Mon May 05 14:25:19 UTC 2025: ## US Accused of Targeting Palestinian-American Journalist Upon Return
**Newark, NJ –** A Palestinian-American journalist and her German husband allege they were subjected to intense interrogation and harassment by US Homeland Security agents upon their arrival at Newark Airport on March 24th. The couple, who live in Germany and have previously experienced harassment from German authorities, claim the incident demonstrates a deliberate targeting of Palestinians by the US government.
The journalist, whose name has been withheld for safety concerns, detailed the ordeal, which began in Frankfurt airport. US DHS agents, she says, singled out her husband, questioning him about their 2022 trip to Gaza, scrutinizing his passport, and photographing every page.
Upon arrival in Newark, the couple was separated and interrogated. Agents, believed to be DHS officers, questioned the journalist about her family’s ties to Gaza, specifically asking about potential affiliations with Hamas and their experiences during the recent conflict. The journalist says she was asked about an article she wrote for Mondoweiss criticizing US foreign policy. Her phone was confiscated, only returned after implicit threats of deportation. Her husband received a warning to avoid political activity.
Legal counsel has advised the couple against public demonstrations during their stay in the US.
“What happened to us was not random; it was intentional,” the journalist stated. “It was meant to scare and intimidate us…They want us to forget the people we have lost. Fifty members of our family were murdered in the US-backed genocide in Gaza.”
The couple claims the incident is evidence of a wider pattern of intimidation targeting Palestinians, both within the US and abroad. They assert that their political activism and Palestinian identity are the reasons for the targeting, not any security threat. They stand defiant, refusing to be silenced. The journalist concludes her account by emphasizing the urgency of addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
First Piper 