SDSU Student Back Home After Detour Over 'No-Fly' List Status
SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A Southern California-born Muslim man was back home on Friday after he discovered he was on the U.S. government's "no-fly" list and had to walk back over the border on foot.
KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports Kevin Iraniha had just received his masters' degree from a college in Costa Rica.
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San Diego State University graduate Iraniha, 27, was preparing to return to his home in Point Loma when TSA officials informed him of his "no-fly" status.
His brother Johan said the family was not provided any details on Kevin's flight status.
"Basically, he was told he could not fly," he said. "They didn't give him any information, they said to go to the U.S. Embassy."
Officials from the U.S. Embassy then told Iraniha that in order to get back home, he would have to fly into Tijuana and then walk across the border on foot.
Iraniha's brother Johan was furious that his brother was subjected to such treatment.
"I definitely am angry, I'm very upset about it and I want to do as much as I can but I also wanna make sure that he's here so we can definitely tackle the situation together, so I could see how he feels, how he was treated," said Johan.
An FBI spokesperson has confirmed with KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO that a "no-fly" status cannot prevent any U.S. citizen from reentering the country on foot.
A family member did confirm to a San Diego-area station that Iraniha had traveled to Egypt during the uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak last year, but denied he was "the revolutionary type".
