuba Network held a press conference August 13 where six youth spoke about the trip and condemned the actions by government officials. Channel 2, the local PBS affiliate, and Channel 4, the local CBS affiliate came. In addition, a reporter from the Minneapolis Spokesman, a newspaper with wide circulation in the city's Black community, attended and arranged an interview with one of the youth.

The rest of the participants on the Exchange came through U.S. immigration and customs at the Nassau airport in the Bahamas and did not face similar harassment.

-JACK WILLEY  
 
 
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