Attorney: Muslim Air Force veteran suing over no-fly list allowed back into U.S. by plane
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Version 0 of 1. The U.S. Air Force veteran who alleged in a lawsuit that his inclusion on the no-fly list had left him unjustly detained in Turkey was allowed to fly back to the United States on Wednesday, his attorney said. Saadiq Long, 46, an Oklahoma-born Muslim American who considers Qatar his home, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport with his family Wednesday, said his attorney, Gadeir Abbas. Abbas said Long was issued a one-time waiver to travel, and his lawsuit, which alleges that the no-fly list is broadly unconstitutional, remains ongoing. He alleged that Long was questioned by customs officials for several hours. Long intends to return soon to Oklahoma, Abbas said. [Lawsuit: No-fly list has left Muslim Air Force veteran detained in Turkey] According to his lawsuit, Long and his family were detained by Turkish authorities last year because the United States had put him on the no-fly list and his passport was flagged. His suit alleged that left him essentially stranded in Turkey, and his plight demonstrated that the no-fly list was unconstitutional. A federal district judge in Alexandria last month rejected Long’s bid to have his name immediately removed from the no-fly list but said he could sue on a normal schedule to produce the same result. He conceded then that the U.S. government was willing to issue a one-time travel waiver but said he feared that might leave him unable to later fly out of the country on a plane. |